The Shining (1980)

A writer and recovered abusive alcoholic Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) is having a writers block so him and needs a place to concentrate on his writing so he gets a job offer as a caretaker at an isolated mansion called the Overlook Hotel on a deserted mountain in Colorado for the winter but was warned by the owner Stuart Ullman (Barry Nelson) about the tragedies that happened there but still accepts his offer.
Meanwhile Jack's wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) is looking forward to the Overlook Hotel while her son Danny (Danny Lloyd) says that his imaginary friend Tony doesn't like the idea.
Later on Danny passes out after seeing an image in his head about the terrors at the mansion but their doctor says that he will be fine.
Slowly the hotel possesses Jack as he starts to act obnoxious towards Wendy whenever she disturbs him while he's typing and Danny senses things that's going to happen as well as gruesome hauntings too that involved two little girl siblings.
The family is also told not to enter room 237 as Danny is curious what's behind that door.
Jack is acting crazier than ever and even dreams on slaughtering his family as both Wendy and Danny are both snowed in at the mansion with no escape.

This film is a total classic and one of my favourite one's based off of Stephen King's novel. I saw this on TV when I was 8 years old as I told my parents that I wanted to see something different on TV but they warned me that it's a very scary movie.
I watched the first bit of it but then I covered my eyes when I saw the blood pouring down the stairways in the mansion when Tony was telling Danny what would happen there.
Then my parents told me it was bedtime as they didn't want me having nightmares.
11 years later, I was a horror film fanatic so I rented the Shining on video and watched it all the way through. I didn't like it cause it was so evil but looking back I think it was terrifically done.
We have a terrific opening with a camera zooming over some water and trees as well as filming a car driving along a steep road.
We also have a good and witty discussions between Jack Torrence and a hotel owner about taking care of the hotel during the winter time as he has humorous answers to the questions that were asked.
We have a good discussion between Wendy and Danny during lunch time as mother and son talking about living at the hotel and Danny acting like his imaginary friend Tony saying he doesn't want to go which offers a couple chuckles.
A good shot on Danny standing on a stool brushing his teeth Then there's great moments with little Danny though picturing the blood splashing through the hotel in which you wonder what gives with all of that but it's just scary to watch regardless.
It's twisted when Jack Torrence is driving with his family to the hotel and discusses on a historic canniballistic situation which seemed sickening to think of. He acts very strange while talking about this stuff which you could tell that this isn't a normal family lifestyle for any of them.
When they enter the hotel Danny does spot two little twin girls staring at him which was another great moment as I wanted to know why they seemed to appear here and there. It was truly ghostly to watch this.
There's good Mother and Son moments on them running around in a maze made of bushes since watching this it was exciting to watch but Jack evilly spying on them doing this which you could tell he was slowly getting possessed by this hotel.
Another great mysterious moment is a conversation between Danny and Dick Halloran who let's him and his family take care of the hotel for the winter in which he tells him he has no business to enter a certain room in the hotel and to stay out which right away with anyone watching this movie wanting to find out what's hiding behind that door.
There's the best part in the movie when Danny rides around the hotel in his toy bike which looks fun to watch imagining if you're a kid and doing this at a deserted hotel without anyone stopping him from having fun since it's closed for the season and then he spots those two twin girls talking to him with gruesome hallucinations. Man this would creep anyone out while spotting this.
There's also a moment with Wendy coming in to talk to Jack while he's typing and he gets verbally abusive with her and she gets frightened and passive about it all bringing a good psychological feel to the writing here in which this was hard to watch since she was trying to be nice to him. Right then you know he is totally possessed and Wendy being stuck in a dangerous situation as you know that this is not good at all.
We have a twisted discussion with Jack holding Danny in bed talking to him with this child acting still and telling him he wants to stay at the hotel forever and ever and ever as it makes you think to yourself what the hell's gonna happen next.
There's other one liners with Jack waking up from a nightmare telling Wendy he was dreaming on cutting her up into little pieces which I thought "WHOA! This is about to come true very soon I bet"
There's also a great unravelling mystery when Jack enters that room no one is allowed to enter which was dark and creepy to find out what is behind the madness there. Great spooky camera shots focusing on his expressionless face and whom is residing there and coming out of a bathtub. This gave me the chills. It gets uglier during the end of this scene.
We have a great shot on Danny lying sideways with intense expressions drooling with a good shot on a door with crayon writing saying REDRUM.
The suspense packs up even more when Danny's imaginary friend takes over his mind bringing more dark creepiness to the story in a great fashion wondering if he's going to be okay later on. It really works well as he helps Wendy prepare to protect themselves from Jack's evil grasp.
A good moment with Wendy trying to talk to Danny and then he has his Tony type voice telling her that her son's not here.
We spot a great tense conversation between Jack and a ghostly employee in a washroom as it looks settling and then very cold and evil when they discuss their dark secrets with good face shots between one another.
A nice shot up on Wendy looking at the typewriter with what is showing on the paper along with a great close up shot on the papers all saying ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY. She does well with her freaked expressions after reading this.
A real classic moment is when Jack acts screwed up and walks up some staircases towards Wendy wanting to bash her brains out while she weakly swings a bat near him since you wonder if she will defend herself well at all. It's definetely a good psychotic moment.
There's good shots on Wendy dragging Jack in a storage room and locking the door with a nice camera shot looking up on him trying the door handle and telling her to unlock the door.
Plus what is a real treat is we spot ghostly moments like a bartender at an abandoned lounge giving Jack some drinks but only he could see him as well as showing some creepy types of residents that Wendy spots in certain hallways of the hotel too while being cooped up in the place during a snowstorm with no vehicle to escape.
A good shot on Wendy screaming and backing away holding a knife with Jack charging towards with an axe especially with the famous scene on him whacking a bathroom door with the axe and through a hole screaming HEEERE'S JOHNNY! as we will all remember that wonderful and creepy moment.
Nice shots on Danny running away in the snow in the maze of bushes with Jack on his tail and then great moments on this child standing in his footsteps he made in the snow to try and fool him. This was a perfect and clover moment.
Bottom line is it's a terrific effective story and extremely effective. A must for people who enjoy possessed horror flicks. Very intense and disturbing. However, Stephen King's book describes what is all happening alot better as many of you might be confused by watching the movie on why certain things were happening. The book is even more scary to top it all off. However, there's many downfalls though as the movie is too long and was slow in many spots too.

