The Shining (1980) [Blu-ray] Rated:  R  Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Philip Stone Director: Stanley Kubrick Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller DVD Release Date: 10/23/2007 Tagline: He Came As The Caretaker...  But This Hotel Had Its Own Guardians...                Who'd Been There A Long Time. See also: The Sequel Doctor Sleep. From a script he co-adapted from the Stephen King novel, director Stanley Kubrick melds vivid performances, menacing settings, dreamlike tracking shots and shock after shock into a milestone of the macabre. In a signature role, Jack Nicholson ("Heeeere's Johnny!") plays Jack Torrance, who's come to the elegant, isolated Overlook Hotel as off-season caretaker with his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son (Danny Lloyd). Torrance has never been there before - or has he? The answer lies in a ghostly time warp of madness and murder. Storyline: A man, his son and wife become the winter caretakers of an isolated hotel where Danny, the son, sees disturbing visions of the hotel's past using a telepathic gift known as "The Shining". The father, Jack Torrance, is underway in a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and former guests of the hotel's ghosts. After being convinced by a waiter's ghost to "correct" the family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is "The Shining". Written by ipreach4ever Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Greg Maltz on March 19, 2008 -- As you probably know, Stanley Kubrick's horror classic, The Shining, is a rewrite of a Stephen King story that helped define the modern psychological thriller genre. The strong direction and acting gives the film broad appeal, but it is too harrowing for squeamish audiences. Stanley Kubrick is a master at getting the most out of his screenplays, sets and actors. The riveting combination of the haunted Overlook Hotel and Jack Nicholson's powerhouse performance as Jack Torrance descending into violent insanity seems eerily authentic. But the film is far from perfect in conception and execution. It is held back by pacing problems, disconnects in the narrative flow (King was very upset that Kubrick strayed from the novel) and bizarre, often corny visions that only rarely raised the scare factor. Nevertheless, the scenes focusing on Torrance's inner demons and spiralling insanity are brilliant. It is hard to imagine any other actor but Nicholson being able to fit in this roll with such conviction and raw power. Most importantly for this release, the Blu-ray's definition and color are far superior to DVD versions, and the aspect ratio of 1.78:1 is a big plus. Beginning with Jack's job interview at the secluded Overlook Hotel in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, The Shining quickly reveals glimpses into its dark and supernatural theme. The hotel must close down every winter due to blizzard conditions and its isolated location renders any inhabitants snowbound. A previous caretaker went crazy from "cabin fever" and murdered his wife and two daughters. But Jack assures hotel manager Stuart Ullman (Barry Nelson) that being snowbound all winter is just the kind of peace and quiet needed to "write the great American novel". Meanwhile, back home, Jack's son Danny (Danny Lloyd), who experiences paranormal images and premonitions, has horrible visions of the Overlook and blacks out. Jack returns triumphant from his job interview only to find his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) questioning the wisdom of moving to the Overlook with their son in a fragile mental state, but Jack grows aggravated and dismisses her concerns. After arriving at the hotel, Danny is befriended by the hotel chef, Dick Hallorann (Scattman Crothers). The cook has a talent for psychic abilities similar to Danny's. He tells the young boy to not be afraid--that some bad things happened long ago at the hotel. Hollorann explains that all places--especially old places--have a "shine" to them. "The shining" is the residual aura of accumulated experiences. But the Overlook has had a more violent history than most places, and when Danny asks about room 237 from his visions, Hallorann becomes visibly upset. He sternly warns Danny to stay away from the room. The guests already gone, Hallorann and the Overlook management depart, leaving Jack, Wendy and Danny to settle in for the long winter ahead. As the weeks pass, Jack becomes increasingly psychotic. He can't sleep and seems irritable and incommunicative. He spends his time wandering the hotel's hallways and working on his manuscript. One day, Danny is coaxed into room 237 by supernatural powers and his own curiosity. This immediately sets off a series of events and Jack goes from bad to worse. Wendy hears him screaming. He wakes up disoriented and disturbed, complaining that he had a horrible nightmare in which he chopped her and Danny to pieces. Before Wendy can react, Danny appears with his shirt ripped and bruise marks around his neck. Wendy rushes to her son, inspects his injuries and accuses