Kubrick's adaptation of King's masterpiece takes viewers on a journey into the mouth of madness.

Rating: Null/10 (22 July 2000)

Kubrick's The Shining in short is about a struggling writer who becomes caretaker of a beautiful resort hotel w/ his wife and child while slowly degrading into insanity along the way. Although this movie is far off from King's demonic vison, Kubrick's adaptation is equally chilling. Kubrick focuses more on the degrading mental health of Nicholson. While King attunes the novel more towards the experiences of the boy. Remade in 1997 as a made-for-televison-movie. King has many times stated his dislike with Kubrick's film. Even though King himself worked on the script the hodgepodge of makeshift actors couldn't compare to the orginal. For example Steven Webber (WINGS)feeble attempts weren't even in the same ballpark as Nicholson's enraged pychopath. Kubrick breathed life into The Shining through weird camera shots and angles. His use of the elevator releasing blood in slow motion and the entire maze sequence adds a sense of reality, that in itself makes it more that just a "scary movie." In my opinion this is the innovator of the intellectual horror film.