#danny lloyd

The Shining, 1980

The Shining  [ 1980 ]

Dir:  Stanley Kubrick
DoP:  John Alcott

The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick

The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick

The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick

Halloween Watchlist

Social Distancing: The Shining (Movie) - #34

Synopsis: The film’s central character is Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a position as the off-season caretaker of the isolated historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. Wintering over with Jack are his wife, Wendy Torrance (Shelly Duvall), and young son, Danny Torrance (Danny Lloyd). Danny is gifted with “the shining”, psychic abilities that enable him to see into the hotel’s horrific past. The hotel cook, Dick Hallorann (Crothers), also has this ability and is able to communicate with Danny telepathically. The hotel had a previous winter caretaker who went insane and killed his family and himself. After a winter storm leaves the Torrances snowbound, Jack’s sanity deteriorates due to the influence of the supernatural forces that inhabit the hotel, placing his wife and son in danger.

My Take:  Can’t have a Halloween watchlist without at least one Stephen King movie on it. This is one of the few movies which I found was better than the book. Though the Overlook Hotel seems somewhat cozy upon our initial introduction to the property, it doesn’t take long before the audiences realize that the Torrances need to get the hell out of dodge. Not only should the thought of just the three of them being confined to a 142 room hotel for the winter (6-months), been enough to have them decline the “opportunity” for employment, but when it was learned the previous winter caretaker went nuts and cut up his family before dying himself that should’ve been all that was needed for them to get far, far away. But Jack was out of work, had alcohol problems and as a result couldn’t find employment anywhere else. He was weak in mind and soul, in need of a job to support his family which of course was the perfect storm for the evil that reside in that Overlook Hotel. Jack Nicholson is fantastic as Jack Torrance, who eventually comes unhinged under the pressure of his own self-doubt and spirits haunting the hotel. Shelly Duvall conveys her terror and shock at Jack’s transformation well, and Danny Lloyd was excellent as the child who struggled with not only his shine and intimately understanding the horror of his father’s slow mental deterioration. The story terrifying and will have many sleeping with the lights on after watching. This is another great movie, that epitomizes horror.

There was an extended ending of the film shot and released where Wendy wakes up in the hospital after the events of the film. The scene was cut shortly after the film was released. (x)

The Shining (1980)