Jack of attacking the boy since the hotel is empty except for the three of them. As Jack's psychosis becomes full blown, he has hallucinations of interacting with staff at the hotel. The interactions with former caretaker Delbert Grady (Philip Stone) become all too real as Grady calmly yet forcefully leads Jack to the unavoidable conclusion that he must act against his wife and son. Once Jack's murderous intentions become clear, the film cycles through spooky scenes with Nicholson's gleaming eyes and wicked grin as he bellows for his family. Kubrick's vision is manifest with critical impact as the film reaches its climax. Some of the images work, such as the unabated flowing of blood down the hotel's elevator shaft and flooding out into the lobby, representing the evil spirit and bloody history of the place. Some images don't work. But the 1080p presentation and the full, restored aspect ratio deliver Kubrick's horror masterpiece for a new generation of film fanatics. To me, the scariest parts of the film lie in Jack's interactions with Danny. Kubrick coaxes magical performances out of both the adult star and the child. When Jack sits Danny down with him to have a talk, we see the chasm that exists between the characters and feel the chill of the words. Talk about poor communication between father and son! Danny wants to leave and Jack says he wants to stay "for ever and ever and ever." A father should never have to tell a child, "you know I would never hurt you", and Nicholson's delivery makes those words stand as menacing despite their meaning. The progression to Jack's pursuit of Danny near the end is handled very well. Aside from this, many viewers may have problems with the pacing of the film. By today's standards it is slow, but no more plodding than Kubrick's other movies. They all march to a much more artistic beat of mood and gravity. Cast Notes: Jack Nicholson (Jack Torrance), Shelley Duvall (Winifred "Wendy" Torrance), Danny Lloyd (Danny Torrance), Scatman Crothers (Dick Hallorann), Barry Nelson [I] (Stuart Ullman), Philip Stone [I] (Delbert Grady), Joe Turkel (Lloyd), 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 Daughter). User Comment: us012862 USA • When this film first came out in 1980, I remember going to see it on opening night. The sheer terror that I experienced in viewing "The Shining" was enough to make me go to bed with the lights turned ON every night for an entire summer. This movie just scared the life out of me, which is what still happens every time I rent the video for a re-watch. I have seen The Shining at least six or seven times, and I still believe it to be simultaneously and paradoxically one of the most frightening and yet funniest films I've ever seen. Frightening because of the extraordinarily effective use of long shots to create feelings of isolation, convex lens shots to enhance surrealism, and meticulously scored music to bring tension levels to virtually unbearable levels. And "funny" because of Jack Nicholson's outrageous and in many cases ad-libbed onscreen antics. It never ceases to amaze me how The Shining is actually two films in one, both a comedy AND a horror flick. Ghostly apparitions of a strikingly menacing nature haunt much of the first half of the film, which gradually evolve into ever more serious physical threats as time progresses. Be that as it may, there is surprisingly little violence given the apparent intensity, but that is little comfort for the feint of heart as much of the terror is more implied than manifest. The Shining is a truly frightening movie that works symbolically on many levels, but is basically about human shortcomings and the way they can be exploited by unconscious forces combined with weakness of will. This film scares the most just by using suggestion to turn your own imagination against you. The Shining is a brilliant cinematic masterpiece, the likes of which have never been seen before or since. Highly, highly recommended. Summary: Best Horror Film I've Ever Seen IMDb Rating (08/09/09): 8.5/10 from 151,921 users Top 250: #52 Additional information Copyright:  1980,  Warner Bros. Features:  • Commentary by Steadicam Inventor/Operator Garrett Brown and Historian John Baxter • Vivian Kubrick's Documentary The Making Of The Shining with Optional Commentary • 3 Mesmerizing New Featurettes - View From The Overlook: Crafting The Shining, The Visions Of Stanley Kubrick and Wendy Carlos, Composer • Theatrical Trailer Subtitles:  English SDH, English, French, Spanish Video:  Widescreen 1.78:1 Color Screen Resolution: 1080p Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Audio:  ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC] ENGLISH: PCM 5.1 [CC] SPANISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1 Time:  2:24 DVD:  # Discs: 1 -- # Shows: 1 UPC:  085391157106 Coding:  [V4.5-A33.5] VC-1 D-Box:  Yes Other:  Producers: Stanley Kubrick; Directors: Stanley Kubrick; Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Diane Johnson; running time of 144 minutes; Packaging: HD Case. -- DBox added greatly to this movie.