The Shining (Two-Disc Special Edition)
?Heeeeere?s Johnny!? In a macabre masterpiece adapted from Stephen King?s novel, Jack Nicholson falls prey to forces haunting a snowbound mountain resort with a macabre history.
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is less an adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling horror novel than a complete reimagining of it from the inside out. In King's book, the Overlook Hotel is a haunted place that takes possession of its off-season caretaker and provokes him to murderous rage against his wife and young son. Kubrick's movie is an existential Road Runner cartoon (his steadicam scurrying through the hotel's labyrinthine hallways), in which the cavernously empty spaces inside the Overlook mirror the emptiness in the soul of the blocked writer, who's settled in for a long winter's hibernation. As many have pointed out, King's protagonist goes mad, but Kubrick's Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is Looney Tunes from the moment we meet him--all arching eyebrows and mischievous grin. (Both Nicholson and Shelley Duvall reach new levels of hysteria in their performances, driven to extremes by the director's fanatical demands for take after take after take.) The Shining is terrifying--but not in the way fans of the novel might expect. When it was redone as a TV miniseries (reportedly because of King's dissatisfaction with the Kubrick film), the famous topiary-animal attack (which was deemed impossible to film in 1980) was there--but the deeper horror was lost. Kubrick's The Shining gets under your skin and chills your bones; it stays with you, inhabits you, haunts you. And there's no place to hide... --Jim Emerson
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is less an adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling horror novel than a complete reimagining of it from the inside out. In King's book, the Overlook Hotel is a haunted place that takes possession of its off-season caretaker and provokes him to murderous rage against his wife and young son. Kubrick's movie is an existential Road Runner cartoon (his steadicam scurrying through the hotel's labyrinthine hallways), in which the cavernously empty spaces inside the Overlook mirror the emptiness in the soul of the blocked writer, who's settled in for a long winter's hibernation. As many have pointed out, King's protagonist goes mad, but Kubrick's Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is Looney Tunes from the moment we meet him--all arching eyebrows and mischievous grin. (Both Nicholson and Shelley Duvall reach new levels of hysteria in their performances, driven to extremes by the director's fanatical demands for take after take after take.) The Shining is terrifying--but not in the way fans of the novel might expect. When it was redone as a TV miniseries (reportedly because of King's dissatisfaction with the Kubrick film), the famous topiary-animal attack (which was deemed impossible to film in 1980) was there--but the deeper horror was lost. Kubrick's The Shining gets under your skin and chills your bones; it stays with you, inhabits you, haunts you. And there's no place to hide... --Jim Emerson
The Shining (Two-Disc Special Edition) Accessories
 A Clockwork Orange (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Full Metal Jacket
Eyes Wide Shut (R-Rated Edition)
GoodFellas
Halloween
The Road Warrior
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration Giftset (The Godfather / The Godfather Part II / The Godfather Part III) [Blu-ray]
Casino
The Shining (Two-Disc Special Edition) Reviews
Her giant piano key teeth really pop out during the beginning of this movie. Shelly Long and that hideaous gaping maw of a mouth has NEVER looked so repulsive. In my opinion it is far superior to Kubrick's rendition of the shining any day. You'll know exactly what I mean if you've read the book. "Stephen King's The Shining (Two Disc Special Edition) (1997)". Jack Nicholson looks just that much crazier in hi-def.
On a side note - the TV mini-series movie thing is also on DVD. That being said; a really good Blu-ray transfer. It was the first thing my fiance and I noticed. Get this one on Blu-ray and also purchase:. We've all seen this one, know the lines, and you likely have this on VHS and DVD. Use the above text in a search on Amazon, it's only $7.50 - you won't be dissapointed.
If you like the original film/DVD/VHS this is worthy of your Blu-ray collection.
Rate as high as I can. I received it before the date and the product is in great condition. I am very pleased with the purchase.
From the cinematography to the cast, this film is by far one of the best I have seen. Watching Jack Nicholson portray a man teetering on the edge of sanity and finally crossing over the line while terrorizing his wife Played By Shelly Duval is mesmerizing. The story of John, Wendy and Danny Torrance's experience while takeing care of the "Overlook Hotel" for for the winter months is masterfully told. A modern classic of horror.
Finally the chaos that surounds Jack as he goes more and more insane. Shelley Duvall's acting on the other end was fine but did stick out as the weakest part of the movie, but it gets the job done. The increasingly claustrophobic and uncomfortable shots make us feel like we are just as trapped there as Wendy. The subtle special effects are never overdone, never desensitizing us by overstimulating the horror factor over and over again until all the scares blend together. I am quite pleased to say that The Shining not only lives up to it's reputation but even exceeded nearly all the horror films that have come out since. The absolutely fantastic cinematography and camera direction. The grand low shots following Danny at his own eye level as he rides around the hotel builds the terror of our expectations and then often denying us what we expect resulting in even greater impact when something paranormal does appear. Jack Nicholson's performance is flawless and and every bit as riveting as the cinematography, I can't imagine how they could have found anyone more perfect for the part.
All of this a testament to Kubrick's skill as a director. Danny Lloyd also does a terrific job, especially when his imaginary friend comes out to play. If you haven't seen it you really need to, if you have seen it maybe you should see it again and try to appreciate it on a completely different level, I promise it won't disappoint. The Shining is chilling, it's a subtle movie, at least by today's standards, it is brilliant on levels Hollywood has seems to have forgotten. Of course, all this wouldn't be worth a thing of the story hadn't been so well written, Steven King obviously providing great source material while Stanley Kubrick and Diane Johnson's adaptation bringing the novel alive in cinema. All of these are perfect in their effectiveness.
You'll never see Jack the same again. Shelley Duvall and Jack Nickolson's performances are stellar in this movie. This movie is a must have for any home movie collection. A suspense classic and excellant psychological thiller. I highly recommend it.
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