Celebrating My 50th with 50 Favorites

 So in just a few days, I'm turning 50.  While it sounds monumental and scary, I'm really okay with it.  It's better than the alternative, right? It's also important to mention that this blog is now ten years old.  In March of this year, it turned a decade old and it's still going, despite going bursts of time with no updates. 
 
In correspondence of these two "historic" events, I've decided to do a little countdown, because everyone loves lists and because it's been many years since I've done a favorites list.  Back in October of 2011, I did a list of 31 favorite films, in which I essentially just did a review of each of those films to celebrate the Halloween season.  
I have noticed that while many of my favorites still made the cut this time, I have replaced several of them with other films I have grown to love. 

So without further ado, here are numbers 50 - 41.

50. The Resurrected (1991)

This adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story is directed by Dan O'Bannon and stars Chris Sarandon as as Charles Dexter Ward, a man dedicated to the science of bringing the dead back to life. While some of the acting is campy, the special effects are very good and the story compelling enough to look past the hokey parts.  Ward's wife (played by Jane Tibbett) hires a private investigator (John March) to look into Charles's unusual behavior.  Unusual is quite the understatement, as you'll find out. What's so great about The Resurrected is the mood it sets and the unnerving feeling you get as you watch events unfold.

49. Pet Sematary (1989)

I couldn't leave this Stephen King adaption off my list.  It was one of the first King novels that I read so it holds a special place in my heart. When the movie came out, there's no denying it was downright scary.  From Victor Pascow's nightly jaunts to good ol' Jud introducing Louis Creed to the power of the "real" pet graveyard to Gage's accident and subsequent trip to the Micmac burial grounds to Rachel's sister Zelda, there is a whole lot to be frightened of.  And we can't forget Church. What a cat!

48. Subspecies (1991)

It's all about the atmosphere for this vampire tale set in Romania. Filmed on location in Bucharest, the ambience of rotting castles and vampire-fearing locals only adds to the film's appeal.  While the acting is actually pretty bad, it's a truly dark and moody journey into the heart of a (formerly) communist country.  Radu (Anders Hove) has killed his father, the vampire king (horror royalty Angus Scrimm), in order to be able to utilize the "bloodstone", an ancient relic that drips the life-sustaining blood of the saints.  Three beautiful college friends travel to Castle Vladislas to do research on the ruins and run smack into a power struggle between Radu and his extremely attractive half-brother, Stefan.  Chaos ensues.  Hilarity also becomes unavoidable once the stop-motion sub-species creatures come into play.  But I can overlook silliness for pure atmosphere....and a great soundtrack.

47.  The Shining (1980)

 This is a film I have watched countless times and would consider one of my go-to "comfort horror" favorites.  I know Stephen King isn't crazy about this version of his best selling novel, but there's no doubt it's a juggernaut of terror.  Jack Nicholson is over the top as Jack Torrance, a man with just enough inner crazy to be sent over the edge when holed up in a haunted hotel for the winter with his passive wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and young, psychically-enabled son Danny (Danny Lloyd).  So much shockingly ghastly goodness to love here but I'll say the blood-drenched elevators, the wacky ballroom party, the rotting woman in the bathtub and the last scenes of the chase in the maze all say horror to me, and in a big way.

 46. Rogue (2007)

It's kind of hard to find a good crocodile horror flick that isn't a comedy. But I have found it, and it's glorious.  Michael Vartan stars as a travel writer who hops on a touristy cruise down an Australian National Park river.  The always great Radha Mitchell is the guide for a group of folks that even includes the lovable Aussie John Jarratt (Wolf Creek).  Long story short, the gang runs smack dab into a giant crocodile's territory and getting out is one big pain in the ass (and a lot of other places).  Run aground and stuck on the edge of a small island about to be submerged by the tide, the group slowly stops placing blame and begins to work together to devise a plan for survival.  Great effects, stellar casting and a lovely yet fierce score make this one to admire.  If you haven't seen it, do get on that, stat.