The acting is excellent especially Jack Nicholson (Jack Torrance). He was nominated for an Oscar for his role. He has played crazy characters before but not like this. He was believably evil in it. He also showed nice characteristic facial expressions too. All in all he was perfectly demented as well as showing terrific intense aggressions too. His energy was at a high pace just bringing it all in one. Great cackling expressions on him standing at a counter of a hotel bar. Shows a nice snappy reaction to his onscreen wife asking if she's nuts after her telling him about someone strangling their child. He's great with his cold voice asking his onscreen wife if she likes what he typed.
I saw Shelley Duvall (Wendy Torrance) as Olive Oyl in Popeye (A perfect role for her) before I saw her in this but she is great too and believably freaked out about the going ons at the hotel and portrayed by being a basket case wife just perfectly. She knew on how to behave mixed up about alot of siutations and bringing it to life too. Plus does well being shocked and intimidated by her onscreen husband getting nasty towards her which she made her scene very memorable with her choked up answers to what he demands towards her with good surprised expressions. Does well running into the lounge towards her onscreen husband and all is silent with her crying and telling him about a woman strangling their child. Does well crying in many scene's. She does well with her freaked expressions after reading something which is supposed to look like a novel being printed. Also was great freaking out in other parts of the story as she brings alot of great adrenaline into her character.
Danny Lloyd (Danny Torrance) was only about 5 years of age in this film but he too was terrific for such a young performer. He knew on how to act quiet and scared on what he encounters. Also does well acting silent and acting uncomfortable talking to someone else about the shining. Plus he was great by showing a split personality involving his imaginary friend. He was great chanting the words REDRUM and walking towards his onscreen Mom. Shows off a nice and freaked out expressions after someone getting killed by an axe. He only did a movie of the week afterwards as I could see him getting more work but lots of child stars like to do different careers when they get older. He is now a teacher in Perkin, Illinois and never wanted to have an acting career and didn't realise that he was doing a horror film when he was on set of production.
Of course we can't forget Scatman Crothers (Dick Halloran) who sold them the hotel there. I remember him doing the voice over for Jazz in my favourite childhood animated TV series at the time the Transformers. He did a fine job too and showed terrific characteristics to his voice and expressions as well. He brings alot of likeness and spunk into his part. He was great explaining to a child about shining and how it works. Also was good by being firm telling him to stay away from a certain room which he was believeable by being short with him about it all.
Supporting actor Philip Stone (Delbert Grady) really came across perfectly as a deceiving ghost of a cocktail waiter and then shows some nice evil moments to his part in the film acting firm and cold too. Plus has a nice light speaking type of mysterious voice which works in terrifically too.

