The Shining

It’s always such a pleasure watching this movie. Kubrick is truly one of the greatest directors of all time and this terrifying piece of cinematic history is just one of the many masterpieces he churned out throughout his illustrious career. The camera work is exceptional and packs in a wide variety of beautiful and intricate shots. I love the stunning views of the Rocky Mountains on our drive up to the Overlook Hotel and I simply adored the haunting visuals of the interior of the hotel, especially the iconic carpets and rooms that fill the building. The blood spewing out from the elevators is honestly one of my absolute favorite sequences ever, it’s so eerie yet picturesque. The music was also SUPER good, it was very scary and I loved how it tied into the vibe of this terrifying masterclass in filmmaking. Jack Nicholson delivers one of the best performances of all time in my opinion. I could just tell while watching this how committed he was to this absolutely insane role. He screams, he yelps, he kills people, he axes down doors, and most importantly he goes fucking bonkers. It’s all so good and all so horrifyingly terrific. I also must praise Shelley Duvall, who is often overlooked and somewhat criticized for her role in this film. I for one believe that she embodied fear in such a genuine and emotional way that I have never seen portrayed in any other film. The terror in her face throughout the duration of this movie speaks volumes as to what it was like for her when she was working on this project. I sure do love Stanley Kubrick, but I think he went too far in terms of trying to get the best performance he could out of Duvall. It sort of reminds me of Terence Fletcher trying to get the best performance out of his students. Anyway, this is still a fantastic film that is full of iconic moments, great acting, and great direction.