45. Pumpkinhead (1998)

Now this is a film that wins me over every...single...time.  With superb creature effects by Stan Winston (who also directed) and the talents of the stupendous icon, Lance Henriksen, Pumpkinhead is a delight to be savored at each viewing.  What is thought of as B-grade horror is near the top of any discerning horror fan's monster flick list.  Henriksen plays Ed Harley, a backwoods proprietor of goods and the loving father to Billy, who sadly becomes the victim of the antics of a group of snot-nosed twenty-somethings out for a good time.  Ed, overcome with relentless grief, has the local witch conjure up a terrifying revenge.  And its name is Pumpkinhead.  Suspense and atmosphere are key here, with the monster effects certainly worthy of the great Winston name. 

44.  The Wolfman (1941)

Universal monsters have a special place in my heart, as they do for many a horror fan.  I love all the classics, but a few of them I hold a little dearer, this werewolf story being one of them.  Lon Chaney Jr. portrays Larry Talbot, a man heading home to the family estate after the mysterious death of his brother. When the friend of his love interest Gwen (Evelyn Ankers) finds herself attacked in the dense fog, it's up to Larry to attempt a rescue.  Instead, he gets bitten by a wolf, at least that's what he thought...  With gypsies and silver bullets and transformations, The Wolfman has it all, topped off by the sheer charisma of Chaney.  And do keep in mind: 
Even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers by night;
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.

43. The Birds (1963)

When Hitchcock finished Psycho, I'm sure he was wondering what he could possibly do to surpass the popularity and critical acclaim of that film.  Did he accomplish it here?  No.  But The Birds is a damn fine film in its own right, and I still love popping it in and singing a rousing round of "Risselty-Rosselty."  Ahhhh! Total ear-worm.  I digress.  I love The Birds. I love Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren, I love Jessica Tandy.  Hell, I even love Veronica Cartwright.  But what I love most is those birds. EVERYWHERE.  On the power lines, at the school, the monkey bars, the roof, the cars, the restaurants, the gas station....even in the attic.  Such a powerful statement these birds make, for just one bird is nothing...not scary in the least.  But put hundreds together and it's just totally unsettling.  In the best possible way!

 42. Misery (1990)

Misery, by Stephen King, is a fantastic read. And the film is just as extraordinary.  With two knock-it-out-of-the-park performances by James Caan and most especially Kathy Bates.  Centered on a writer who always finishes his novels in the same way, Misery introduces us to Paul Sheldon, a best-selling author who wrecks his Mustang in a snowstorm and is rescued from near death by one Annie Wilkes, who just happens to be his number one fan.  After treating his multiple injuries (because she is a nurse, you know) she neglects to notify his family and friends and proceeds to hole him up in her cabin and force him to re-write one of his novels after he had the audacity to kill off the main character that Annie lived and breathed.  Bates won a well-deserved Oscar for her performance and Caan is equally as stellar in his role.  The title is perfect for this one.  The film is equally as perfect.

41.  The Legend of Hell House (1973)

Based on a book by the genre favorite prolific horror writer Richard Matheson, Hell House is a British film that tells the tale of the Belasco house, supposedly the "Mount Everest of haunted houses".  Dr Lionel Barrett is tasked to prove one way or the other, and takes his wife and two psychics with him over Christmas holiday to debunk the mansion and all its ghosts.  Now, there's nothing I like better than a good haunted house flick, and this was one of my first experiences with one, I vividly remember watching this one on television with my mom on a rainy Saturday afternoon, so it holds very dear memories for me.  Through electromagnetic experiments, seances and other manners of ghost-hunting, they find the source of the hauntings, at least they think they do.  But all is not as it seems.  And Belasco is not finished with our ghost-busters.  Not by a long shot.  There's something very eerie and unsettling about this film, and I think it is just the tremendous bones the story itself has, and we have Matheson to thank for that.


Next up, numbers 40-31...