A spirit of a nude women performed by Lia Beldman appears out of a bathtub and walks up to Jack to make out that she'll seduce him.

Danny sees an image of two twin girls standing up asking to play with them and then it shows them on the ground slaughtered.
Jack strikes Scatman's character in the chest with an axe but that's not extremely gruesome.
There is blood pouring down the stairs at the hotel.
A spirit of a guest appears with his head almost cut in half.

Oh yessss! Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind were marvellous with their music for the film as we have a terrific opening for the film with the heavy trumpet and drum pounding for the film as everyone including non fans will remember.
We also have some intense and sharp violin playing and some more drum pounding along with some terrific heartbeating sounds for the creepy moments in the film. Some of this was also composed by other classical artists like Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Stuart Ullman: When the place was built in 1907, there was very little interest in winter sports. And this site was chosen for its seclusion and scenic beauty.
Jack Torrance: Well, it's certainly got plenty of that, ha, ha.
Stuart Ullman: ...The winters can be fantastically cruel. And the basic idea is to cope with the very costly damage and depreciation which can occur. And this consists mainly of running the boiler, heating different parts of the hotel on a daily, rotating basis, repair damage as it occurs, and doing repairs so that the elements can't get a foothold.
Jack Torrance: Well, that sounds fine to me.
Stuart Ullman: Physically, it's not a very demanding job. The only thing that can get a bit trying up here during the winter is, uh, a tremendous sense of isolation.
Jack Torrance: Well, that just happens to be exactly what I'm looking for. I'm outlining a new writing project and, uh, five months of peace is just what I want.
Stuart Ullman: That's very good Jack, because, uh, for some people, solitude and isolation can, of itself become a problem.
Jack Torrance: Not for me.
Stuart Ullman: How about your wife and son? How do you think they'll take to it?
Jack Torrance: They'll love it.

Danny Torrance: Do you really want to go and live in that hotel for the winter?
Wendy Torrance: Sure I do. It'll be lots of fun.
Danny Torrance: Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, there's hardly anybody to play with around here.
Wendy Torrance: Yeah, I know. It always takes a little time to make new friends.
Danny Torrance: Yeah, I guess so.
Wendy Torrance: What about Tony? He's lookin' forward to the hotel, I bet.
Danny Torrance: [Moving his finger to speak as "Tony"] No he isn't, Mrs. Torrance.
Wendy Torrance: Now come on, Tony, don't be silly.
Danny Torrance: [as Tony] I don't want to go there, Mrs. Torrance.
Wendy Torrance: Well, how come you don't want to go?
Danny Torrance: [as Tony] I just don't.
Wendy Torrance: Well, let's just wait and see. We're all going to have a real good time.

Wendy Torrance: Hey. Wasn't it around here that the Donner Party got snowbound?
Jack Torrance: I think that was farther west in the Sierras.
Wendy Torrance: Oh.
Danny Torrance: What was the Donner Party?
Jack Torrance: They were a party of settlers in covered-wagon times. They got snowbound one winter in the mountains. They had to resort to cannibalism in order to stay alive.
Danny Torrance: You mean they ate each other up?
Jack Torrance: They had to, in order to survive.
Wendy Torrance: Jack...
Danny Torrance: Don't worry, Mom. I know all about cannibalism. I saw it on TV.
Jack Torrance: See, it's OK. He saw it on the television.

Dick Hallorann: Mrs. Torrance, your husband inroduced you as Winifred. Now, are you a Winnie or a Freddy?
Wendy Torrance: I'm a Wendy.
Dick Hallorann: Oh. That's nice, that's the prettiest.

Dick Hallorann: Some places are like people: some shine and some don't.

[Past guests at the Overlook Hotel]
Stuart Ullman: Four presidents, movie stars...
Wendy Torrance: Royalty?
Stuart Ullman: All the best people.

