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The movie The Shining was excellently produced, written, and directed, with exemplary actors. The producer, writer, and director, Stanley Kubrick, has a clear vision of what he wants the movie to be about, how it should look, and how it should feel. He then executes this near flawlessly, with only a few moments containing imperfection.
The casted actors are great, with the mother portrayed as caring but weary of the hotel, and her husband, the father shown as seeming normal, though possibly a little bit off putting. Eventually he changes drastically, losing his mind. The child actor is in my opinion one of, if not the best casting choices, doing surprisingly well for portraying an extraordinary child who's hiding his gift, and he does extremely well during the more intense parts of the film, such as when he acts possessed. He changes his voice and seems unfocused.
The technical aspects of film making are well executed too. The camera is only shaky during scenes where it helps empower the mood, or during air shots such as a birds-eye view of a car. The special effects are used sparsely, but well, such as blood, ice, and more. The musical score immensely affects the mood, and the sound rarely glitches or seems off, and the editing is sometimes a little choppy but on par for when the movie came out.
The story is based around a father who accepts a job taking care of the Overlook Hotel in the Colorado mountains over the winter so he can write a novel. It closes due to roads not being passable, so they are isolated, and practically trapped. He has been told that one of the previous caretakers went mad and murdered his family, but this doesn’t faze him. He still brings his wife and young son to live with him. However, not everyone and everything are as they seem.
The mother, named Wendy, played by Shelly Duval, does a great job of playing a convincing role. She expresses all fear and emotions as if what was happening was true. The father, Jack, played by Jack Nicholson, embraces the role, making it seem as if he is truly losing his mind. The child, Danny, played by Danny Lloyd, is an extraordinary child actor. He has an imaginary friend, Tony, who seems to voice the boy’s visions. There’s also another prominent character, the chef, Dick, played by Scatman Crowthers. He does a great job acting, and his character explains to Danny his gift that they share, which he calls shining. Shining is the ability to mentally see the past and future of places and communicate with others. He attempts to mentor Danny as much as he can.
The story is paced slowly at first, but speeds up dramatically during the last 20 minutes or so. This pacing creates tension through dramatic irony and suspense, as you know something is going to happen, but nothing does for a while, or only small things that are out of the ordinary but nothing too horrifying.
The writing of the movie, though terrific, isn’t too much of a feat, since the movie is based on a book by Stephen King of the same name. The writing interprets this book, so it is not original. However, this interpretation is great, making it Kubrick's own work.
Overall, the movie is excellent horror, though it’s slow at first. The buildup allows eerie things to occur, showing a mental spiral of the father into insanity as more and more happens, then climaxing and all the suspense is released and replaced with action, furthering the horror. It’s a great movie but won’t be as enjoyable to those who prefer fast paced, thrilling horror compared to a slow, psychological horror.
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From the manufacturer
“Heeere’s Johnny!”
Prepare to enter a ghostly time warp of madness and murder in The Shining. This thriller tells the story of Jack Torrance, a writer and unemployed teacher who signs on as winter caretaker at an isolated Colorado hotel. Hoping that the arrangement will cure his writer's block and help repair his family life, Jack settles in with his wife and son, who is soon tormented by psychic premonitions. As Jack’s writing goes nowhere and his son’s visions become more and more disturbing, the man begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac bent on scaring his family to death.
Trivia
Stephen King got the idea for the original story during a family vacation at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.
Jack Nicholson ad-libbed the infamous movie line, “Heeere’s Johnny!”
Six-year-old Danny Lloyd was so protected during filming that he didn’t realize he was making a horror movie. He didn’t see the uncut version of the film until 11 years after it was made.
The snowy maze at the end of the film was made using 900 tons of salt and crushed Styrofoam.
The Shining was one of the first movies to be filmed using the Steadicam (a camera stabilizer invented by Garrett Brown).
A Modern Masterpiece of Terror
- Based on the novel by horror master Stephen King
- Directed by the visionary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick
- 142 minutes of nail-biting, eye-covering suspense
- Digitally restored and remastered
- Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Meet the Cast
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson)
A caretaker at an old hotel, Jack is slowly but surely possessed by a supernatural force that drives him to destroy the ones he loves most.
Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall)
As she watches her husband become more and more deranged, Wendy is determined to do whatever it takes to save herself and her son from the madness.
Danny Torrance (Danny Lloyd)
The Torrances only child, Danny has been gifted with telepathic abilities and can sense supernatural forces. Can he use “the shining” to escape the evil?
Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers)
Hallorann is the head chef at the Overlook Hotel. When he first meets Danny, the man recognizes the boy’s psychic powers, because he is equally gifted.
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Customers say
Customers consider this movie a classic horror film that's worth watching multiple times, with great performances by Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. The storyline follows the book closely with a suspenseful build-up to the end, and customers find it entertaining and rewatchable.
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937 customers mention movie quality, 861 positive, 76 negative
Great movie but unwatchable via streaming. The movie stopped every two-three minutes to reboot. I went to U-Verse on demand and watched it instead....Read more
...I bet it would spectacular! But all in all, it was a good movie. Just disappointing if you read the book first!Read more
love this movie. I even have the image on the cover tattooed on my leg. All work and no play makes this guy a dull boy.Read more
Awesome movie!! A classic you can watch over and over : ) No matter how many times I watch it, I always enjoy it!Read more
560 customers mention horror, 471 positive, 89 negative
Scary and funny at the same time. If you like Jack Nicholson as I do you will love this thriller. There are many very funny lines in this movie.Read more
...I must have watched it ten times when I got it. It truly is a classic horror movie, especially when its based off a book.Read more
...as much as I love CLASSIC horror, as much as I love watching Jack Nicholson, as much as I love the works of Stanley Kubrick, and as much as I've...Read more
...we both hate Slasher movies & this wasnt. This was a creepy, terror,spooky , hair rising on your arm and chills up the back movie and kept you...Read more
380 customers mention classic, 369 positive, 11 negative
Classic! Great horror flick, really disturbing. I went to visit the hotel in Colorado, it's totally haunted and it still looks the same.Read more
A classic. I've watched it dozens of times. If you're looking for slashers or gore, this is not for you. This is psychological horror at it's best.Read more
i am really not sure what else am i suppose to say... this is a classic movie and everybody should watch it... duhRead more
A great Classic by one of Hollywoods Premier actors... Still as memorable as the first time I saw it. Jack at his best...Read more
187 customers mention acting, 158 positive, 29 negative
...read the book, but my husband and I just did not "get it." Great acting, but very slow paced and I felt that the "shining" and Jack...Read more
...This movie has great writing, directing, cinematography and acting (Jack Nicolson). This is definitely one to add to your collection.Read more
...an adult can I truly appreciate how good this movie actually is..A great cast, well directed and rounded off with an excellent musical score...I...Read more
...Overall, a great actors, great cinematography, great story and a GREAT film from Kubrick!Read more
164 customers mention entertainment, 130 positive, 34 negative
It really is. I had nightmares about this movie because he's so thrilling and frightening....Read more
One of my favorite movies of all time. Still frightening and entertaining after all these years.Read more
It was very entertaining but boring at some parts. Overall it was bery interesting to watch.Read more
It was long, drawn out and incredibly slow moving and boring. The music was terrible and I didn't even Care to finish it. I don't get the hype.Read more
104 customers mention story, 74 positive, 30 negative
Great story, great performances, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love analyzing the small details you don’t originally notice.Read more
A good story. My daughter wanted to see it, so I watched it first. I was surprised at the amount of swearing and full body nudity....Read more
...first the acting is horrible, two theres almost no plot, three extremely slow, four nothing happens.... I can go on all day about how horrendous of...Read more
...Great story line and colors. Top notch film definitely recomendRead more
80 customers mention content, 65 positive, 15 negative
72 customers mention cast, 67 positive, 5 negative
Stephen King at his best. Most of his stories don't adapt well to the screen, this however is one of the better ones.Read more
Love Stephen King. This movie is greatRead more
Jack Nicholson is great!Read more
...However, I would put it up against any modern horror films. Jack Nicholson is amazing. A great movie.Read more
2001 DVD vs 2007 DVD
I own both the 2001 and 2007 DVDs of this film. I really don't have any interest is who is 'right' with the aspect ratio argument, I compared both versions and found that you're missing some of the video image regardless of which version you buy. I took screenshots of both DVDs and overlayed them on top of each other. I found that with the 2001 release, you get the 1:33:1 aspect ratio where the far left and right of the screen image is clipped. With the 2007 release, you get the 1.78:1 aspect ratio where the top and bottom of the screen image is clipped off. You can see what I mean by viewing the 'customer image' I posted, above. The blue border is for the 2001 release and the red border is the 2007 release. Both DVDs are 'digitally restored and remastered', however the 2007 release is noticeabley brighter and more vivid. The 2001 image seems faded and dull. This release has all the other special features of the 2001 DVD release, with the addition of optional commentary by Garrett Brown and John Baxter and three new featurettes.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
Top reviews from other countries
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HedwigReviewed in Germany on June 19, 2022
Ein absoluter Kultfilm!
