The Shining
Stephen King knows how to write an excellent horror story. But when those horror stories get turned into movies, usually a dull movie is bound to become. However, when you get a good director (Stanley Kubrick) and good screenwriters, you can turn his work into a masterpiece. And that's what Kubrick has done. He turned a horrific and scary book into a horrific and scary movie.
For every good Stephen King movie, there seems to be three bad ones. This one obviously sent three bad ones flying at us, because this is probably one of his best adapted movies to date. I've never seen Carrie, but I've heard it is his best. That was hard to believe while I was watching this movie. This movie scared me enough that I had nightmares that night. I'm not exactly sure why it worked so well though. Thinking back, I realized that it wasn't just one thing that made it stand out, it was a lot of things. The camera angles, the music (which was hauntingly scary), the big hotel with a lot of hiding places, the snow storm, and mostly, Jack Nicholson.
Jack Nicholson is probably the scariest actor alive. I don't remember looking at any other actor (one exception is Christopher Walken) and thinking, "He is evil." He has played roles in which he was the good guy (Chinatown), but when he plays the bad guy, that's when his best work is done. The Joker from Batman is one of his most famous roles. He played the devil in The Witches of Eastwick which he is also well known for doing. But The Shining is one of the movies that I think started his career as a bad guy. The way he looks just makes you think he is crazy and evil.
But he's not the only good actor in this movie. Every performance is good, from Shelley DuVall's portrayal of the confused wife, to Scatman Crothers as the cook who befriends Danny Lloyd by showing him that he can also "shine." What is "shining?" It's psychic powers, such as telekinesis and telepathy. Danny Lloyd gives a very good performance in his role, which is hard to find in Hollywood (kids that can actually act).
I've never read any of Stephen King's books, because I usually find them offensive in some way... usually too much swearing and sex. I'm not sure how well it was adapted, but if I were reviewing the movie as if it were an original screenplay, I would give it the same review. The fact that it was based on a King novel doesn't make me want to go read the book, because I feel that it would take away from the experience of the movie. I don't care to read the book, and I don't want to. I guess King is just not my type of reading material, but he sure makes a good movie.
As for the plot of the movie, it all takes place in a hotel in Colorado. Many years before, the caretaker of the hotel killed his entire family and then shot himself. He went insane because of the seclusion of the place. Now, Nicholson is the caretaker and he has brought his family to stay for the winter, until the hotel reopens. He says he needs time alone to write his book. The movie is full of quick flashbacks into the grizzly murders and some of the scenes are quite gruesome. The inevitable happens and Nicholson goes insane. But you can watch the movie to find out what happens next, which is all too frightening.
The Shining is rated R. There is plenty of violence and gore, an explicit nude scene, and a lot of language, coming from Nicholson of course. But if you want a horrific time, I suggest this movie. If you have a weak heart or some other condition, I suggest that you don't stay for the ride.