The Shining (1980)

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)

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd

Top Rated Movies #63 | 4 wins & 8 nominations.

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	...	Young Woman in Bath
Billie Gibson	...	Old Woman in Bath
Barry Dennen	...	Watson
David Baxt	...	Forest Ranger 1
Manning Redwood	...	Forest Ranger 2
Lisa Burns	...	Grady Daughter

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?

---

Plot Keywords:

haunted hotel | labyrinth | identical twins | hotel | snow | 

---

Taglines:

The Horror is driving him crazy

---

Genres:

Drama | Horror

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The throwing around of the tennis ball inside the Overlook Hotel was Jack Nicholson's idea. The script originally only specified that "Jack is not working".

---

Goofs

When Wendy and Danny are watching television, there is no power or antenna/cable cords connected to the set.

---

Quotes

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

---

Crazy Credits

The party music plays over the closing credits. After it ends, we hear the Overlook Hotel ghosts applaud. They then talk amongst themselves until their voices fade away.

---

Alternate Versions

The opening Warner Bros. logo was originally a red background with a black television-shaped box in the center, with three white lines meant to represent a "W." For later releases, this was replaced with the traditional Warner Bros. shield.

---

Connections

Referenced in Rewind This! (2013)

---

Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

One of the scariest movies ever---8/10

I was never a big fan of horror movies. They usually try cheap tricks to scare their audiences like loud noises and creepy children. They usually lack originality and contain overacting galore. The only horror movie i like was Stir of Echoes with Kevin Bacon. It was well-acted, and had a great story. But it has been joined and maybe even surpassed by Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, quite possibly the scariest movie ever.

The movie follows a writer (Jack Nicholson) and his family who agree to watch over a hotel while it is closed for the winter. There were rumors of the place being haunted and the last resident went crazy and murdered his family. But Jack is convinced it will be OK and he can use the quiet to overcome his writer's block. After months of solitude and silence however, Jack becomes a grumpy and later violent. Is it cabin fever or is there something in the hotel that is driving him mad?

One of the creepiest parts about the movie is the feeling of isolation that Kubrick makes. The hotel is very silent, and the rooms are huge, yet always empty. It is also eerily calm when Jack's son is riding his bike through the barren hallways. Jack Nicholson's performance is also one of his very best, scaring the hell out of me and making me sure to get out once in awhile. My favorite scene is when he is talking to a ghost from inside a walk-in refrigerator.

The Shining is tops for horror movies in my opinion, beating the snot out of crap like the Ring and The Blair Witch Project. It may be a oldie, but is definitely a goodie. 8/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 June 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Shining

Filming Locations:

Stansted Airport, Essex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$622,337, 26 May 1980

Gross USA:

$45,332,952

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$46,903,859

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Hawk Films, Peregrine

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min (cut) 119 min (cut) (European) 146 min (original) 142 min (US dvd release: B002VWNIDG)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Blu-ray release) Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1