The Shining (1980)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Stephen King (novel)
Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 May 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The tide of terror that swept America IS HERE[UK Poster]

Plot:

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Caretaker | Ghost | Insanity | Colorado

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Jack Nicholson	...	Jack Torrance
Shelley Duvall	...	Wendy Torrance
Danny Lloyd	...	Danny Torrance
Scatman Crothers	...	Dick Hallorann
Barry Nelson	...	Stuart Ullman
Philip Stone	...	Delbert Grady
Joe Turkel	...	Lloyd the Bartender
Anne Jackson	...	Doctor
Tony Burton	...	Larry Durkin
Lia Beldam	...	Young Woman in Bath
Billie Gibson	...	Old Woman in Bath
Barry Dennen	...	Bill Watson
David Baxt	...	Forest Ranger #1
Manning Redwood	...	Forest Ranger #2
Lisa Burns	...	Grady Twin Daughter
Louise Burns	...	Grady Twin Daughter
Robin Pappas	...	Nurse
Alison Coleridge	...	Secretary
Burnell Tucker	...	Policeman
Jana Shelden	...	Stewardess
Kate Phelps	...	Receptionist
Norman Gay	...	Injured Guest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vivian Kubrick	...	Smoking Guest on Ballroom Couch (uncredited)
Derek Lyons	...	Overlook Hotel Bellhop (uncredited)
Glenn Rinker	...	Himself / Television news anchor (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Kubrick

Writing credits
Stephen King		(novel)
Stanley Kubrick		(screenplay) &
Diane Johnson		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Fryer	....	associate producer: The Producer Circle Organization
Jan Harlan	....	executive producer
Mary Lea Johnson	....	associate producer: The Producer Circle Organization
Stanley Kubrick	....	producer
Martin Richards	....	associate producer: The Producer Circle Organization

Original Music by
Wendy Carlos
Rachel Elkind

Cinematography by
John Alcott		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Ray Lovejoy

Casting by
James Liggat

Production Design by
Roy Walker

Art Direction by
Leslie Tomkins		(as Les Tomkins)

Costume Design by
Milena Canonero

Makeup Department
Barbara Daly	....	makeup artist
Leonard	....	hair stylist
Tom Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Douglas Twiddy	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Brian W. Cook	....	assistant director (as Brian Cook)
Terry Needham	....	assistant director
Michael Stevenson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Barry Arnold	....	property man
Michael Boone	....	draughtsman
Karen Brookes	....	property buyer
Tessa Davies	....	set dresser
John Fenner	....	draughtsman
Len Furey	....	construction manager (as Len Fury)
Fred Gunning	....	head carpenter
Peter Hancock	....	property master
Michael Lamont	....	draughtsman
Philip McDonald	....	property man
Edward Rodrigo	....	property buyer
Del Smith	....	head painter
Peter Spencer	....	property man
Thomas Tarry	....	master plasterer (as Tom Tarry)
Bob Walker	....	decor artist (as Robert Walker)
Barry Wilson	....	drapes
Norman Dorme	....	additional art director (uncredited)
Vivian Kubrick	....	art department (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Charman	....	boom operator
Richard Daniel	....	sound recordist
Dino Di Campo	....	sound editor
Jack T. Knight	....	sound editor (as Jack Knight)
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer
Ivan Sharrock	....	sound recordist
Ken Weston	....	boom operator
Rodney Glenn	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Winston Ryder	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Lionel Strutt	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Stunts
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Maurice Arnold	....	focus puller
Lou Bogue	....	gaffer
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator
James Devis	....	camera operator
Dan Grimmel	....	video operator
Jim Kelly	....	head rigger
Martin Kenzie	....	assistant camera
Dennis Lewis	....	grip
Douglas Milsome	....	focus puller
Douglas Milsome	....	photographer: second unit
Kelvin Pike	....	camera operator
Peter Robinson	....	assistant camera
Danny Shelmerdine	....	assistant camera
Larry Smith	....	gaffer
Ray Andrew	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Ted Churchill	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Paul Kenward	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Greg MacGillivray	....	helicopter photographer (uncredited)
Jimmy Worley	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ron Beck	....	wardrobe supervisor
Ken Lawton	....	wardrobe supervisor
Veronica McAuliffe	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Eddie Gordon	....	color grader
Steve Pickard	....	second assistant editor
Gill Smith	....	assistant editor
Gordon Stainforth	....	assistant editor
Adam Unger	....	second assistant editor
George Akers	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Brian Rust	....	music advisor: 20's music
John Wadley	....	music advisor: 20's music
Jorge Calandrelli	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Margaret Adams	....	secretary to producer
Marlene Butland	....	production secretary
Murray Close	....	location researcher
Emilio D'Alessandro	....	production assistant
Andros Epaminondas	....	assistant to producer
Giancarlo Giannini	....	voice dubbing: : Jack Nicholson
Jo Gregory	....	production accountant
Katharina Kubrick	....	location researcher
Tad Michel	....	hotel consultant
Pat Pennelegion	....	production secretary
June Randall	....	continuity
Jan Schlubach	....	location researcher
Leon Vitali	....	personal assistant to director
Paul Cadiou	....	assistant production accountant (uncredited)
Anthony Frewin	....	assistant: Stanley Kubrick (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)
• Hawk Films (made by)
• Peregrine
• Producers Circle (in association with) (as The Producer Circle Company)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Bros. (1980) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Most Video (????) (Russia) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• American Motors Co.  with special acknowledgement to (as American Motor Company)
• Carl Zeiss  with special acknowledgement to
• Chapman Beauvais  titles
• Cherry Leisure  with special acknowledgement to
• Colorado Motion Picture and Television Advisory Commission  with special acknowledgement to (as State of Colorado Motion Picture Commission)
• Continental Airlines  with special acknowledgement to
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Harrods of London  with special acknowledgement to
• JVC  with special acknowledgement to
• KBTV  with special acknowledgement to
• KHOW  with special acknowledgement to
• MacGillivray Freeman Films  helicopter photography
• MacGillivray Freeman Films  second unit photography
• Music Hire Group  with special acknowledgement to
• National Screen Service  titles
• National Vendors  with special acknowledgement to
• Norank Engineering Ltd.  engineering
• Post Logic Studios  digital film mastering
• Timberline Lodge  with special acknowledgement to
• WPLG  with special acknowledgement to

