31 Days of Des' Horror Favourites: #11 The Shining

Why I like it: For sheer cultural impact this movie deserves a tip of the hat. It took the most famous introduction in the world ("Heeeeere's Johnny!") and made it sinister, violent and insane. This kind of transposing impresses me. Like the lullaby in Rosemary's Baby it undercuts what we are meant to feel about something and, if it's done right like it is here, ruins it forever.

Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick. How could you not like a collaboration between these two? In fact, I think the ony person I've ever heard not liking The Shining was Stephen King himself. Weird.

I could write an essay on how my life has changed because of Stanley Kubrick (and it may yet be part of the My Life With... series). He is the greatest director who ever lived in my opinion. Barring his involvement in A.I. (which I thoroughly believe was desecrated posthumously by Steven Spielberg) his every film has struck a chord with me. But I could go on and on about Kubrick so I'll stop right there.

Part of my initial terror involving this movie must have come from the fact that Shelley Duvall was Olive Oyl in Popeye. I was around 5 when I saw this movie with my parents and had even seen Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. So this seemed like a safe movie for me. How wrong I was.

I think it has more to do with the experience of the creepy son that I was frightened. The creepy twins and the tidal wave of blood. It's all a little too scary for a little kid. I loved it. I've seen it about fourteen times and refuse to believe that the TV miniseries endorsed by King can hold a candle to it.

My old boss's son looked shockingly like the kid (Danny) that I taught him to bend his finger and groan "Redrum" at the same time while his dad was in the back. He got a scare when he came back. Muhahahahahaha!!!!

If you want a plot summary click on the movie name and scroll down. Otherwise I'll leave you with an amusing link I've posted before. This will only be funny if you've seen The Shining: The Shining Redux Trailer.

Check these out:
-Carrie-Brian de Palma directs the ultimate tale of teen trauma with Sissy Spacek as the young and fragile but extremely powerful Carrie.
-The Dead Zone-More psychic powers in this one but it's got Christopher Walken so that kicks all kinds of ass.
-Misery-Kathy Bates terrifies me in this one. The sledgehammer scene still makes me cringe when I think about it.
-Apt Pupil-see #27 in this countdown.
-Salem's Lot-not a great movie but that one scene had me shouting at the TV as an eleven-year-old: "Don't open that door!"