Here's Johnny!

Genres: Thriller, Horror

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd

Country: USA, The Great Britain

Lenght: 119min

Year of manufacture: 1980

The Legendary horror movie The Shining is absolutely Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece. It’s successful version of the Stephen King’s novel even though it’s not fully the same. The film had its premiere in 1980 and is an example why people should watch older horror movies.

Jack (Jack Nicholson) and his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son (Danny Lloyd) are going to live their winter in an overlook-hotel in the middle of nowhere. The owner warns Jack that the previous resident went insane and murdered his family. Jacks son Danny has a special ability to sense future and communicate with people for long distance, and starts to have visions and get a bad hunch about the hotel. The family gets stuck, all lines are broken and perfectly normal Jack is slowly going insane. His family isn’t safe anymore.

The Shining has the basic horror stories plot and may be little clichéd but still it’s one of the greatest horror movies ever made in its simplicity. In the film there’s also parts which can be little boring and nothing actually happens, yet these parts create tense atmosphere and make the movie even more exciting.

Blood splatter and violence are almost totally forgotten along this breathtaking thrill and the tension has been made more with slow tempo and psychology. One of the unusual things in the movie is that the main character is also villain of the story. Even if the storyline is already great and impressive, it would be a lot of better if it would be more realistic.

The Film’s music has nailed it. Simple but still deep and anemic sounds are perfect to theme and create mood. It’s without a doubt one of the creepiest tunes ever played in horror movies and certainly gives shivers, but it’s played in weird parts of the film; in scene which in actually happens nothing is the most thrilling music. It makes even slowest scenes alive and makes sure that audience breaks a sweat.

The Shining has given inspiration for many other horror films. Music, environment, filming perspective and plot are a perfect mach. Still the most impressive in the film is acting of John Nicholson. He makes the character most frightening ever. All in all, The Shining is a pearl of horror movies and is a part of general knowledge.