Also Known As:

Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining'

Runtime:

142 min (cut) | 119 min (cut) (European version) | 146 min (original version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R16 | Spain:13 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:14A (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (re-rating) (2007) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Brazil:14 | Ireland:15 (re-rating) (2007) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2007) | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Denmark:16 (video rating) | Malaysia:U | USA:R (Rated R for intense sequences of violence and terror, language, and graphic nudity) | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:M | Canada:18+ (Québec) | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | South Korea:18 (DVD rating) (2004) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 | Philippines:X | Japan:R-15 | USA:R | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Colorado, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

During an interview for the UK'S The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003) (TV), Shelley Duvall revealed that due to her role requiring her to be in an almost constant state of hysteria, she eventually ran out of tears from crying so hard. To overcome this she kept bottles of water with her at all times on set to remain hydrated.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Wendy enters the bathroom to escape from Jack, the lampshade beside the bed is crooked. When Jack enters the apartment to break down the door with the axe, the lampshade is straight.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "HBO First Look: The Haunting (#6.6)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

It's All Forgotten Now

A truly brilliant and scary film from Stanley Kubrick.

I can't praise this film long enough!

The Shining is, without doubt, one of Stanley Kubrick's undisputed masterpieces and a true classic in horror cinema. It is a film that, over the course of the years, has managed to scare the living hell out of its audiences (and still does). The film is an adaptation of Stepehen King's original novel, written in the late '70s, and although the film is not very loyal to the book, it still stands as a thing of its own.

Right from the beginning, as we contemplate the car going to the hotel from those stunning aerial shots, deeply inside us we know that something in the film, somehow, sometime is going to go wrong. As we obtain that severe warning, an almost inaudible voice gently whispers to us 'sit tight', a sense of unexpectedness invades us all, and it is that very same feeling that makes our hair stand on end throughout out the entire movie.



The plot is simple: Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in up in the secluded mountains of Colorado. Jack, being a family man, takes his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son (Danny Lloyd) to the hotel to keep him company throughout the long, isolated nights. During their stay, strange things occur when Jack's son Danny sees gruesome images powered by a force called 'the shining' and Jack is heavily affected by this. Along with writer's block and the demons of the hotel haunting him, Jack has a complete mental breakdown and the situation takes a sinister turn for the worse.

The film, unlike many horror-oriented films nowadays, doesn't only rely on stomach-churning and gory images (which it does contain, anyway) but on the incredibly scary music based on the works of Béla Bartók and on the excellent cinematography (the Steadicam is superbly used, giving us a sense of ever-following evil), as well. The terrifying mood and atmosphere of the film is carefully and masterfully woven by Kubrick, who clearly knows how to really make a horror movie.

Jack Nicholson's powerful performance as the mad father and husband is as over the top as it is brilliant. Shelley Duvall, who plays the worrying wife who tries to help her son, is also a stand out; she shows a kind of trembling fear in many scenes and is able to display weakness and vulnerability in a very convincing way. Undoubtedly, The Shining is full of memorable moments (the elevator scene or the 'Heeeeeere's Johnny' one-liner for instance) and, simply put, it's flawlessly brilliant.

Stanley Kubrick's direction is pure excellence, giving the whole film a cold and atmospheric look, thus creating an unbearable sense of paranoia and terror. There are moments of sheer brilliance and exquisite perfection in this film; the horrifying maze chase is a perfect example. Every single shot is masterfully created and there are some genuinely scary scenes which will make you sit on the edge of your seat.

The Shining is, in my opinion, a special landmark in horror cinema which will always be regarded as one of the scariest movies in film history. Since I saw it last year, when I was 13, I have rarely been able to have a bath in my bathtub.Just in case, ya know. Overall, The Shining is incomparably the scariest film I've ever seen in my whole life (and I can tell you I've seen a great deal of horror films).

It is an unforgettable, chilling, majestic and truly, profoundly scary film crafted by an eccentric genius who wants to show that the impossible can be done. The Shining is a sublime, hauntingly intriguing and endlessly watchable film that shows Kubrick at his best.