| | | | The Shining
(1980) |
ecovering alcoholic and struggling writer Jack Torrence (Nicholson), attends an interview for the job of winter caretaker, at the remote Overlook Hotel, located in the rockies of Colorado and built ominously on an old Indian burial site.
Torrence conducts himself as a calm, charming man and at the conclusion of his successful interview, before being asked whether he wishes to accept the job, he is told by the manager (Nelson), about a horrifying incident that occurred at the hotel some years before with a previous caretaker Grady. Affected by the isolation and loneliness, he had murdered his two young daughters with an axe, shot his wife and then took the gun to his own head... "It's been known to, er, give some people second thoughts about the job." informs the manager.
Unperturbed, Jack assures his perspective employers that peace and isolation are exactly what he and his family need, especially if he is to finish his writing project.
Meanwhile, back at the Torrence apartment, son Danny (Lloyd) visualizes the former caretakers murdered daughters, this startling image is quickly followed by one of hotel elevator doors opening, to unleash a torrent of blood.
The Torrence family arrives at The Overlook as the last remaining guests and staff are vacating the premises for the season. Whilst his parents are being shown around, Danny is left with the hotel chef Halloran (Crothers) who realises that the child shares his extra sensory perception 'shining' which makes him aware of the hotel's violent past. With this in mind, the chef warns him never to enter Room 237.
One month later, as the winter snowstorms isolate the hotel, Jack's metamorphosis from affectionate father to murderous madman begins. The first example of a splinter developing in Jack's psyche, is when wife Wendy (Duvall) is severely berated for disturbing his typing Jack's temper grows ever shorter as he becomes so frustrated with his lack of creativity that his grip on sanity becomes ever more tenuous with each passing day. Danny's "shinings" are coming to him with greater terrifying frequency, as the presence of the hotel ghosts becomes evermore active with both father and son.
The malevolence within the hotel walls and corridors seems to emanate with greater presence as the winter deepens... and is this really the first time that Jack has stayed at the Overlook before? The answer lies in a ghostly time warp of madness and murder.
Following on from the success of A Clockwork Orange Warner Bros. had offered Kubrick many prestigious properties including William Peter Blattys novel of diabolical possession The Exorcist, but Warners had wanted him to work with Arthur Penn & Mike Nichols on the project. Of course Kubrick wasnt interested in such a collaboration, so turned down the film, but the subsequent box office success and Oscar for Best Director probably rankled Kubrick, who was determined to prove that he could also make a successful big studio horror film.
The film he was to eventually make was another prestigious property owned by Warner Bros., Stephen Kings best selling novel The Shining.
A major theme running through all of Kubrick's films is the timeless nature of man's proclivity towards evil, and The Shining is an explicit performance of this. The result is the first epic horror film, a movie that is to other horror movies what Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey was to other space movies. In 2001 Kubrick realized that there was point in ravishing in the technology but its interaction with human beings. In The Shining, he choose not to follow all the supernatural machinery from the book, but instead on its effect on human beings.
One of Kubricks main aims in pre-production was to identify what 'really' frightened people in the 20th Century. It was established that most peoples idea of horror would be a catastrophic incident within the family unit as opposed to any demons and monsters of the traditional horror genre. Hence the film itself downplays the evil nature of the hotel, and centres instead on the character of Jack Torrance.
While a number of horror films achieve their effectiveness through psychological suggestion and shocks, The Shining takes an entirely different approach of horror through sensory accretion. Using ponderous music, errie cinematography and haunting symbolism Kubrick built up scenes so that the viewer is expecting a jump out of your seat shock at the culmination of a scene, but this is continually avoided.
In fact, the film progresses at an almost funereal pace until the most unexpected innocuous scene produces the greatest moments of horror and indeed humour. Wendy's discovery of Jack's manuscript in essence sums up the approach of the film - just one page is a little strange, but in context with the whole work, it's simply terrifying.
Another memorable scene is between Torrance and Grady (Stone) in the men's room. Grady the butler informs 'in the nicest possible way', as he wipes spilt advocaat from Torrence's jacket... "your son is a very wilful boy... a very naughty boy [pause], if I may be so bold sir"... "Did you know, Mr. Torrance that your son is attempting to bring an outside party into this situation"... at this stage of the film, the viewer could not possible be prepared for the next line... which is delivered in a slow deliberate manner, as Grady informs that the outside party is a "nigg*r cook". The gravity of the delivery is colossal especially as the orator is a mild mannered bumbling British butler dressed in tails and white gloves.
