EMPIRE ESSAY: The Shining

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EMPIRE ESSAY: The Shining - 25/11/2005 4:22:36 PM

Empire Admin

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Post #: 1

- 11/3/2006 5:30:11 PM

Naweed_1

Posts: 1433
Joined: 7/1/2006
From: Birmingham

Jack Nicholson is amazing, and the twins are terryfing, Kubrick is brilliant as usual.

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Post #: 2

- 13/4/2006 2:51:17 PM

dazz

Posts: 58
Joined: 9/4/2006

great film. it keeps you unsettled throughout the film. kubricks best film in my opinion. and nicholson is fantastic, i mean, who could play better than him?

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Post #: 3

The Best Horror Film Ever Made!!!! - 4/5/2006 11:43:56 PM

PaulJohn

Posts: 91
Joined: 30/4/2006
From: Aberdeen, Scotland

Nevermind "The Exorcist" or "Halloween", THIS IS the best horror film ever!!!!. And one of Stanley Kubricks many masterpieces.

A truly terrifying experience from start to finish. Stanley Kubrick never lets you settle. The use of steady-cam is astonishing and possibly the best use of it ever in film.

As for Jack Nicholson....WOW!!!!!!!!!.

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Post #: 4

- 4/7/2006 4:14:32 PM

casino

Posts: 206
Joined: 26/5/2006

very very good horror film

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Post #: 5

The shining - 17/7/2006 12:57:49 PM

rawkins

Posts: 6
Joined: 30/4/2006
From: York

a gripping phsycological horror, thriller. it'll keep you on the edge of your seat and in my opinion Kubricks best.

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Post #: 6

The Shining - 14/12/2006 8:16:35 PM

solid snake

Posts: 209
Joined: 18/10/2006

In The Departed Jack Nicholson was violent but funny. In The Shining he is violent but not funny. This iis a horror classic that should be seen by everyone. I dont know anyone who hasent seen the Tsunami of blood casading out he lift doors. The only thing that spoils this down is that its diffrent to the cracking book by Stephen King and Shelly Duvalls caracter is an absoloute pussy.

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Post #: 7

The Shining - 6/3/2007 7:47:35 PM

zombiewarehouse

Posts: 48
Joined: 4/3/2007
From: Hoveton, Norfolk

This film is acclaimed as a masterpiece. Its a masterpiece of acting from Jack Nicholson that is for sure, you can sense right from the outset that this is a man with a few demons, and gradually Nicholson unravells this darker side of Jack Torrences persona in what really is one of the great horror film performances. Great credit must also go to Shelley Duvall as his doting but annoying wife Wendy. Kubrick deserves great credit for creating a hugely isolated feel to the whole thing, which itself brings endless fear and tension, let alone the mammoth snow storm that rages outside the hotel and all the ghosts that live in it. A true classic.

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Post #: 8

HERE'S JOHNNY - 26/4/2007 9:52:31 PM

willchadwick

Posts: 310
Joined: 13/3/2007

Kubrick is always known for his ratty obession for perfection but with The Shining it certainly pays off. Kubrick's masterful work of follow shots and steady cam put an extra bit of class and horror as though they are almost being followed. Jack Nicholson never ceases to impress as the manic Jack Torrance and then his supporting cast are brilliant. But really it is just Stanley Kubrick who puts the film where it belongs, up there with the other cult classics.

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Post #: 9

RE: HERE'S JOHNNY - 10/9/2007 3:33:10 PM

JagLover

Posts: 447
Joined: 11/5/2007

One of the great horror films and it scares without so many of the genre's cliches.

The evil is not some masked serial killer but that which resides inside a fairly 'normal' family man. Awakened by the hotel sure, but present in Jack before he set foot in the building.

I have not read the book but apparently many of the great scenes, Redrum, the discovery of the typed sheets, and the woman in the bathroom, were not in there.

I have only rated it 4 stars however because of an overpowering score. I can understand why it would be so loud in the closing stages but throughout the movie was a bit much.

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Post #: 10

RE: HERE'S JOHNNY - 10/9/2007 10:38:18 PM

jackinov

Posts: 32
Joined: 29/8/2007
From: Dublin

The scariest horror movie I've seen after 'Don't Look Now'. Contains some indellible images, unsurprising for a Kubrick film. 5 stars

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Post #: 11

- 25/10/2007 12:01:15 AM

bobbyperu

Posts: 497
Joined: 21/10/2007

scarry shit

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Post #: 12

- 25/10/2007 12:01:16 AM

bobbyperu

Posts: 497
Joined: 21/10/2007

scarry shit

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Post #: 13

Why do people really like this film??? - 14/11/2007 9:39:44 AM

Empo

Posts: 139
Joined: 24/4/2006
From: The middle of the earth!

