- Actors: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson
- Directors: Stanley Kubrick
- Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Diane Johnson, Stephen King
- Producers: Jan Harlan, Martin Richards, Mary Lea Johnson, Robert Fryer
- Format: PAL
- Language English
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- VHS Release Date: 10 Sep 2001
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (133 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004RRDX
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,989 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
Product details |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is less an adaptation of Stephen King's best-selling horror novel than a complete re-imagining 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 film is an existential Road Runner cartoon (his steadicam scurrying through the hotel's labyrinthine hallways), in which the cavernously empty spaces inside the Overlook Hotel mirror the emptiness in the soul of the blocked writer 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 demand s 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 mini-series (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, Amazon.com
Synopsis
Opening with spectacular aerial shots of a beautiful, mountainous landscape, Stanley Kubrick's horror classic The Shining, based on Stephen King's best-selling novel, sucks the viewer into his frightening tale with quiet, relaxing visuals - but the ominous soundtrack warns that all is not right at the gorgeous Overlook Hotel. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson at his eyebrow-raising best), a Vermont schoolteacher, accepts a job as the winter caretaker of the glorious early-20th-century resort that operates only in warm weather because the snowy roads deny access in the colder months. Jack brings his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), with him, as well as his young son, Danny (Danny Lloyd)--who brings with him a little boy named Tony who lives in his mouth. As the Torrances settle in for the long, lonely months ahead, strange, unexplainable things start occurring in the hotel--and in every scene Jack seems to be growing a little more evil and dangerous...
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
'The Shining' on DVD is essential viewing, not only because the film itself is one of the most beautifully shot horror classics of all time, but also because it comes accompanied by a wonderful documentary. 'The Making of The Shining' provides a rare insight into director Stanley Kubrick ('A Clockwork Orange') and also features actors Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall at work on set, both in and out of character. From this invaluable footage, you will learn to admire those who do the business behind the scenes and gain a good appreciation for what it takes to create a masterpiece.
As a movie, The Shining is thoroughly watchable from start to finish. Jack Nicholson steals the show as the ex-alcoholic, ex-teacher who is looking for solitude for a 'writing project', and the Overlook Hotel appears to be just what he is looking for as he pitches in as caretaker during the snowbound winter months. Joining him at the Overlook are his wife Wendy (Duvall) and his talented son Danny (Lloyd), whose special ability to 'shine' causes him to fear (and rightly so) the dark secrets of the hotels past.
With The Shining, director Stanley Kubrick has thankfully created an intellectual horror movie rather than merely played it for shocks. His superb pacing builds the tension up gradually, and with so many memorable scenes here, there is enough to make you return time and again, where you will always find something new.
I cannot recommend this film enough; if you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for?
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Brilliantly atmospheric, Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of the Stephen King novel is one of a handful of truly outstanding horror films. Although it has as many detractors as it has admirers, it is consistently voted as one of the best of its genre. Jack Nicholson gives one of the definitive performances of his career as Jack Torrance, hired to act as caretaker for a hotel which closes down during the harsh winters. The hotel has a bloody history associated with it however, and begins to take effect on Jack's mind... On the surface, the story seems like the usual horror hokum, but in the hands of Kubrick it becomes a tale thick with ominous music, spooky settings and bizarre imagery. With his extraordinary trademark visual style, he has fashioned the ultimate haunted house tale, never getting bogged down in exposition or resorting to hackneyed scare-jump tactics, and leaving interpretations of what we see up to the audience. The unease we experience as a result, combined with that classic wonderful ending, only makes this film all the more memorable.
The dvd features very good picture quality and excellent sound, plus Vivian Kubrick's contemporary 'making of' documentary with optional commentary and a trailer.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is just about the scariest film of all time and the scariest thing to come out of the USA.
Jack nicholson potrays Jack Torrance who has just got a job looking after the Overlook Hotel in the mountains. He brings his wife and son(a phsycic little boy who sees things) along with him. The hotel has had a bad past were a father killed his family due maybe to isolation. Soon enough the kid sees dead people, gallons of blood comes out of the elavator and Jack starts loosing his mind.
With unforgettable moments, images that stick in the mind and disturbing dialogue "The Shining" is the ultimate horror film of all time that everyone has to see. BUY IT!!!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
DEEPER VISION
The longer US version of this film has more to offer an audience, as it also suggests the baleful effects of modern media on the minds of the young, while also suggesting that... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Frank TALKER
Lol, nope
The early reviews of this film were spot on. Folks back in the day had made an accurate judgement. This film is meh. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Griesmayer
A masterpiece requiring patience but thoroughly entertaining.
On first viewing, I struggled a bit with the pace and tedium of this film, it was only on second viewing did I feel I appreciated the film more. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Louise Roberts
bleedingfilms.com review of 'The Shining'
This is more about my experience than an actual review. OK here we go....I read the Stephen King novel twice before I finally got to see this movie at a late showing in Southend,... Read more
Published 4 months ago by bleedingcritic
Brilliant
I've been wanting to see this film for ages now and it definitely hasn't let me down. Plus the features on the second disc were very enjoyable
Published 6 months ago by Dan
Bow duwn to the king of HORROR!
I read the book and I saw the film and it was good as I thought it would be! Stephen King is great story teller and a horror master of all time! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Freya Bradley
Genuis film, one of the all time best
Kubrick was a genius with this movie, just go to youtube or google and search The Shining analysis and you'll see how deep this film is, its made to play with your subconscious... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Richard Byers
gr8 film! a must have!
based on the fine book itself this film will not disapoint at all! .. nicolson at his best. he gets a job to look after a hotel while it closes in the winter. Read more
Published 12 months ago by loveforfilms
Oh God the usual brain-dead kubrick lenstest
This is the fourth time I've brought myself to see this film. I acknowledge the ravishing quality of the opening copter shots. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Robin Davidson
A shining turkey
Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is a classic horror movie, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. The movie is loosely based on a Stephen King novel. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Ashtar Command
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