Wer kennt die Memes im Internet nicht, wo "Jack" seinen Kopf durch die Tür steckt, nachdem er diese im Bad mit der Axt zerstört hat? Hin und wieder kam der Film im Fernsehen aber ich habe ihn nie gesehen, was ich zu tiefst bereue, denn der Film ist ein echter Kracher. Unglaublich, was man hier bereits 1980 gezaubert hat. Ich kenne auch andere Filme von Kubrick wie z.B. 2001 Odyssee, welchen ich aber einfach nur furchtbar langweilig fand, da es kein richtiger Film sondern mehr ein Musical oder eine Art "Kunst" sein sollte. Bei Shining ist das aber ganz anders.HedwigEin absoluter Kultfilm!
Reviewed in Germany on June 19, 2022
Der Film ist nicht nur künstlerisch, sondern auch von Anfang bis Ende absolut spannend und schafft es mit dem mitreißenden bedrohenden Soundtrack vor den Fernseher zu fesseln. Die Charaktere passen hervorragend in den Film und besonders die Figur Jack verkörpert den "Psycho" perfekt. Gestik und Mimik sind einfach unübertroffen. Ich fand es unglaublich dass dieser Film von 1980 sein soll. Ja man merkt, dass es kein aktueller Film ist, aber er ist deshalb keinesfalls schlechter. Nach Odyssee waren meine Erwartungen sehr gering und ich wurde mächtig überrollt. Besonders mit der 4K Blu Ray war das Bild unfassbar gut. Den Ton musste man leider etwas lauter stellen für die Stimmen und zwischendrin waren dann die Soundtrack Geräusche etwas zu laut, aber das ist meckern auf hohem Niveau. Hier gibt es ja auch 23 Minuten mehr Inhalt mit der längeren US Fassung. Das wurde hier teilweise kritisiert, was ich nicht nachvollziehen kann. Ich fand keine einzige Szene im Film überflüssig sondern absolut passend und brauchbar. Wären die 23 Minuten weg gewesen, hätte mMn. etwas gefehlt! Ja es gab zwar zwischendrin in den Extraszenen manchmal einen kleinen Tonwechsel mit anderem Sprecher? Aber die Abweichung war kaum wahrzunehmen und kam auch nur wenige male vor. Den Filmfluss oder die Atmosphäre hat das nahezu gar nicht beeinträchtigt.
Die Story ist wieder mal relativ komplex, aber trotzdem sehr gut zu verstehen, auch wenn man das Buch nicht gelesen hat. Mit einer Erklärung bei Google kann man natürlich nach dem Film noch den ein oder anderen Aha Effekt erhalten, aber im großen und ganzen hat man es wirklich gut verstanden und mir hat am Ende des Filmes nichts weiter gefehlt.
Ich kann den Film absolut empfehlen, wer guten klassischen Horror mit guter Story sucht und auf unnötige Jump Scares verzichten kann.
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DaniReviewed in Spain on October 15, 2025
Buenas película Con idioma castellano
La película tiene muy buena calidad de imagen y para el que tenga dudas la película tiene idioma castellano.DaniBuenas película Con idioma castellano
Reviewed in Spain on October 15, 2025
No es una versión extendida pero por 6 eu está genial , gran peliculón
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