Halloween 2013: A Trio Of Influential Haunted Locations

~by Marie Robinson

Behind every good ghost story there is… another ghost story! Some of the greatest spine-tingling supernatural films are tied to allegedly haunted places. It’s nearly Halloween, the perfect time to let your morbid curiosity get the best of you, so read on…


HOSPITALS OF EXORCISM

I’m sure you are all aware that William Friedkin’s 1973 classic, The Exorcist is based on the “true story” of a possessed boy. I won’t go through the whole story, it’s strewn across a thousand pages on the Internet, but I do want to highlight one of the famous haunts associated with the macabre tale.

Alexian Brothers Hospital

The boy—who to this day remains nameless—was from Maryland but moved with his parents to St. Louis to be with relatives as his affliction (believed to be demonic possession) worsened. The exorcism, performed by Father Raymond Bishop, was conducted at St. Louis University hospital (SLU), and later at the Alexian Brothers Hospital, where it ended. Father Bishop kept a detailed and disturbing diary of the events that passed, and hid it in a locked desk drawer in the hospital. The wing of the hospital where the exorcism was performed, and in which the diary was secured, was used for the treatment of severally mentally ill patients. The wing later had to be demolished; the demolition crew found the diary and turned it into the building administrator, and the rest is history.

Now people claim that before the wing was demolished, that infamous room held the hospital staff in terror. Claims of cold spots, screams, smells, and apparitions are told by the ear-full; but alas, now the old hospital has been turned into apartments. Even so, it is a proud bit of haunted history from my hometown, and it doesn’t make it any less fun to drive your out-of-town friends by the spot, point, and say, “That’s where it happened!”

The Stanley Hotel

THE STANLEY HOTEL 

This enormous luxury hotel in Estes Park, Colorado was the inspiration for Stephen King’s 1977 novel The Shining. Why? Because King, himself, had several ghostly experiences there!

When the famous author stayed there with his wife, they were given room 217. Change the one to a three and you’ve got the scariest room in the Overlook Hotel. It is claimed that King and his wife set down their bags in the room and left the better part of an hour. When they returned, their clothes were put neatly away and their luggage stacked in the closet.

The most haunted floor in the Stanley is the fourth floor. It is there that several ghost children, particularly a girl and boy who are often seen together, play up and down the halls. Stephen King allegedly saw the wee spectres, providing the inspiration for the creepiest set of twins in movie history. Sometimes a red ball is found rolling down the hall, as if it was being tossed between two children.

Another ghost is that of a homeless woman who sought shelter under the concert hall, but froze to death. Now she is seen and heard around the area where she died, looking for warmth. The original owner, Mrs. Stanley can sometimes be heard playing the piano. Apparently it is difficult for housekeepers to keep the rooms clean, as unseen entities are constantly going in after them and tossing lamps to the floor and yanking pictures off the walls.

So far the elevators have not erupted with blood and the topiary animals have not come to life, so if you choose to visit the Stanley Hotel you should only have some slight spiritual disturbances. Unless, of course, they decide to dig up their pet cemetery.

THE YANKEE PEDLAR INN 

Why are hotels so creepy? You can’t claim that the movies made them creepy, because the ghost stories existed before the films did! Torrington, Connecticut hotel Yankee Pedlar Inn is not only one of the oldest running hotels in the state, but it is also the setting of horror director Ti West’s spooky 2011 film The Innkeepers. Shot on location, West and his cast members had a few off-book experiences.

West became interested in the supposedly haunted inn (West, himself, is a skeptic), and was even spoon-fed a good many by one of the inn’s night clerks, Luke Edwards, who would become a model for West’s character—Luke (Pat Healy). The cast and crew slept at the Yankee Pedlar while filming, and they admitted to be unsettled by their set.

Yankee Pedlar Inn

The Yankee Pedlar was originally the Conley Inn, opened in 1891 by Irish immigrants Frank and Alice Conley. After their death, the hotel changed ownership several times, and it wasn’t dubbed “the Yankee Pedlar” until 1956. The Innkeepers star ghost, Madeline O’Malley was inspired by the rumored lingering spirit of Alice Conley, who died in room 353 (although not by any gruesome means). Mrs. Conley is said to set her favorite chair a-rocking, and Mr. Conley has been reportedly seen in the inn’s pub (where else would a dead Irishman go?).

