1980
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
It's strange after writing about so many films that no one has heard of to now be writing about major blockbusters. It is probably more fun for readers who are not dedicated List followers, but it is a bit hard to find something new to say about these movies.
Has anyone not seen this? I know my aunt won't let my cousin watch it because she gets too scared. My cousin is now 30, but I guess that doesn't change anything. Jack Torrance takes his family with him to be the winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in hopes that the isolation will get rid of his writer's block. His son (who is absolutely adorable and not obnoxious; a hard feat for kids in horror films) is the first to notice that they might not be alone in the hotel.
I read the Stephen King novel and I think this is one of the few cases where the movie is better than the book. It was a while ago, but I remember thinking it was rather cheesy how King expected us to be scared of the actual hotel (like the walls and the radiator). In the movie, the horrors are a lot more chilling. We have Jack Nicholson slowly losing his mind and becoming increasingly abusive to his wife and child, and there is nothing supernatural about that. I think his performance scared me more than the ghosts, excepting maybe the twin girls. Twin girls should not be allowed to wear matching outfits. Period.
Definitely one of the best horror films of all time and one of the reasons that I continue to like Kubrick, despite everything he has done to me.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
Kubrick was very protective of child actor Danny Lloyd, and made him believe he was shooting a drama film. You're all right, Stan.
Shelley Duvall was pushed to near hysteria by Stanley Kubrick in order to get her best performance. She suffered from exhaustion and hair loss.
The color red is in every shot in the film.
Really, really, really scary. My sister started crying from fear in the movie theater. She somehow staggered out to wait in the lobby---I hung in there, I think frozen in my seat. I didn't read the book, but I thought this movie was really good! Great acting all around.
ReplyDeleteI guess seeing in the theater would be really scary. I don't like seeing scary movies at theaters since the audience is always rowdy and I'm an old coot.
DeleteHi to everyone on this .. Have any of you come across a film called 'Room 237'? A collection of bizarre, many ridiculous conspiracy nut theories about some of the messages that may be hidden in this film. Sure, it picks up on some intriguing things, many of which must be deliberate, and could quite well be pointing to alternative meanings, but some are just plain stupid, and, well, wrong.
ReplyDeleteI haven't! So not worth it?
DeleteWell .. I'd say only worth watching if you are a dedicated fan of the film and will pick up on all the references. Otherwise it's (mostly) a total bunch of fruitcake. They even get in all the 'faked Moon landings .. This film proves it all... How? well, it's all to do with the key fob to 'ROOM No 237' .. Because, as you plainly see ROOM No 237 is an anagram of moon .. and it's 237,000 miles from here to the moon. Except it isn't. And the boy has a Apollo 11 jumper. Obvious total proof Kubrick faked the moon film ..And, as you would, having faked it, decided to advertise it all in this film...
ReplyDeleteYikes
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