Come on people, have none of you read the book??? None of it is the same! No wonder Steaven King wants nothing to do with this film, it totally takes all the great writing that he did in the book and makes it into a crappy, low budgeted 'horror' film with really bad acting from the lead women (who is nothing like how you picture her when you read the book, she's so weak and such a push-over!) The only good thing from this film was Jack Nicholson who obviously read the book or researched the character a bit because he is brilliant and everything that you expected Jack to be! Also the ending, what the hell? For the people here giving this film 5 STARS who haven't read the book, read it and I promise that you will sing a different tune and for those nutters who have given it 5 STARS and HAVE read the book then whats wrong with you??

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Post #: 14

Masperpiece - 11/1/2008 12:06:42 PM

Workshed

Posts: 2471
Joined: 11/11/2005
From: somewhere near barstow on the edge of the desert

I've read the book and I've given it 5 stars. Kubrick took the concept and made it his own. The book made it clear that the there were DEFINITELY ghosts in the hotel and they possessed and manipulated Jack Torrence, however the beauty of what Kubrick did with the film was that he made it more psychological and ambiguous.
Spielberg says that the movie is about an underlying resentment and hatred of a man and his wife and child, and I think this is a brilliant interpretation and especially with the juxtaposition of casting of Nicholson, the notorious hellraiser and womaniser, who still doesn't like the idea of settling down (legend!).

Kubrick definitely succeeded in creating a masterpiece of modern horror and despite the changes he made with character and narrative, he didn't intend to do a direct adaptation. The exhausted and frustrated performances he draws out of the actors and the steadycam shots and the forboding sense of isolation were revolutionary at the time and havn't been bettered in a horror movie since IMO.

The book was very good and although I can appreciate that the only real similarities are the basic story, character names and sense of fear and dread, it should be viewed as a different beast altogether, however, if you want a direct adaptation, watch the piss-poor Stephen King's The Shining TV movie. Then you'll really appreciate what Kubrick did.

< Message edited by Workshed -- 11/1/2008 12:13:43 PM >

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Post #: 15

Wasted opportunity bringing greatest ghost story to cel... - 25/1/2008 8:13:49 PM

Horrorguru

Posts: 220
Joined: 11/1/2008

KUBRICK/KING/NICHOLSON what a absolute powerhouse of creative people. i like this movie but not the shitty cut that is floating around on the uk dvd circuit. why the hell kubrick took out some great backstory and extra scary scenes when he recut the movie in the late eighties is beyond me.
STEPHEN KING'S THE SHINING is a brilliant supernatural novel about a father and sons relationship and the consequences of alcoholism with a haunted hotel as a backdrop for jack torrence's slow deteriation into madness. a brilliant novel.
STANLEY KUBRICK'S version of kings novel is a great movie but it it is so detracted from kings book its like kubrick gutted a rolls royce to make it into a dragster car. jack nicholson is brilliant in the role
but kubrick doesnt let you see the actors range due to his character stunted script. a missed opportunity for three of the most creative people on the planet to do something amazing. KUBRICK was a genius. however king is a far superior writer.

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Post #: 16

Masterpiece - 16/2/2008 2:14:10 PM

wahmeiman

Posts: 46
Joined: 5/1/2006
From: Manchester,UK

this is one of my favourite movies ever.If anyone one has not seen it,you really dont know what you are missing!

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Post #: 17

The Shining. - 21/3/2008 8:19:45 PM

nc_jj

Posts: 662
Joined: 20/2/2008
From: Manchester.

An Instant Classic! Great Movie.

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Post #: 18

The Master is Here - 10/9/2008 1:16:27 PM

blaud

Posts: 722
Joined: 13/12/2007

One of the horror greats. Enthralling- Kubrick all over

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Post #: 19

The Master is Here - 10/9/2008 1:16:38 PM

blaud

Posts: 722
Joined: 13/12/2007

One of the horror greats. Enthralling- Kubrick all over

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Post #: 20

Mediocre - 14/10/2008 6:57:44 PM

SolarDave

Posts: 61
Joined: 3/2/2008

I fear that after reading the book I would watch the film with expectations. I did, and they were ruined. A lot of things were good (pretty much all the classic moments) but a lot of great things they cut out the film from the novel. I understand why they put in a maze, special effects weren't what they are now but why SPOILER>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> kill Hallorann <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<SPOILER or make Wendy into some stereotypical female in a bad situation.
Apart from the animals I see no reason how the novel couldn't have been adapted. Oh well, a part of me wants a solid conversion, no axes and writer's block bollocks I want pure wife and son and cook vs haunted house and possessed husband.

