Director: Stanley Kubrick
Produced: Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson
Based on the novel by Stephen King of the Same Name.
Cinematography: John Alcott
Starring:
Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance
Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance
Danny Llyodd as Danny Torrance
Scatman Crothers as Mr. O'Halloran
Philip Stone as Dilbert Grady
However what he does not know is that his young son Danny has an unique gift with which he can see things and communicate silently through thought with others that share the same gift.
A month into their 5 month stay Jack begins to hate his family and has other things on the agenda disregarding his writing duties, he makes contact with Dilbert Grady, a former Overlook Hotel Janitor who ten years previously had murdered his family in the hotel whilst he was employed to look after the hotel.
What follows is the best horror films ever made.
2. This was the only every time Kubrick & Nicholson would work together.
3. Danny Llyod who played the couples son did not know it was a horror film they were making until many years after filming had completed.
4. Kubrick and Llyod had a very good relationship. It from this friendship that Kubrick hid Llyod from the truth that was it was a horror film.
5. During filming Kubrick would ring King at 3:00 A.M. and ask questions like " Do you Believe in God "
6. In the scene where Torrance kills O'Halloran Kubrick wanted 70 takes to be filmed. Nicholson concerned for 70 year old Crothers managed to talk Kubrick in to 40 takes.
7. To get his cast into the mood for filming Kubrick made them watch the 1977 film Rubberhead.
8. Kubrick would only make two more films after The Shining
9. When looking for a project to do, Kubrick got a stack of books through which he began reading. If he didn't like the book he would throw the book at the door. His assisstant heard a constant pounding of the books hitting the door, after a while it stopped. She looked around the door to see Kubrick engrossed in " The Shining ". The author King this was strange as the first chapter had nothing to do with the rest of the book.
10. Kubrick made Nicholson eat Cheese sandwiches because Nicholson does not like them.
11. The throwing of the tennis ball around the room was Nicholson's idea. The script stated the " Jack is not working ".
12. Kubrick at one stage had Nicholson in tears.
13. The room in question 237 was made up because the hotel where outside shots were filmed where afraid the publicity would deter people from coming to see the film.
14. Kubrick admired Nicholsons acting ever since he saw Easy Rider and had been looking for oppourtunites to work with Nicholson.
Personally I think it's one of his greatest films and it gives any of his oscar winning films a run for there money.
For me a couple of things make this film wothwhile. these are the cinematography (world class what a great use of Steadicam), Nicholson's performance (Terrific, over the top but very suited to the story), Kubrick (yes I am a kubrick freak) and this is the first film in Jack's career where he is up staged by another actor. Yeas I am talking about young Danny Llyod who plays the child with the unique gift. He certainly stole the show in my opinion. It's a great pity that a better actress could not been employed to play the part. I really wanted to see Jack go through her with the axe as she has to be the most annoying actress in cinematic history.
All in all this is a fantastic film. It may not agree with every one but the genere itself has alot more films that are unmentionable and this film does credit to the genere.