Grady goes on to inform that it is time that Torrance 'corrected' his wife and wilful son just as he had 'corrected' his wife and two daughters. The scene is superb as it begins with it's origins in light humour, Torrance talking about changing for dinner and the merits of "the fish and goose soiree" and ends with the gentile butler using the most offensive racial language while inspiring a father to murder his wife and only child.
The viewer finds themself amused, bemused then horrified with the switch of a word in a sentence.... brilliant!
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The film operates like a near-death experience- the full impact doesn't register until hours later when the viewer thinks back on the film and suddenly begins to shiver at how it all locks together. 'The Shining' is one of the top horror movies of the 80's and indeed of all time.
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Stephen King allegedly hated this version. However, to avoid getting sued, he chose the "no comment" attitude. He got his chance to re-make the film "his" way in 1998, in the ABC miniseries version, starring Steven Webber and Rebecca DeMorney.  -Thanks to Chris Peterson
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Filming began in May 1978 and was completed in April 1979. -Thanks to David Jones
After Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick's quest to find another project was long and difficult. His assistant claimed to have heard the thump of manuscripts hitting the wall night after night - until one night there was silence. The book was Stephen King's 'The Shining', sent by John Calley, Warner Bros' head of production...
Scatman Crothers also appeared in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "Twilight Zone: The Movie" (1983) . He also provided the voice of "Hong Kong Phooey" in the 70s childrens' cartoon of the same name. -Thanks to Andrew Backhouse
The remake of the Shining had the line "Here's Johnny!" Replaced with the not-so-memorable "Boo". -Thanks to Devolution
The hotel carpet in The Shining was copied in Disney's "Toy Story" as a tongue in cheek tribute!!!!
In 2006, the band '30 seconds to mars' filmed a music video called 'The kill' which involves the band staying in a hotel like in the movie and the same thing happens to them. The lady from the bath tub scene, the part where jack nicholson is throwing a ball in the lobby, and the ballroom bartender scene! It's an awesome video that is exactly the same as the movie so fans of this movie NEED to check it out ASAP!
Joe Turkel makes a rare appearance as a bartender. He is most famous for his role as "god" in Blade Runner. -Thanks to See Pics
Carl Yastrzemski had signed the Louisville Slugger baseball bat with which Wendy Torrance bludgeons Jack.
In the scene where Jack enters the supposed-to-be-empty ballroom and finds a party in full swing, a close look at the band shows Stephen King himself as the conductor. (He usually has a cameo in any movie based on his books) -Thanks to Amanda McLeod
An outtake from the original opening sequence that Kubrick filmed for The Shining was used for the 'happy ending' of Blade Runner (1982). Ridley Scott contacted Kubrick to get some of the footage and Kubrick sent hours of raw footage back. If you watch the negative of Blade Runner in 1.85:1 instead of 2/35:1 then you can see the Torrance's yellow car travelling along towards the Overlook at the bottom of the frame. -Thanks to Jimmy Green
Every time Jack talks to a "ghost," there's a mirror in the scene.
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Rediscover your favorites! If you like
The Shining or 80's Horror classics, then be sure to
check out this list: ..... Lost Boys ..... Near Dark ..... Fright Night ..... Hellraiser ..... Poltergeist ..... Scanners ..... American Werewolf In London ..... Night of the Creeps ..... Nightmare on Elm Street ..... Paperhouse ..... One Dark Night ..... Re-Animator ..... Prom Night ..... Mausoleum ..... Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama .....[More]
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Stephen King not only came up with the idea for 'The Shining' while staying at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO but also came up with the idea for 'Pet Cemetary' when he was walking through the woods and stumbled across a pet cemetary that was at one time used by staff of the Stanley. In the TV Remake of 'The Shining', they actually filmed it in the Stanley and did a very good job of making it look secluded, because right in front of the hotel is a strip mall and I believe a Safeway grocery store. -Thanks to Ronnie Friend
Jack Nicholson's acting performance throughout the chasing parts of the movie (near the end) were so good that it truly freightened Shelley Duvall. Many of her reactions are real and she was upset with Nicholson for scaring her so badly. -Thanks to 80sguy
The special effects team could not come up with a satisfactory way of creating the hedge animals, which come to life in the novel, so the hedge maze was substituted in its place.
While not the first film to use the Steadicam, it was the first film to use the handheld camera stabilization device so extensively and effectively. Scenes such as Danny's tricycle ride around the hotel lobby, the tour through the kitchen and the chase through the hedge maze could not have been photographed as effectively as they were without the invention.
Diane Johnson related that she and Kubrick tried all sorts of phrases for Jack's book, such as "A stitch in time..." etc. before finally picking "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
The management of the Timberline Lodge requested that Kubrick not use room 217 (as specified in the book), fearing that nobody would want to stay in that room ever again. Kubrick changed the script to use the nonexistent room number 237.
