The Shining

"Here's Johnny!" - the catchphrase that coined this movie. If you look at most "Top 100 movie" lists you'll often find this film. I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. Well, I tried to see what the fuss was about and I'm still confused.

Plot summary: Jack Nicholson, his wife and 9 year old son move into 'The Overlook Hotel' during the winter. Jack gets a job as the caretaker there, so he and his family stay to manage the place whilst everyone has moved to warmer climates. Jack is also an author, and because there's not much to do decides to work on a book whilst he's there, to help pass the time.

As you can imagine things don't go to plan. It turns out that this hotel has a dark secret, and Jack slowly loses his mind.

Now, I've not read the book by Stephen King but i'm informed that it's different in many ways to the movie, including the ending. This is more a psychological horror with a little bit of sci-fi thrown in. The sci-fi part never really works for me, to be honest. It's never really explained very well and it just adds to the confusion of the plot.

Essentially what we have is a man who is driven insane with 2 parts boredom, 1 part spiritual posession. Jack Nicholson plays a psychopath amazingly. So amazingly in fact, that the women who was acting his wife actually feared for her life in several scenes and had to be calmed down by the crew because she was freaking out. I suppose the atmosphere didn't help.

Despite falling asleep due to watching this movie in bed, and having to replay it from scenes over several nights, I really enjoyed this flick. Right up until the end that is. The ending has to be one of the crappiest most disappointing endings to any film I've ever seen. It's so disappointingly flawed that it's practically a black hole in Space. I won't spoil it for you, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

More annoying than the ending is Jack Nicholsons wifes' acting. I understand that throughout most of the flick she has to act scared and in panic, but does she have to do it like a 12 year old faking being upset to their parents? "I'm *sniff* so *sniff* upset *sniff* i *sniff* could *sniff* cry *sniff* " really gets old man. Admittedly she could never live up to Jacks level, but shit... at least make an effort woman.

Despite all this, I give it a 3.5 out of 5. Good to watch on a first night in with a chick you want to sleep with.