A lonely hotel is a dangerous thing,
At least in the works of an author named King,
For no one can know what occurs in the mind
When volatile men are annoyed and confined.
They say, like Jack Torrance, the winter caretaker,
That past tragedies are no sign or deal breaker.
He’s simply too sane for such things to occur;
His wife is the same, and he’d never hurt her.
But get them alone in a desolate maze
And watch them get worse with the passing of days
And cringe as the dread and the wickedness weave,
For those at the Overlook may never leave.
__________________
The only part of this Stephen King adaptation I’d seen previously was the snippets of the most famous scenes in Twister. Oh, and countless parodies of that infamous send-up of Johnny Carson’s introduction. Not being a fan of horror in general, I’m not surprised I never got around to this one, but I decided to give it a try based on its reputation alone (92% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Though horror often has a stigma as a B-movie genre, frequently relying on clichés, cardboard characters, and unnecessary violence, The Shining is a film that truly deserves its iconic status and high rankings among the top scary films. While I’m not a fan of Stanley Kubrick and consider 2001 vastly overrated, I have to admit he’s quite the skillful filmmaker. The direction and cinematography are exceptional, full of those long tracking shots that leave viewers like me enraptured by the fluidity of the camerawork. The film was one of the first to fully utilize the new Steadicam, which allowed the camera to follow the characters as they stroll, creep, or flee through expansive rooms and twisting corridors. Not only is it admirable for its style, but it also heightens the tension (along with the unnervingly dissonant score) as the viewer rounds corner after corner, preparing for some inevitable surprise that may or may not come.
Equally impressive is the performance from the ever brilliant Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, the kind of sanity-sapping role at which Nicholson excels, though he looked at least a little unhinged even from the beginning when he was supposed to seem normal. (It’s those devilish eyebrows!) I do wonder, though, what it was exactly that triggered his maniac descent when he seemed fine for an entire month; perhaps it was merely the constant sole presence of his wife (a perfectly hysterical Shelley Duvall), whom he evidently resented on some level even beforehand. The young Danny Lloyd also gives a memorably creepy performance as son Danny Torrance, who possesses some form of ESP (referred to as “shining”) and shares a body with the ambiguous Tony, who could be anything from a split personality to an unexplained possession. While Lloyd’s scenes are highly effective, I can’t help but feel concern when films like this employ such young child actors for potentially unsettling roles, though Lloyd supposedly never realized he was filming a horror movie. Also, sharing another film with Nicholson is Scatman Crothers, the concerned cook who reminded me of that sheriff in King’s Misery in more ways than one.
While the horror genre would not be taken seriously by the Academy until Silence of the Lambs in 1991, The Shining had the potential to break that barrier first, boasting enough quality filmmaking to deserve Oscar nominations or wins for at least Best Actor, Editing, and Cinematography. Alas, it was not to be, since The Shining’s popularity was slow in coming, and it was actually nominated that year for Razzies rather than Oscars. It was criticized for its slow pace and significant differences from King’s novel, but the main flaws for me were the language and a wholly unnecessary nude scene thrown in to solidify its R rating. Despite this, the film fits the mold of the few horror films I like in focusing on restrained horror and disturbing atmosphere rather than continual gore. The Shining is one of the best examples of a psychological horror, full of taut ambience, a little inexplicable weirdness, and an enigmatic ending that has kept critics and fans debating ever since about ghosts, time travel, and psychosis. Even so, it’s not one I’d watch often and certainly not at night.
Best line: (the obvious; Jack Torrance, as he axes through a door) “Heeere’s Johnny!”
Rank: List Runner-Up© 2015 S. G. Liput
305 Followers and Counting
With S.H.I.E.L.D. out of service,
At least on the surface,
Six awesome Avengers defend the world still.
Since HYDRA arose,
They’ve empowered new foes,
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, twins with ill will.
Once Tony Stark’s had
An epiphany bad,
He then starts preparing for “peace in our time,”
But Ultron’s created
And quickly upgraded,
Equating true peace with a murderous crime.
Against these new threats
And alarming skill sets,
Our heroes must deal with their goals and their fear,
And when all agree
To save Earth mightily,
The smackdown is epic and worth a good cheer.
____________________
Surgeries happen every day,
Routine and clean, so doctors say.
You simply go to sleep and then
They ought to wake you up again.
What’s that? You’ve heard, through some mistake,
That sometimes people never wake?
That’s possible, but don’t dismay;
It’s very rare, so doctors say.
You need not worry of a coma;
Trust the doc and his diploma.
Never fear about foul play
That can’t occur, so doctors say.
Statistics prove how safe you are;
The surgeon’s been ideal so far.
He’ll deftly take the pain away,
And you’ll be fine, so doctors say.
________________
In District 13, Katniss Everdeen waits,
Unsettled by District 12 citizens’ fates.
Deep under the ground with her saved family,
She worries for Peeta interminably.
Both Plutarch and resolute President Coin
Are eager for her to recover and join.
Insisting that Peeta be rescued someday,
Poor Katniss agrees to be their Mockingjay,
The hero for all districts, sure to inspire
The masses and light an unquenchable fire.
Since staged propaganda does not work as well,
She heads to the war zones to get mad as hell.
Her anger at Snow for the cruel devastation
Extends to the people who rise from privation.
Yet who should appear on the Capitol screens
But Peeta, denouncing the riotous scenes?
The boy’s brain seems washed, but he still tries to warn
The rebels of sudden barrages that morn.
When Capitol power is violently cut,
The rebels move in ere the window is shut.
The three captive tributes that Snow has been holding
Are surely a part of his scheme still unfolding.
Though Katniss is eager for Peeta’s return,
She’s shocked at the lesson Snow wants her to learn.
_________________
The author Jane Austen
Refused to get lost in
Romance of her own,
Though for that she’s well-known.
__________________
I am the fire that burns out of sight,
Starting my rampage as merely a wisp.
Celebrate victory into the night;
I will burn you and your spire to a crisp.
Why do they build these skyscrapers so high,
Making it simpler with every floor
For me to cut off and trap in the sky
Everyone over my fiery roar?
Look at the people who panic and flee,
Visitors boasting illustrious names.
Look at the firemen battling me,
Feeble to fight in the face of my flames.
I am inferno, the new height of heat,
No other bastion of bragging is hotter.
Top of the world, Ma! None can defeat
Me or my mayhem, except—oh no—water!
________________
Rhyme and Reason 