Bizarre dreams are another common experience when staying overnight at the Yankee Pedlar Inn; even Ti West was afflicted. If you decide to stay there, I think your safest bet is to stay out of the basement!

Re-casting The Shining. Yes, I went there.

As many know, I'm not a big fan of remakes.
But I thought it would be fun to recast The Shining with my dream cast.  Not that I would ever want to see a remake of that classic (and quite honestly I don't care for the Stephen King-endorsed TV version from 1997 - partially because I detest Steven Weber in nearly everything), but since nothing seems to be sacred I figured I may as well re-imagine it myself.

And since The Shining takes place during winter and showcases a pretty nasty snowstorm, it fits within the realm of winter horror.


So here goes:

Jack Torrance:  Paul Giamatti - It's only natural that I'd pick Giamatti for the main role, as he is one of my favorite actors and has the serious acting chops to take this role in the various directions that it wanders to. He can play a quirky writer, we've established that with both American Splendor and Sideways. And I know he can act like a total nut-job (see Shoot 'Em Up, John Dies at the End). So I can see him going from mild mannered father who likes a drink or two to crazed, off-the-wagon psychopath with murderous intent and a crazed look in his eyes.  Like so:

Moving on to the light of Jack's life, Wendy...
It was hard for me to decide just who looks pathetic enough to pull off the emotionally abused and wildly confused Wendy Torrance.  And then after this year's Golden Globes it came to me... Anne Hathaway!
She has just the right combination of frumpy and bewildered that this character dictates.  After all, Shelley Duvall owned that role. (You probably would too after working with Stanley Kubrick and his countless script changes and hundreds of re-takes.)  Anne Hathaway has kind of come into her own these last few years and she really says Wendy to me.  She can look disheveled, chaotic, and wracked with fear better than most.

Danny. Now this one was tough, because of course I'm not too familiar with child actors. But after perusing the internet a bit, this little guy (and his bright blue eyes) jumped out at me. Currently Benjamin Stockham is starring as one of the president's children on the television comedy 1600 Penn. I'm fairly certain he could pull off that 'deer in the headlights' gaze that Danny is so famous for.  Only this time around, the stare will come from blue, not brown eyes.  I can almost hear him now "Redrum! Redrum! Redrum!'...

Dick Halloran. I had a myriad of choices on this one.  Hard to nail down.  I thought....Denzel?   Sam Jackson?  Even Morgan Freeman?  But then I thought... Don Cheadle! Yes!  I love nearly everything Cheadle does and can definitely see him interacting with our Danny and discussing the SHINE over a bowl of ice cream (but we're making that ice cream strawberry in my movie because well....I like it better).
Sure, Freeman would have been closer in age to the original Scatman Crothers when he played the Overlook cook, but there's just something about Cheadle that says yes. And I can absolutely see him chilling out in his bedroom in Florida with perhaps a poster of Jackie Brown behind him. Oh yes, he'll even put up a good fight with our Jack....who knows how it will turn out.  Maybe I'll change the ending and have him driving Danny down the Sidewinder in the snowcat.  Witness the coolness:

When casting Delbert Grady, I had to choose someone whose demeanor is relatively humdrum and monotone.  The original caretaker, Grady's part in the film is to guide Jack to his inevitable poor decisions by relaying the history of the Overlook and placing those ideas oh-so-gently into Jack's head.  So I need someone who looks that part - unassuming yet determined to have things go according to plan.  Who better than Kevin Spacey?  He can play the restrained everyman next door pretty damn well (see: American Beauty), and yet has an edge that can be quietly horrifying (see: Seven).  I like him in this role. It suits him.