[about Wendy]
Delbert Grady: I feel you will have to deal with this matter in the harshest possible way, Mr. Torrance.
Jack Torrance: There's nothing I look forward to with greater pleasure, Mr. Grady.

Jack Torrance: You WERE the caretaker here, Mr. Grady.
Delbert Grady: No sir, YOU are the caretaker. You've always been the caretaker. I ought to know: I've always been here.

Dick Hallorann: We've got canned fruits and vegetables, canned fish and meats, hot and cold syrups, Post Toasties, Corn Flakes, Sugar Puffs, Rice Krispies, Oatmeal... and Cream of Wheat. You got a dozen jugs of black molasses, we got sixty boxes of dried milk, thirty twelve-pound bags of sugar... Now we got dried peaches, dried apricots, dried raisins and dried prunes.
[Then, telepathically to Danny]
Dick Hallorann: How'd you like some ice cream, Doc?

Dick Hallorann: I can remember when I was a little boy. My grandmother and I could hold conversations entirely without ever opening our mouths. She called it "shining." And for a long time, I thought it was just the two of us that had the shine to us. Just like you probably thought you was the only one. But there are other folks, though mostly they don't know it, or don't believe it. How long have you been able to do it?... Why don't you want to talk about it?
Danny Torrance: I'm not supposed to.
Dick Hallorann: Who said you ain't supposed to?
Danny Torrance: Tony.
Dick Hallorann: Who's Tony?
Danny Torrance: Tony is a little boy that lives in my mouth.
Dick Hallorann: Is Tony the one that tells you things?
Danny Torrance: Yes.
Dick Hallorann: How does he tell you things?
Danny Torrance: It's like I go to sleep, and he shows me things. But when I wake up, I can't remember everything.
Dick Hallorann: Does your Mom and Dad know about Tony?
Danny Torrance: Yes.
Dick Hallorann: Do they know he tells you things?
Danny Torrance: No. Tony told me never to tell 'em.
Dick Hallorann: Has Tony ever told you anything about this place? About the Overlook Hotel?
Danny Torrance: I don't know.
Dick Hallorann: Now think real hard now. Think.
Danny Torrance: Maybe he showed me something.
Dick Hallorann: Try to think of what it was.
Danny Torrance: Mr. Hallorann, are you scared of this place?
Dick Hallorann: No. Scared - there's nothin' here. It's just that, you know, some places are like people. Some "shine" and some don't. I guess you could say the Overlook Hotel here has somethin' almost like "shining."
Danny Torrance: Is there something bad here?
Dick Hallorann: Well, you know, Doc, when something happens, you can leave a trace of itself behind. Say like, if someone burns toast. Well, maybe things that happen leave other kinds of traces behind. Not things that anyone can notice, but things that people who "shine" can see. Just like they can see things that haven't happened yet. Well, sometimes they can see things that happened a long time ago. I think a lot of things happened right here in this particular hotel over the years. And not all of 'em was good.
Danny Torrance: What about Room 237?
Dick Hallorann: Room 237?
Danny Torrance: You're scared of Room 237, ain't ya?
Dick Hallorann: No I ain't.
Danny Torrance: Mr. Hallorann. What is in Room 237?
Dick Hallorann: Nothin'. There ain't nothin' in Room 237. But you ain't got no business goin' in there anyway. So stay out. You understand? Stay out.

Jack Torrance: Wendy, let me explain something to you. Whenever you come in here and interrupt me, you're breaking my concentration. You're distracting me. And it will then take me time to get back to where I was. You understand?
Wendy Torrance: Yeah.
Jack Torrance: Now, we're going to make a new rule. When you come in here and you hear me typing
[types]
Jack Torrance: or whether you DON'T hear me typing, or whatever the FUCK you hear me doing; when I'm in here, it means that I am working, THAT means don't come in. Now, do you think you can handle that?
Wendy Torrance: Yeah.
Jack Torrance: Good. Now why don't you start right now and get the fuck out of here? Hm?

Wendy Torrance: I just want to go back to my room to think things over.
Jack Torrance: You've had your whole fucking life to think things over, what good's a few minutes more gonna do you now?

