Steineded How sad is this?

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

zackdsimpson The Shining is a masterful piece of cinema. And when you find out it was directed by Stanley Kubrick, you cannot be surprised. I do think this is a good way to get into Kubrick films and this should be the first one you watch. It really gives you a sense of his style. The first thing I'll write about is the look of the film. This film looks marvellous. The hotel's interior is iconic and it's exterior is not like the Bates' Motel from Psycho but does look like a genuine hotel, all part of the illusion. The cinematography is excellent and the directing is perfect. The acting is superb. Jack Nicholson gives a performance that conveys his gradual fall into insanity. Shelley Duvall presents a great image of a terrified wife, at the expense of Kubrick's notorious treatment of her. Scatman Crothers and Danny Lloyd, the "Shiners" of this film are also completely believable. The overall story is brilliant. And what I love about it is that every time I watch it, it gets better. It's not one of the tricky Kubrick films which aren't great first time around but are masterpieces ie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The first time you watch it you may feel some parts were okay. But second time around, knowing what happens makes it all the better. There's so many details and one of the best parts of the film is the questions it asks you and how you think of it after. It provokes a lot of thought and is famous for the theories surrounding it. Overall I'd say that this is debatably, Kubrick's best and although it may not scare like it did in 1980, it does have the occasional haunting moment (and definitely scares when thinking about it after), it entertains thoroughly. An easy decision for one of the few movies I consider flawless: 10/10.

ptrksz Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good

jmichaelnu Watched this for the second time, read the book in between the two views. I will say I hated the movie the first time. I didn't understand it. When I read the book, I kept imagining Shelley Duvall and the boy as the characters...the actor selection being the worst part of the movie. Jake Nicolas as Jack Torrance was a very good selection. I would agree with Stephen King that Stanley Kubrick drifted away from the movie, focusing in on Jack as the evil person and not the hotel. Also, the hotel exploding in the book is one of the best endings in a King novel. I don't understand why that was changed. The second time I watched the movie, I understood the premise of the story. This made following the movie easier and made the movie more enjoyable.

Osmosis Iron This movie is creepy from the very first scene, and just keeps on building on that. It's a great blend of atmospheric and psychological horror with also a fair amount of visual/graphic scenes. It all works well together and Nicholson gives a very strong performance!