'The Shining' (1980)

Rating: 10/10 (24 June 2012)

One of the most epic and extraordinary films in the history of horror films - and all of cinema in general - 'The Shining' will be forever rooted into the subconscious minds of people all over the world, including myself, images burned into the mind: Jack Nicholson's face as he chops down the door with an axe, Shelley DuVall's terrified screaming face, the two little girls standing in the hall as Danny Boyle rides his big wheel around the hotel.
Stanley Kubrick's most horrifying presentation builds on mounting tension and an overall growing sense of dread that continues for the entire two and a half hours of movie up until the very end. The haunting soundtrack is at times just as terrifying as the images on the screen, and the film's effective camera-work are legendary. Scatman Crothers is also highly notable as Dick Hallorann, as is Joe Turkel as Lloyd The Bartender.
I haven't read Stephen King's original novel yet, but I am aware that he was disappointed in Kubrick's interpretation of his work. Although, from watching his 2007 television remake, I can probably say that I am a bigger fan of the maze rather than the animals made from the bushes. A bit lengthy, but well worth it in the end. And by the film's third act, the viewer will have no choice but to be transfixed and mesmerized by the horror unfolding on screen every time.
THE SHINING -----10/10.