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A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Stephen King (based upon the novel by), Stanley Kubrick (screenplay by) | 1 more credit »
Popularity
367 ( 18)
Top Rated Movies #63 | 4 wins & 8 nominations. See more awards »

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Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson ... Jack Torrance
Shelley Duvall ... Wendy Torrance
Danny Lloyd ... Danny
Scatman Crothers ... Hallorann
Barry Nelson ... Ullman
Philip Stone ... Grady
Joe Turkel ... Lloyd
Anne Jackson ... Doctor
Tony Burton ... Durkin
Lia Beldam Lia Beldam ... Young Woman in Bath
Billie Gibson Billie Gibson ... Old Woman in Bath
Barry Dennen ... Watson
David Baxt ... Forest Ranger 1
Manning Redwood ... Forest Ranger 2
Lisa Burns Lisa Burns ... Grady Daughter

'The Shining' 40th Anniversary Mashup

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Shining, we take a look back at Stanley Kubrick's critically-acclaimed film.

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Storyline

Haunted by a persistent writer's block, the aspiring author and recovering alcoholic, Jack Torrance, drags his wife, Wendy, and his gifted son, Danny, up snow-capped Colorado's secluded Overlook Hotel after taking up a job as an off-season caretaker. As the cavernous hotel shuts down for the season, the manager gives Jack a grand tour, and the facility's chef, the ageing Mr Hallorann, has a fascinating chat with Danny about a rare psychic gift called "The Shining", making sure to warn him about the hotel's abandoned rooms, and, in particular, the off-limits Room 237. However, instead of overcoming the dismal creative rut, little by little, Jack starts losing his mind, trapped in an unforgiving environment of seemingly endless snowstorms, and a gargantuan silent prison riddled with strange occurrences and eerie visions. Now, the incessant voices inside Jack's head demand sacrifice. Is Jack capable of murder? Written by Nick Riganas

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The tide of terror that swept America IS HERE [UK Poster] See more »

Genres:

Drama | Horror

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content and behavior, bloody images, graphic nudity, and strong language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The eerie "music for strings" section of the soundtrack was previously used in two Doctor Who (1963) serials in 1967. See more »

Goofs

As Jack is talking to Mr. Grady in the men's room, and Grady puts down the tray, it moves from between the second and third tap to between the third and fourth tap and back again several times during their conversation. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Jack Torrance: Hi, I've got an appointment with Mr. Ullman. My name is Jack Torrance.
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Crazy Credits

The movie's opening titles are also the only instance in any Kubrick film where scrolling credits, rather than title cards, are used. See more »

Alternate Versions

"The Shining" initially opened on 10 screens in New York City and Los Angeles on Memorial Day weekend in 1980. Three days after the release of the film, Stanley Kubrick and Warner Bros. ordered all projectionists to cut about 2 minutes from the end of the film, and send the footage back to the studio. Starting after the closeup of frozen Jack, the camera goes to a pullback shot with part of a state trooper's car and the legs of troopers walking around in the foreground. We then cut to the hotel manager Stuart Ullman (Barry Nelson) walking down a hospital hallway to the nurse's station to inquire her (Robin Pappas} about Danny and Wendy. He's told they're both doing well and proceeds to Wendy's room. After some gentle conversation, he tells Wendy that searchers have been unable to locate any evidence of the apparitions she saw. Additionally, Jack's body cannot be located. We then cut to the camera silently roaming the halls of the Overlook Hotel for about a minute until it comes up to the wall with the photographs, where it [back to the ending as it is now known] fades in on the photo of Jack in the 1921 picture. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Resident Evil 2 (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

Lontano
(uncredited)
Written by György Ligeti
Performed by Sinfonie-Orchester des Südwestfunks
Conducted by Ernest Bour
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User Reviews

 
Forty years on, and it's still outstanding.
18 October 2020 | by Sleepin_DragonSee all my reviews

Kubrick, King and Nicholson, the writing was literally on the wall, and I don't mean RedRum, forty years on, and The Shining is still a masterpiece.

Kubrick takes King's fantastic book, and builds on it, bringing the story to life in his own inimitable way. It's dark, it's bleak, it's terrifying, a masterpiece in storytelling. You watch as the central character's mental collapse is played out in a spine chilling fashion.

Gorgeous camera work, incredible visuals, that opening is iconic. So many incredible, visual moments, the twins, lift, barman etc, no wonder it's been parodied multiple times over the years, famously by The Simpsons.

An iconic role for Jack Nicholson, he is incredible, well supported by a terrific cast.

It's a classic, 10/10.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 June 1980 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Shining See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$622,337, 26 May 1980

Gross USA:

$45,332,952

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$46,998,772
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

(cut) | (cut) (European) | (original) | (US dvd release: B002VWNIDG)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Blu-ray release)| Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »

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