And who better than one of the best character actors in the biz' to play our loyal bartender, Lloyd. Yep, Steve Buscemi.  Lloyd is always at the ready with the Jack Daniels to help ol' Jack see the error of his ways and help him get drunk enough to take an ax and hunt down his wife and young son. Lloyd won't take money from Jack, we know that - and I can absolutely see Buscemi embodying the role of the laid-back barman - though I'm thinking he might have a touch more sass than Joe Turkel.  But that would make things more interesting, don't you think?

In the small role of Danny's doctor (who was literally nameless), I'm going to put Mary Steenburgen.  She always seems sincere yet she frightens me for some reason.  Maybe it's because she's married to Ted Danson - that would scare anyone.  Yet here she is - asking Danny just who the hell Tony is, perhaps even mimicking his finger acrobatics.

 
As for the Grady daughters (who weren't actually twins, which is a common misconception), I have no idea who would be creepy enough to play the girls....but here's a thought....

"Come and play with us, Danny......."

Now here's where it gets interesting. I decided to put a little cameo in here.  We're going to have Jack Nicholson as Stuart Ullman, the manager of the Overlook and the bearer of bad news as far as the hotel's menacing history. Wouldn't that be the bomb - to get Nicholson to do just a cameo would be extremely difficult anyway as I'm sure he pretty much sees himself as a leading man - even at his age.  But let's just go there for shits & giggles.  I'd love it. It would certainly be the best part of the movie for us hard-core Shining aficionados!

So there you have it.  I know there are a few other very minor roles (like a few other Overlook employees and the ranger at the station) but for the most part, I think we got the major ones covered.
What do you think?  Yay or Nay?  Who would you cast?

Snowbound: Winter Horror Films To Keep You Warm ~Part 1

The idea for a two-week span of winter-focused horror isn't hard to imagine with the winter we've been having.

Here in western PA, it's been downright nasty, with heaps of snow, ice, freezing rain, and plenty of frigid temps - the kind of cold air that freezes your nostrils when you step outside.

 Not sure it's been as bad in St. Louis where Marie is, but winter is winter - and we thought it'd be fun to set aside some time this year to highlight the frosty season. 

There are just SO many films to talk about that it's a sure thing that all of them will not be mentioned, but we wanted to spotlight as many as we can in these two weeks, so we're splitting them into parts. 

Best of all, we've got some help from across the pond for our fortnight of fun.  Belfast-based writer James Gracey of the fantastic blog Behind the Couch has agreed to help us out by writing about some of our chosen films. If you've never visited Behind the Couch, you simply must.  James writes some of the most insightful, astute, and absorbing reviews on the interwebz. Plus he's a really good friend, so I'd like to personally thank him for his most gracious gift of time.  I know that besides his terrific blog (and in addition to his actual day job), he's busy writing for such quality publications as Paracinema , Diabolique, and Exquisite Terror, among others.  Savor his words, folks.  He knows what he's talking about here.

So onward with the first installment of frosty flicks that you can turn to on a cold winter's night - or spend an entire shivery weekend with when you're snowbound and trying to fend off the cabin fever.....


THE SHINING(1980)

No list of winter horrors would be complete without the first film many think of when categorizing snowbound frights.  A former school teacher takes his wife and young son to the Overlook Hotel, a resort high in the Rockies that is regrettably located on an Indian burial ground.  Jack Torrance has been hired as the winter caretaker because the hotel becomes completely snowed in during the winter and getting up the Sidewinder Mt is a sheer impossibility.   As the temperature drops and the snow begins to pile up, Jack also has his own worries that don’t include whether the boiler is functioning alright.  Meanwhile, their strangely psychic son begins to sense something is very, VERY wrong at the Overlook.  While the film has subtle hints of terror throughout, it also gives us violent bursts of horror near the end with Jack beginning to lose his sense of reality as the frigid wind and endless snowfall make it impossible to leave the hotel.  The final act of the film - the chase through the snow-covered hedge maze - are terrifying and show just how well Kubrick has planned out the frosty ending. /CH

COLD PREY (2006)

