Haunted House on the Hill or She Came in Through the Bathroom Mirror

Rating: 8/10 (14 March 2014)

The Beauty and Importance of Art is at once Profound, if You let it. However, it is not Necessary and leaves it up to You the Experiencer. It can, and most often does, contain Symbolism and Deeper Meanings. At its Best it touches all of the receptors. The Eye, Brain, Spirit, Soul, Heart, and Subconscious, are Tickled, Massaged, or Radically Retooled.
Such is the Film work of Stanley Kubrick. It can be Enjoyed, with Razzberries, Booed, Praised, Thumbed Up or Down, Middle Fingered, or hailed as a Masterpiece. One of the Kubrick things is that the Director makes Inhuman demands on His projects and devotes Years and Yearnings at the expense of all who Dare Inhabit Kubrick-Verse and many have found the Journey Demanding, Grueling, Rewarding and a Singular Experience at the least.
The Shining can be watched as a Horror Film, Drenched in the Red Stuff with Disturbing Images and heart pounding Suspense. On the Surface a Professional, Artistic, and well done take on the Low-Brow Genre that only Occasionally Rises above Trash, Exploitation and Cash-Ins.
But the Film can be Subliminal and so Deep that a Dissection can Result in a Labyrinth worthy of the Overlook's vast Corridors. A Maze of infinite Meanings and Cultural, Iconic, and Philosophical Innerlooks. It is possible to Rent it, Buy it, put it in the player, Nuke the Popcorn and have a Scary Night on the couch in front of the Big Screenor
if the Inclination presents itself, begin the Doctoral Thesis on the Director's Visions, the Modern Horror Film, Movie Messaging, and Movies as Therapeutical Theatre. As Kubrick Movies go, this one Mirrors and invites about as much Reflection as any.