Jack Torrance: Have you ever thought about MY RESPONSIBILITIES?
Wendy Torrance: Jack, what are you talking about?
Jack Torrance: Have ever had any SINGLE MOMENT'S THOUGHT about my responsibilities? TO MY EMPLOYERS. Has it ever occured to you that I have agreed to look after the OVERLOOK until May the FIRST. Does it MATTER TO YOU AT ALL that the OWNERS have put their COMPLETE CONFIDENCE and TRUST in me that I have signed an agreement, a CONTRACT, in which I have accepted that RESPONSIBILITY?

Lloyd: How are things going, Mr. Torrance?
Jack Torrance: Things could be better, Lloyd. Things could be a whole lot better.

Grady Daughters: Hello Danny. Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Danny. Forever... and ever... and ever.

Danny Torrance: Tony, I'm scared.
[as Tony]
Danny Torrance: Remember what Mr. Hallorann said. It's just like pictures in a book, Danny. It isn't real.

Lloyd: What will you be drinking, sir?
Jack Torrance: Hair of the dog that bit me, Lloyd.

Jack Torrance: God, I'd give anything for a drink. I'd give my god-damned soul for just a glass of beer.

Jack Torrance: Here's to five miserable months on the wagon, and all the irreparable harm it has caused me.

Lloyd: Women. Can't live with them, can't live without them.
Jack Torrance: Words of wisdom, Lloyd, my man. Words of wisdom.

Danny Torrance: Dad?
Jack Torrance: Yes?
Danny Torrance: Do you like this hotel?
Jack Torrance: Yes. I do. I love it. Don't you?
Danny Torrance: I guess so.
Jack Torrance: Good. I want you to like it here. I wish we could stay here forever... and ever... and ever.

Delbert Grady: Did you know, Mr. Torrance, that your son is attempting to bring an outside party into this situation? Did you know that?
Jack Torrance: No.
Delbert Grady: He is, Mr. Torrance.
Jack Torrance: Who?
Delbert Grady: A nigger.
Jack Torrance: A nigger?
Delbert Grady: A nigger cook.
Jack Torrance: How?
Delbert Grady: Your son has a very great talent. I don't think you are aware how great it is. That he is attempting to use that very talent against your will.
Jack Torrance: He is a very willful boy.
Delbert Grady: Indeed he is, Mr. Torrance. A very willful boy. A rather naughty boy, if I may be so bold, sir.
Jack Torrance: It's his mother. She, uh, interferes.
Delbert Grady: Perhaps they need a good talking to, if you don't mind my saying so. Perhaps a bit more. My girls, sir, they didn't care for the Overlook at first. One of them actually stole a pack of matches, and tried to burn it down. But I "corrected" them sir. And when my wife tried to prevent me from doing my duty, I "corrected" her.

Jack Torrance: Mr. Grady. You were the caretaker here. I recognize ya. I saw your picture in the newspapers. You, uh, chopped your wife and daughters up into little bits. And then you blew your brains out.
Grady: That's strange, sir. I don't have any recollection of that at all.

Jack Torrance: The most terrible nightmare I ever had. It's the most horrible dream I ever had.
Wendy Torrance: It's OK, it's OK now. Really.
Jack Torrance: I dreamed that I, that I killed you and Danny. But I didn't just kill ya. I cut you up in little pieces. Oh my God. I must be losing my mind.

Jack Torrance: [typed] All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Danny Torrance: [as Tony] Danny isn't here, Mrs. Torrance.

Danny Torrance: Redrum. Redrum. Redrum.

Jack Torrance: Wendy.
Wendy Torrance: Stay away.
Jack Torrance: Darling. Light, of my life. I'm not gonna hurt ya. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just gonna bash your brains in. I'm gonna bash 'em right the fuck in. Ha, ha.

[Jack is trying to kill Wendy]
Jack Torrance: Do you have the slightest idea what a moral and ethical principle is? Do you?

Jack Torrance: Come out, come out, where ever you are.

Jack Torrance: Little pigs, little pigs, let me in. Not by the hair of your chiny-chin-chin? Well then I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in.
[axes the door]

Jack Torrance: HERE'S JOHNNY.

[Smashing the door to bits with an axe]
Jack Torrance: Wendy, I'm home.

Jack Torrance: I'll just set my bourbon and advocaat down right there.

Jack Torrance: Wendy. You have a surprise coming to you. Go check out the Snow Cat and the radio and you'll see what I mean. Go check it out.

Injured Guest with Head Wound: Great party, isn't it?