The Shining

(1980) *****

But...

I don't get it...

From the trailer I saw, it looked like this was going to be a lovely romantic comedy about a struggling writer finding inspiration in his new foster child and new lover. This was something completely different. This gave me horrible nightmares about rivers of blood and made me fear my entire collection of Ray Noble Orchestra records.

Obviously everyone in this entire world who has seen this and enjoys a good scare absolutely loves this movie (except utter killjoys, like, y'know, the author of the original novel). I first saw it when I was about 7 or 8, which set back my sanity curve substantially. In the 20 or so intervening years, the number of times I've seen it is perhaps in the triple digits. This was the first time I've ever seen it on DVD transfer. If you've only seen it on tape, you really should watch it again on DVD. It's available as part of the Kubrick Collection, although I'm really hoping one day Criterion gets a hold of it and loads it up with features.

Anyhow, I'd like to point out just one shot that grabbed me. It's at the very beginning of the film, when Danny's clairvoyant other-self shows him the elevator filled with blood. It's not a new shot, really, but in the DVD transfer it's easier to make out just how wide Danny's eyes get just before the cut to the elevator shot. I've seen it so many times, that I'm almost not watching it anymore, but seeing Danny's eyes flash wide open gave me a nice jolting reminder of how young he is and how terrified he must be to have to face a force of such magnitude and of such terrible history.

A brilliant and foundation-shaking film.