< Message edited by SolarDave -- 14/10/2008 7:00:05 PM >

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Post #: 21

my favorite horror movie of all time - 25/1/2009 11:33:57 AM

THE DALTONATOR

Posts: 80
Joined: 17/2/2008

this film is creepy, scary and amazingly well made and acted a classic which years and years later still scares.

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Post #: 22

- 14/6/2009 4:06:58 PM

PureAinmhi

Posts: 94
Joined: 16/11/2008
From: Ireland

An outstanding piece of film. Jack Nicholson is just incredible and some of his scenes in this will still live with me for life. Truly brilliant and if you haven't seen this then it's hard to believe that you like films at all.

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Post #: 23

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHH - 16/7/2009 7:03:00 PM

Coolerking2007

Posts: 20
Joined: 8/4/2007

saw this film years and years ago at the age of 15 as part of CH4's season of kubrick films. It freaked the fuck out of me like no horror film has ever done and hasnt done since ( well, with the exception of john carpenters The Thing). that bar scene wiv jack and the bar tender got under my skin cos as jack walks in theres nobody there and the next min theres this bar tender!! arrrrgh lol fucking brill work by the genius that is kubrick and it doesnt resort to excessive gore either to scare u like the hundreds of bullshit horror flicks that are churned time and time again

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Post #: 24

The Shining - 23/1/2010 8:44:09 PM

krisjcummins

Posts: 91
Joined: 16/3/2009

Superior to King's book itself, this Kubrick horror film frightens, disturbs and provokes thought in the viewer. This is a serious contender for the greatest horror film ever made. Astounding on every level.

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Post #: 25

There's no doubting that this is the scariest film ever... - 13/4/2010 9:52:21 PM

!xHoTRoDx!

Posts: 162
Joined: 20/12/2008

Nicholson is absolutely perfect and nobody could have directed this better than Kubrick. My favourite scene is without a doubt the bathroom scene between Torrance and Grady, simply the most chilling scene in movie history as Grady hardly blinks once and his voice becomes icier and icier as he uses the "correction" metaphor to imply how he coldly butchered his family. I also think that the close-up of the photo is my favourite movie ending, always waking up the neck-hairs.

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Post #: 26

HERE'S JOHNNNNNYYYYYY - 1/11/2010 4:17:05 PM

The Great Danton

Posts: 27
Joined: 31/10/2010

I didn't really understand the ending of the film when I saw him for the first time,
but you don't have to take it serious....

The 2 girls and elevator scenes were wonderful.

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Post #: 27

THE greatest horror film. Peroid. - 4/4/2011 6:46:18 PM

lewistarantino

Posts: 30
Joined: 4/4/2011

Some people argue about certain genres Kubrick has tackled. Some people disagree that he topped the sci-fi genre with 2001. Some disagree that he bettered Ben-Hur with Spartacus. Many disagree that he topped the comedy genre with Dr Strangelove. And a lot of people disagree that he made the best war film with Paths Of Glory.

All of these points of view I personally disagree with, but the point I'm making is that there hasn't really been a universal agreement on the belief that he has topped these genres.

However, in the case of The Shining, there can surely only be a handful of naysayers in the debate that Kubrick made the best horror film of all time. Because he bloody well did.

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Post #: 28

More than "just a horror film" - 29/10/2012 1:54:22 PM

Filmscoreman

Posts: 1
Joined: 13/10/2012

A perfect blend of all the elements needed for a film to cross the boundary from "great" to "classic" - music, performances, sound effects, sets, the structure and content of each shot and those tracking shots! Clearly Kubrick did not set out to make any old horror film - what was in it for him in just doing that? - but thee horror film. I have seen The Shining 8 times now and each time it fills me with dread and fascination. Each time it reveals yet another hidden layer. Each time I think that Jack will catch up to Danny in that maze! Its impact ceases to diminish upon repeat viewings - and hey, who would want it to?

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Post #: 29

Agree with Stephen King - 29/10/2012 3:21:43 PM

Madhava

Posts: 52
Joined: 2/5/2006

I didn't see the TV miniseries, and I don't doubt that it wasn't very good. But I completely agree with Stephen King that the movie takes the heart and soul out of King's book. King' stories are all about the characters, but Kubrick's characters are not very human or relatable. To me that's the most important element to a story like this. The Shining is still a good film, but to me not the masterpiece that everyone says it is.

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Post #: 30