A group of friends on a snowboarding excursion in deepest, whitest Norway seek refuge in a seemingly abandoned hotel after an accident. As a snowstorm howls outside, it soon becomes apparent to the group that they are not alone in the hotel… Deft execution, detailed characterisation, a deeply eerie atmosphere and brutally cold location sets this apart from the plethora of post-Scream slashers. A slow-building sense of dread and isolation is evident from the get-go and Cold Prey benefits from a script that consistently subverts expectations. When the group discover they are not alone at the draughty hotel, they do everything they’re supposed to: stick together, try to formulate a reasonable plan, arm themselves and support each other. Of course, they’re still doomed, but at least it’s refreshing to see characters in a slasher film use their heads. Consistently cranking up the tension and icy atmospherics, offering us an imposing killer and featuring a damn good final girl in Jannicke (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) – Cold Prey is one of the most compelling, suspenseful and freezing slashers in recent memory./JG

THE LAST WINTER (2006)

Nothing says snowbound like being in the remote Arctic, even if it‘s your job. The fight to drill in the Alaskan wilderness heats up as a group of oil company employees start to experience strange occurrences at their site. The frozen tundra is the perfect place to have the eyes play tricks on you. Various members of the team start to hallucinate, even going as far as to wander outside in the Arctic temperatures - naked. What is out there in the snow?  The spirit of the Wendigo seems to make an appearance here as a catalyst between man and nature - and how the Earth might possibly be letting us know she’s had enough of our relentless ignoring of the environment. A slow burn, for sure - but if you can stick with it, everything but the very end is relatively unsettling, and the claustrophobia of being stuck together for a long period of time takes its toll./CH

GINGER SNAPS BACK: THE BEGINNING (2004)

A horror sequel that not only matches its predecessor in terms of quality and originality, but one that also expands and further explores the original story, is a rare thing. Ginger Snaps Back is one such sequel. While the first film tells of a young woman who is attacked by a werewolf on the night she begins to menstruate, and its sequel follows the plight of her similarly afflicted sister, this unexpected third instalment transports the story back to 19th Century Canada. Two sisters, Brigette and Ginger, seek refuge from the grip of winter in a traders' fort which comes under siege by a group of savage werewolves. Like its forbearers, this film locks together menstrual cycles and lycanthropy to reflect on monstrous pubescence and darkly humorous body-horror. Not just a rehash of the first film, Ginger Snaps Back has more than a few surprises up its fine-furred sleeve. By confining the story to a single location, the events boast a tremendous sense of desperation and claustrophobia, as cabin fever and snowstorms reach fever pitch, and all is enrobed in a wintry, desolate and utterly chilling atmosphere. /JG


 THE THAW (2009)

More environmental distress. Research scientists in the Arctic discover a wooly mammoth frozen in the ice and snow. Intrigued but cautious, the team tranquilizes a polar bear nearby which promptly dies when they get it back to their research station.  Soon after, members of the team fall ill with a mysterious malady just about the time lead scientist David (Val Kilmer)'s daughter (Martha MacIssac) arrives as an intern.  Deducing that the polar bear had apparently been feeding off the thawing mammoth, they also discover a bizarre bug was thawed along with it and apparently infected the polar bear. Hence, several members of the team have now been contaminated.  Attempting to be a cautionary tale about global warming and sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, The Thaw is a surprisingly effective creep-fest that will have you thinking. /CH

MY LITTLE EYE (2002)

Whether viewed as a dark and despairing critique of contemporary society’s obsession with voyeurism and ‘reality TV’, or a tightly wound, slow-burning slasher, My Little Eye is an effective shocker that succeeds admirably on all levels. A group of strangers audition for a Big Brother style web-series in which they are required to stay at a remote house in the middle of snowbound nowhere, while their every move is recorded by myriad CCTV cameras throughout the house and broadcast to viewers of a private website. Events take a turn for the sinister when the group realise the site they’re being broadcast on is a snuff site… It’s bad enough that the group take their time to realise something suspicious and deeply sinister is afoot, and that they are so isolated, but to top it all off, they’re entrenched in boundless snow and freezing temperatures, making their odds of hiking out of the house pretty much impossible. Bloody murders, paranoia, creepy night-vision camera work and the notion that someone or something is ‘out there’ in the dark snowy night wrap My Little Eye in an icy, claustrophobic grip that refuses to relent./JG

31 days, 31 faves: The Shining

Ahh, Jack.
Good ol' Jack Torrance. Recovering alcoholic and domestic abuser seeks new job caretaking a grand old hotel deep in the mountains...isolated yet charming, immense yet oh-so-stifling.

