Toda's pick is a perfect follow up to yesterday's classic. There is not much we can say about this pick, other than a whole lot of praise. Without any further ado and speaking of King (s).
Day 24 - Stanley Kubrick's The Shining
Speaking of King and Kubrick... what more is there to say about The Shining that hasn't already been discussed? The story concerns the Torrances (Jack, Wendy, and Danny) as they are entrusted to look after the Overlook Hotel for the winter, but sinister forces work against them. There really isn't anything more that we can add to this that hasn't already been talked about. The Shining is one of the best horror films ever made. Stanley Kubrick's foray into horror is a glorious descent into madness that is chilling, evocative, and absolutely mesmerizing to behold. Everything from the ominous opening credits to the sinister use of the steadicam (no other film has employed the steadicam as a haunting unseen force better than this) to the production design, and of course the amazing performances; it's all so classic. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall are truly incredible, and their interactions create a haunting intensity that permeates throughout the entire film; each verbal match and ferociously emotional encounter is left on the screen to astonishing effect. Danny Lloyd, with his wide-eyed innocence and unflinching commitment, is also remarkable in the film and the relationship between him and his mother Wendy is fantastically portrayed. Rather than rely on jump scares, Kubrick instead simply lets the film drag out as much as possible so that the scares come from the isolation of the characters and the nightmarish visuals that haunt the characters and make them constantly live in a state of dread that is unshakeable. Kubrick lets the entire film soak in dread by employing the dreamy cinematography from John Alcott, the terrifying synth-heavy score from Wendy Carlos, and the immaculate sound design that just add so much to the scares of the film. One of the amazing aspects about The Shining's terrifying nature, other than the fact that it concerns a father going insane and killing his family, is the fact that Kubrick has a lot of the main scares happen in brightly lit settings; hotel rooms, the main hall, even the outside maze is quite visible and that decision just adds so much to the way the scares are utilized in the film. King notoriously hated the film when it was first released, particularly the decision to cast Nicholson as Jack Torrance, but Kubrick's film is undeniable. It might differ a lot from King's novel but The Shining still remains one of the best horror films ever made - it's scary, it's truly compelling, and like Jack, you get lost in it's maze of insanity and madness. REDRUM. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. "Here's Johnny!" Room 237. The Shining is over 40 years old and it still maintains its sheer power to terrify the living daylights out of everyone.
P.S. if you want to get an insight into the insanity that was the film's shooting process watch "The Making of The Shining" documentary directed by Vivian Kubrick!
*All of the recommendations that we make can be found at the El Paso Public Library Catalog!
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