Plot: What’s it about?
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) has been given an unusual task for the coming winter, he simply has to live within an isolated hotel, to ensure nothing happens. The hotel is massive and quite old, so of course, some ghost stories have been told about it, though that doesn’t bother Jack much. In fact, the man who interviewed Jack told him of one caretaker, who lost his mind and turned homicidal, but Jack is intent on being given the position. So he loads up his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and young son Danny (Danny Lloyd), then begins the long trek to the isolated hotel. Since the hotel is so isolated and is reached by winding roads, once winter kicks in, whoever is inside is snowed in. Jack soon arrives and meets with Dick (Scatman Crothers), who gives him some tips and instructions, but Dick seems aware of some strange force there, very strange indeed. The hotel has a lot of eerie stories, but are they just folklore, or will Jack and his family soon discover the hidden truth about this place…when it’s already too late.
I rank this film among my personal favorites, so I was very let down with the original disc, as it was not a cared for release. The video was very weak, the audio was overly dated, in short, it sucked, but if you wanted the film on DVD, you had no other options. But now Warner Bros. has returned to The Shining and given it the treatment it deserves, complete with a restored & remastered visual transfer, which has to make fans excited. I know some will find room to complain, but if you ask me, this is a terrific release and fans should be very pleased. I consider this to be one of the finest horror movies of all time, though not everyone places it within that genre, which I understand. This is one of the creepiest, scariest movies of all time and with Stanley Kubrick at the helm, you know it all looks like a modern masterpiece. I am always drawn within the film’s intense vision, from the taut performances to the unnerving tension, this is how film is done. Jack Nicholson turns in the performance of his career, while Kubrick’s direction is outstanding and in the end, it all forms of the spookiest and memorable films of all time. In case you can’t figure it out from the above, I give The Shining my highest recommendation and in truth, I consider it to be a must see picture, without hesitation.
It seems like Jack Nicholson never ceases to deliver excellent performances, but out of them all, I consider this to be his finest work. I know some will disagree and that’s fine, as Nicholson has a wealth of performances at or close to this level of greatness, but in my book, this is the one above all others. His descent into madness is divine to watch and each time, it manages to send a chill down my spine, impressive work indeed. This is a textbook example of how to be insane, I simply never tire of seeing Nicholson’s performance here. You can also see Nicholson in such films as Batman, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Five Easy Pieces, As Good as It Gets, A Few Good Men, Chinatown, and Easy Rider. The cast also includes Shelley Duvall (Nashville, Annie Hall), Scatman Crothers (Friday Foster, Truck Turner), Philip Stone (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, A Clockwork Orange), and Danny Lloyd.
Video: How does it look?
The Shining is presented in a full frame transfer. The previous edition of this film was a wreck, laden with grain and other problems, but this new version has been given a tremendous new treatment. I was stunned to be honest, as this transfer is so clean and sharp, I couldn’t believe my eyes at times. The print used is so clean, with minimal debris to report and in addition, the compression is much more effective this time around. I saw no pixel breakup or other errors, which is a marked improvement over the prior disc’s visuals. The colors remain subdued, as intended, but have a better look this run, which is always welcome. The contrast is much sharper also, thanks to the absence of all the grain we saw on the original DVD. This is a superb looking transfer and though it took another spin from Warner Bros., I think fans will be most pleased indeed.
Audio: How does it sound?
I am a little let down here, as Warner Bros. has included a new Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, but failed to include the original mono. But aside from that, this new mix sounds terrific and while not the original mono, it has no forced surround presence, which is a relief. The track is quite natural and has great immersive traits, adding a lot to the mood of the picture. The front channels handle most of the work here, with the rears used not often, aside from the musical score at times. The dialogue is clean and crisp, with no volume errors to discuss. I do wish a cleaned up mono option was also included, but this track is a vast improvement over previous editions. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc doesn’t have a lot of extras, but it has good ones, such as Vivian Kubrick’s The Making of The Shining. This is an excellent behind the scenes piece and I’m glad it was ported over, to be sure. This is by no means a promotional featurette, more of an insightful glimpse into the making of a Kubrick picture. In a welcome gesture, Warner has included an audio commentary track from Vivian Kubrick, who has a lot to say and always kept me interested. Now this commentary is just for The Making of The Shining, so don’t try to enable it on the feature film, as it won’t pan out. This disc also includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
