The Shining indeed shines. One of the most iconic horror film, ever.

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2014)

This is the thinking man's horror movie. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the movie is loosely based off the novel by Stephen King with the same name. Kubrick takes the concept of King's novel, and makes it, his own. The movie is about Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) a writer with writer's block who takes up a job as caretaker for an isolated, snow-bound hotel over the winter. He brings his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and young child, Danny (Danny Lloyd) with him, where he intends to get some good work done. The Hotel has an ominous murderous past, where previous caretakers and patrons had killed themselves or others. The madness of being isolate in the hotel takes its toll on the family, as the past start to haunt them, forcing one of them to snap. This is one of those confusing films with so many interpretations of what the movie meant. It's no surprised, that fans would love to explore more on its themes and subliminal messages. Some people even watch the film, backwards and forwards at the same time. There are hundreds of interpretations ranging from CIA, The Illuminati, the Gold Standard and others. The most popular ones are that the movie was about the massacre of the American Indians because the film is loaded with Native American symbolism from the hotel's theme, location, and it's never ending supply of Calumet. According to this theory, the infamous visions of gushing red liquid streaming from the elevators actually make sense, as it represents the souls buried deep beneath the hotel, with the elevator cabin dropping down into the basement like in a well, delivering a bucket blood upon its return to the surface. Others believe it's about the holocaust, due to the number 42 being throughout the film. Half-hidden numerology is meant to evoke the year 1942, the same year the Nazis launched the Final Solution. I found it to be a little bit stretch. It could be that the director was fan of Jackie Robinson or really love the romantic movie 'Summer of 1942'. Still, Kubrick loves dipping his hand into Nazism symbolism. Then there are those, who think Kubrick made this movie to come clean about helping the government fake the moon landing because a character wore an Apollo 11 sweater and how the room 237, represent the number of distance from the earth to the moon. Most of this theory come from a 2002's French mockumentary film, call Dark Side of the Moon that was made as a spoof. There is no prove that Kubrick had anything to do with Apollo 11. I do believe that Kubrick's does tackle the themes of coincidences of life, dreams, racism, repressed sexual themes, and the past does not exist in this film. I do believe he use Theseus and the Minotaur as plot references. The huge giant maze was indeed added for the film, only. I dig the part of the Red VW Beetle being smashed up as a jab at Stephen King's source material as an inside joke as if saying, it's my movie, now. The other theories of the film are less lunatic, but drawn from small details like chair disappearing, TV had no cord, the window being in an odd place, typewriter changing colors, the carpet changing patterns, Etc. Etc. The people in the film, think Stanley Kubrick can't make mistakes. I for one, don't think Kubrick is a perfect with full control of every tiny little thing on his sets. Most of these examples seem more errors, then metaphors. The way, its shot is great for the most part. I love the opening helicopter shot of the lake. Wonderfully shot, lots of long, smooth tracking shots and perfectly placed imagery and slow dissolves. One of the famous sequences in which the camera tracks Danny. That was pretty cool to watch. Really great striking imagery, like the blood-red and white bathroom. The use of color is one of the highlights. The title screens & accompanying screeching orchestra is amazing use of a countdown. The score is fittingly atmospheric and unique. The drum winding up and down is particularly great. The movie does have some different in International cinema releases and new releases. Stanley Kubrick shot Jack's typewriter pages in different languages for release in different countries. Also, some versions add the delete scenes to it. It makes for a lot of re-watch value. Although it made for a better, tighter film, if it wasn't there. It's interesting to see the film spell things out, but these scenes ultimately hurt the pacing, so it was right to cut. Still, there were some awful WTF frankly hilarious shot with skeletons with Shelley and the man in the bear suit that could had been chop. The acting was alright for the most part. Jack Nicholson is captivating and terrifying. He gives a believable performance. Still, his acting isn't much of a stretch, as Jack, the actor been known as a crazy guy, before this movie. Shelley Duvall is mediocre at best. Wendy, the clueless housewife, is barely tolerable before things go down. When they do, she's just there to be the final girl. I'm sure it was emotionally & physically draining for the actress, but nobody liked her on set! It's seem like Stanley and her, bump heads a lot in this film, and you really do see, how much Stanley didn't like, working with her. The writing is pretty good. I love how dialogue changes tone, topic, seriousness and deadly intent line by line. Still, I wish there were more things from the book, add to this film. I like the power of the Shining, be used more in the film. The book makes the father, more of a tragic figure, than the straight out jerk in this film. Overall: Here's Johnny and he's absolutely incredible to watch.