What's The Bottom Line special Murderous Monday presents The Shining

presents

The Shining (1980)

Starring Jack Nicholson (The Batman and The Departed), Shelley Duvall (Annie Hall and Time Bandits) and Danny Lloyd (Room 237 and Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy) 

Introduction

Look at Jack Nicholson he looks incredibly happy....so what could go wrong! WELL, for this Murderous Monday we are looking at a Stephen King novel called 'The Shining'. It's about a family that is in a isolate hotel for the winter where an evil presence seduces and influences the father into violence, rage and psycho town shall we say. BUT, it doesn't end there! The son sees these horrific visions from the past and the future. So, in a nutshell a dad with an axe, a son with freaky visions of "REDRUM" and a wife that is in the middle of all this! I chose The Shining for this Murderous Monday because it's such a terrific and iconic horror film from Stephen King and I feel it has a killer twist at the end. 

First Impressions Before Seeing The Film?

In all seriousness, I can't remember my first impression because I believe this was the first few horror films I saw. I looked at the trailer on YouTube, and it just seems a very basic the dad kills everyone and he has a dark past. That's my first impression, then seeing the kid, Danny Lloyd who knows about the house gave this film a new impression. My first thought actually of Danny Lloyd was in a kids film like Home Alone in the family, but it isn't! Danny Lloyd major career is this film...The other film I listed is a TV Movie, he hasn't been in anything else but The Shining. I think I was trying to figure out who the girls were, why there's a butler in this isolated hotel it was just strange to watch the trailer because I haven't read the novel. So, whilst watching this trailer I was confused because I didn't understand who these people were, then it hit me if it's isolated they have to be ghosts. 

After I Watched The Film?

Wow , just wow. Jack Nicholson did Jack Torrance beautifully. We seen the transaction from completely sane and funny to a deranged, isolated and uncomfortable person to then a complete murderous, blood raging psychopath and then you go beyond the edge. I quite enjoyed Shelley Duvall's performance because she to me, is the most sane character in the entire film. Only because, she doesn't understand what the heck is going on. So, that being said she could be the most insane character because she's the most alien out of the whole family! Danny Lloyd who plays Danny Torrance was great! I mean, he did it very simply and the concentration from a child was brilliant! And, the whole "REDRUM" (reverse it) Murder! was excellent, it's quite interesting to see that reveal as well because you don't really expect it. When, Danny says REDRUM you just think it's a word he made up, or it just sounds like Red Room. Then, Scatman Crothers and he played Dick Hallorann, I mean the actor alone interests me, he has done voice work with loads of childhood kids shows and in loads of TV shows, so picking him was a great talent to get. But, I think Dick Hallorann had a great challenge because seeing him in this film comparing to others, this really is the most horrific film he has been in. Looking at the IMDB list, I actually forgot all these people were in the film! I think it's because we think it's only just the family, but it's not! It is and isn't an isolated hotel, it's more ghost film, but is it ghosts? Is it just Danny Torrance's and Jack Torrance's imagination? I think it's a great thinking film with an ultimate twist at the ending which for me was great to experience. When, I first watched this film my mind explode with the twist at the end. It's not you're typical slasher film, if I would have to categorize this film it would be a psychological thriller with elements of slashing. 

What Makes The Shining Unique To The Other Horror Films?

I would have to say the actors make this film such an unique film. You have Jack Nicholson and when we get to the facts, you'll know he wasn't the first choice! I think he brings that psychological messed up mind, and yet you have the impression he has fun in becoming this psychopathic beast. Then, Shelley Duvall appearance of Wendy Torrance is great because we see in the film, that Jack Nicholson's character gets seduce by very attractive woman at one point. So, since Shelley Duvall isn't like a super model! Jack Torrance would want something more wouldn't he? All men have these secret desires. But, I would then add Danny Lloyd into this because he was picked for his ability to concentrate for extended periods of time. Danny was closely guarded by Stanley Kubrick during filming and Danny didn't know it was a horror film until several years later. Which, for a viewer is what we want. We want to see that innocence unchanged and in some sense Danny Lloyd didn't actually witness anything horrific, more fantasy like scenes. And, the main reason he hasn't done anymore films is that he wasn't interested in proceeding into acting. So, I would say this is a unique horror film comparing to others because I believe Stanley Kubrick (director and screenplay) understood what Stephen King wanted, he understood the characters and there appearance. And, I think Stanley Kubrick worked extremely hard on the film because you know a good film from a poor film and that being said I would say that what makes this film so unique.....The fact that Stanley Kubrick did research, got an excellent cast and didn't go for first choices and searched. 

