Making 'The Shining' (1980)
**** (out of 4)
Most of the time when you see "making" in the title you immediately skip over it because you expect it to be some sort of weak promo piece but if you skipped over this film then you'd be missing one of the greatest documentaries ever made. I'm certainly not going to sit here and say this contains the greatest filmmaking ever but considering what we get to see here this thing is a real masterpiece. The greatest thing it has going for it is that it gives us a behind the scenes look at Kubrick, how he made movies and what it could be like when he wasn't happy with you. If you know anything about Kubrick then you know how demanding he could be with multiple takes that would put the actors through Hell. Here Shelley Duvall is the victim in a couple terrific sequences where she doesn't do what she's suppose to and it sets the director off. Another great sequence is some of the scenes where we see Kubrick on the set not only directing but in one terrific sequence Nicholson and Duvall are practicing their lines with the legendary director just sitting at his typewriter coming up with new dialogue. The film gets off to a terrific start as Vivian Kubrick crashes in on Nicholson and then he begins playing with her and the camera. Fans of Nicholson are going to love this look at him off the camera and it's a lot of fun seeing him here. The film itself is extremely raw but I think this is what makes the thing so special. It's as if you're a fly on the wall just picking up all of this stuff and I think it adds to the entertainment value. Nicholson, Duvall, Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers are all interviewed as well. Fans of THE SHINING are really going to love this film because you get to see how it's made. Fans of Kubrick are going to love it because you get to see the master work. Even those unfamiliar with the film or the director will find themselves having a great time simply because of the footage we get to see and how it gives you a great idea of what goes into making a movie.
**** (out of 4)
Most of the time when you see "making" in the title you immediately skip over it because you expect it to be some sort of weak promo piece but if you skipped over this film then you'd be missing one of the greatest documentaries ever made. I'm certainly not going to sit here and say this contains the greatest filmmaking ever but considering what we get to see here this thing is a real masterpiece. The greatest thing it has going for it is that it gives us a behind the scenes look at Kubrick, how he made movies and what it could be like when he wasn't happy with you. If you know anything about Kubrick then you know how demanding he could be with multiple takes that would put the actors through Hell. Here Shelley Duvall is the victim in a couple terrific sequences where she doesn't do what she's suppose to and it sets the director off. Another great sequence is some of the scenes where we see Kubrick on the set not only directing but in one terrific sequence Nicholson and Duvall are practicing their lines with the legendary director just sitting at his typewriter coming up with new dialogue. The film gets off to a terrific start as Vivian Kubrick crashes in on Nicholson and then he begins playing with her and the camera. Fans of Nicholson are going to love this look at him off the camera and it's a lot of fun seeing him here. The film itself is extremely raw but I think this is what makes the thing so special. It's as if you're a fly on the wall just picking up all of this stuff and I think it adds to the entertainment value. Nicholson, Duvall, Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers are all interviewed as well. Fans of THE SHINING are really going to love this film because you get to see how it's made. Fans of Kubrick are going to love it because you get to see the master work. Even those unfamiliar with the film or the director will find themselves having a great time simply because of the footage we get to see and how it gives you a great idea of what goes into making a movie.