Kubrick's shooting ratio for The Shining was 102 feet of film for each 1 used in the final cut. The average is 5 feet to each 1 used. -Thanks to Jimmy Green
Nicholson ad-libbed the line "Here's Johnny!" He's actually mimicking the opening line to the Johnny Carson show: 'Heeeeeeere's Johnny!' Nevertheless, it took over a hundred takes before Stanley Kubrick finally was satisfied. It is one of the highest number of takes in the world. Kubrick, however, was full of praise for his star, saying, "I believe that Jack is one of the best actors in Hollywood, perhaps on a par with the greatest stars of the past like Spencer Tracy and Jimmy Cagney. His work is always interesting, clearly conceived and has magic. Jack is particularly suited for roles which require intelligence. He is an intelligent and literate man and these are almost impossible to act. In The Shining, you believe he's a writer, failed or otherwise." -Thanks to Ryan F.
Upon visiting the hotel where The Shining film was made, I learned that it is also the suposed Aspen hotel where Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels stay in Dumb & Dumber, if you visit the hotel it has pictures of all the films that have been made there and you can even go into the bar where Jim Carrey shouts "We landed on the moon". -Thanks to Jacob Yeske
The movie's budget was $19 million.
The Shining holds the Guinness world record for "Most Takes in a Dialogue Scene". Stanley Kubrick demanded 127 takes of the baseball bat scene with Shelley Duvall. A scene with Duvall and 5-Year-Old Danny Lloyd took about 80 takes and 50-60 takes were used for the scene when Jack Nicholson is persuing Duvall up the stairs. -Thanks to Greg
Some of the movie was filmed at Elstree studios in London where the reality show "Big Brother", game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and soap "Eastenders" are now filmed. -Thanks to Geoffrey Robe
The opening sequence shows an aerial view of the Overlook, if you notice there isn't room in the back of the hotel for a maze and no maze appears around the hotel. -Thanks to Marty Lawson
In the scene where Jack tries to break down the door with his ax, you see that he breaks through the right side only where he says his famous line: "Here's Johnny!, but the next scene the left panel is also broken. -Thanks to Peter A
In the first gold room scene where Jack gets a drink from the bar tender, he is served his shot with an ice cube. When the camera goes back to Jack after talking to the barman, the ice has melted. -Thanks to Tom O'Donoghue
The bartending scene where Jack asks for a bottle of Bourbon, the bartender pulls out a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey, which is not a bourbon.
When you look very carefully at the bat when Jack swings it, you can tell very easily that it is a rubber bat when it just whips around the lady's head! -Thanks to Tim Koontz
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|  |  |  | | The Shining
Locations |
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 Featured Movie Location: The "Overlook Hotel"
Wanna see the real life filming location used for The "Overlook Hotel" in the movie? These scenes were actually shot at The Timberline Lodge, located in Mt Hood, Oregon. [New! Show Google Map]
The opening scenes were filmed in Montana on the Going-To-The-Sun-Road in the Glacier National Park. The road was built in the 1930s I believe. [Thanks to John Orr]
The interiors of the hotel were shot on a studio soundstage.
I remember hearing that the interiors, even though filmed in a soundstage, were actually made to look like the inside of the Ahwanee Hotel. [Thanks to Stuart Myatt]
Some of the interiors of the "Overlook Hotel" are in the Ahwahnee Hotel, located in Yosemite National Park! I have seen them. [Thanks to Cindy Romero]
Can you help? Do you know any of the Oregon (or any other) filming locations used for The Shining? [Please send them in]
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The Shining utilizes the power of silence a great deal to create the malefic atmosphere of the hotel, the score is perfect in adding to the overwhelming feeling of malevolent isolation and impending doom.
Stanley Kubrick's choice of contemporary music in all his films was excellent and this film is no exception. The music from the 1920s is used to impressive effect; "Midnight, the Stars, and You" was performed by Ray Noble's band with Al Bowly. Henry Hall and the Gleneagles Hotel Band performed Home.
The soundtrack is no longer available but music from the film can be found on a compilation of Wendy Carlos's work.
The music used throughout The Shining is the third movement from Bela Bartok's "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta", Polish avant-garde composer Krzystoff Penderecki's Polymorphia, de Natura Sonoris 1 and 2, the Awakening of Jacob and Utrenja and Lontano by Gyorgy Ligeti. The opening score is by Wendy Carlos who refrences "The Dream of the Witches Sabath" from Symphony Fantastique by Hector Berlioz. -Thanks to Duane Busa
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