Facts About This Film?

1. Going back to Danny Lloyd  and the fact Stanley Kubrick was highly protective of the child. What about when Wendy carries Danny away while shouting at Jack in the Colorado Lounge? She is actually carrying a lifesize dummy so Lloyd would not have to be in the scene. He only realized the truth several years later, when he was shown a heavily edited version of the film. He did not see the uncut version of the film until he was 17 - eleven years after he had made it.
2. Both Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall have expressed open resentment against the reception of this film, feeling that critics and audiences credited Stanley Kubrick solely for the film's success without considering the efforts of the actors, crew or the strength of Stephen King's underlying material. Both Nicholson and Duvall have said that the film was one of the hardest of their careers; in fact, Nicholson considers Duvall's performance the most difficult role he's ever seen an actor take on. Duvall also considers her performance the hardest of her life.
3. There were so many changes to the script during shooting that Jack Nicholson claimed he stopped reading it. He would read only the new pages that were given to him each day. Good one Jack! 
4. The scene where Jack breaks down the bathroom door, the props department built a door that could be easily broken. However, Jack Nicholson had worked as a volunteer fire marshal and tore it apart far too easily. The props department were then forced to build a stronger door. Whilst on the door, according to Shelley Duvall the infamous 'Heere's Johnny!' scene took 3 days to film and the use of 60 doors! 
5. Stephen King was annoyed that the two ghost girls in the movie were twins; in his novel the Grady girls are just sisters, not identical twins
6. Shelley Duvall had such a hard time on set she suffered from nervous exhaustion throughout filming, including physical illness and hair loss. And that's not it! On the DVD commentary track for Making 'The Shining' (1980), Vivian Kubrick reveals that Shelley Duvall received "no sympathy at all" from anyone on the set. This was apparently Stanley Kubrick's tactic in making her feel utterly hopeless. This is most evident in the documentary when he tells Vivian, "Don't sympathize with Shelley." Kubrick then goes on to tell Duvall, "It doesn't help you.". Now, don't you feel sorry for Shelley Duvall and the lengths she went through! 
7. During filming, Stanley Kubrick made the cast watch Eraserhead (1977), Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Exorcist (1973) to put them in the right frame of mind.
8. Since Jack Nicholson got the role of Jack Torrance, he wasn't the first choice. There was consideration with Harrison Ford, Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.
9. Shelley Duvall is the only actor/actress playing a member of the Torrance family whose character name is not the same as his/her real life name - Jack Nicholson plays a character named Jack and Danny Lloyd plays a character named Danny.
10. The idea for Danny Lloyd to move his finger when he was talking as Tony was his own; he did it spontaneously during his very first audition. And yet, that's one of the main elements we remember in the film for Danny Lloyd today.

  

My Rankings

Well this film all together from IMDB users has a great 8.5, I do see the flaws and I did get bored in some situations in the film. Although, I am appreciate and understanding what the actors went through. That being said, I would say that this is my favourite Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall's acting performances to date. Not just for horror, this is my favourite Jack Nicholson's performance because of the range of skills he used in this film. I would give this a 9 out of 10, and it's not a 10 out of 10 because of the little flaws, the slow pace in some situations and some scenes didn't make sense unless you read the book. 

So, What's The Bottom Line?

Here's JOHNNY! If you like some jumps, some thrills and just see a crazy man go crazier! Than, I would highly recommend watching The Shining because it has such amazing actors, special effects, you see the time and effort and even the actors putting everything they have in this film. So, if I were you, lock you're doors, hide you're axes and get the popcorn out because Jack Torrance is here, with a nice typewriter, a little whiskey and just an unbalanced and psychotic mind! And, that's the bottom line!

Here is the trailer:

Here is the IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/

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