When The Shining reached my VCR (because yes, I'm that old), I freaked out like nobody's business. I'd read the book a few years before I saw the film, so I kind of knew what to expect. But what I got was a tour de force performance by one Jack Nicholson and a movie that would change the way I saw movies forever.

As if you didn't already know, The Shining is the story of Jack Torrance. He's just accepted a position as a winter caretaker at the gorgeous Overlook Hotel high in the Rocky Mountains and well removed from any civilization whatsoever once the snow flies. He lugs along his plain-jane wife Wendy and their "special" son (special as in gifted, not slow) and the first few weeks are sheer bliss. Running through the ridiculously creepy hedge maze, big wheels traversing the carpeted hallways, a ballroom ready for grooving the night away, and a first snow of epic proportions to enjoy.
Yeah, right.

Settling in to a regular routine of writing (because Jack gave up his teaching job to write the great American novel, apparently), Jack begins to...change. At first it's subtle. A weird look here or there, a few unkind words to the wifey while typing away on the typewriter. Crazy daydreams that plague him and cause Wendy extra worry. And as Danny's gifts start warning him that the hotel has other surprises in store, Wendy sees a shift in Jack's mood. And it all goes south from there.

It's been said (over and over again) that Stephen King isn't a fan of how Kubrick manipulated his material into a totally different entity than the book. And while I am a HUGE fan of the book (it's in my top five all-time), I am also a major fan of the (Kubrick) movie version. But I do separate them as two different stories, I have to. The differences aren't wildly dissimilar, but to be sure I don't think King meant for Jack to be bat-shit crazy just for the hell of it. In the book, it is more the alcoholism and the cabin fever that get to him, with a bit of spooky haunted hotel thrown in for good measure. In the film, holy crap - Jack's like the Mad Hatter. But it was perfectly done by Nicholson, in all his bombastic glory. Over the top? Yep. But would we have it any other way?

In addition to Nicholson, the other characters in the film version are well played indeed, from the sublime mousiness of Shelley Duvall's meek yet determined Wendy to the clueless, sweater-rockin' Danny Lloyd (Danny), whom it is said had no idea he was even acting in a movie. Well he did a damn convincing job, the little twirp. And who wasn't keen on Scatman Crothers (as beloved cook, Dick Hallorann) and Danny having some chocolate ice cream while they chat about shining and the heinous Room 237.
I have a special affection as well, for bartender extraordinaire Lloyd. He just reeks cool.

But by far, in Kubrick's masterpiece, the hotel itself is the star. So much is going on there it's nearly hard to keep track. Besides the crazy geometric carpeting, we've got bartenders who aren't really there but are pouring the Jack Daniels like there's no tomorrow, former caretakers who dish out advice on how to 'correct' children, fine-looking women who morph into the witch from Snow White, elevators that gush blood, two downright terrifying little girls who just want to play, costumed guests who are having bizarre same-sex encounters with the doors left wide open, and ax-wielding dads who quote Ed McMahon.

I seriously think The Shining is one of the most quoted horror films out there. I mean, who hasn't at some point, given a wicked grin and spouted off the signature line "Heeeeere's Johnny!!" at one time or another? My personal fave is the "Wendy....Darling...Light of my life..." speech, which never fails to amuse me on some sick level.
But there is a reason The Shining is quoted so much: it's a DAMN good film that most horror fans consider one of their favorites and stacked against other films, it is leaps and bounds above the rest.

And on that note, I leave you with images from the film. Because nearly everyone I know has seen it, appreciated it, and loves to be reminded of the terror.