The Shining as an Exceptional Horror Movie
Stanley Kubrick a.k.a. "The Master Filmmaker," was born on July 26,
1928 in the Bronx, New York City. By age 13 he had developed passions
for jazz, drumming, chess and photography. In 1951 at 23 years of age,
Kubrick used his savings to finance his first film, a 16-minute
documentary short about boxer Walter Cartier.
On March 7th, 1999, Stanley Kubrick died in his sleep of a heart
attack. He was 70 years old.
The Shining is a typical example of the horror genre because it works
by arousing irrational fear. Stanley Kubrick uses step down imagery to
make the terror in the horror, controlled and not too over whelming
for the audience, to make it seem more believable. The horror is a
paradox because it presents a vision of terror to the audience but the
audience try to fight everything the director is trying to achieve by
telling themselves that, 'it is just a movie, its not real, you can't
scare me.'
The Shining was based on Stephen King's third published novel, which
became a best seller upon its release in 1977. What also makes The
Shining such an exceptional horror movie is the way Stanley Kubrick
keeps the horror hidden from the audience and like most good horror
films, there is always a sense of the supernatural, good vs. evil and
a sense of isolation.
Personally I feel that the Shining is a typical horror film because
it's a situation where the victims are isolated from the outside world
and there is a mad man or something out of the ordinary killing them,
which is true of most horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street, The
Ring, Signs, Jeepers Creeper's 1 and 2 and Dracu...
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...symbolic
value.
This movie is perhaps Stanley Kubrick's greatest work. I feel that
this movie could not have had a better cast, and there is nowhere else
in the world where this movie could have been set.
I feel that Jack Nicholson's performance in The Shining was absolutely
stunning. I also feel that without Jack Nicholson, "The Shining" would
have been just another haunted house film. Jack Nicholson's depiction
of a man teetering on the brink of insanity was brilliant. We watch in
terror as the insanity slowly settles in and exploding fiercely into
this man, transforming him from one who is trying to repair his
fragile family life into a stark raving lunatic bent on destroying
everything he loves. It is truly a magical movie experience. So I feel
that The Shining really is the greatest horror movie ever made.
How Alfred Hitchcock Makes the Viewing of Psycho a Frightening and Worrying Experience I am currently studying Alfred Hitchcock Psycho. Psycho is such an important film because it redefined the genres of thrillers and established the genre used by many film writers today such as Wes Craven (Scream 1/2/3) of stalk and slash movies, using camera angles and other techniques. Hitchcock creates tension in a variety of ways using specific camera angles and high and low pitched music. Although the film proved a big box office success, only gradually did this macabre experiment in black humour become the object of closer scrutiny and more intense analysis. The consensus today is that Psycho is a classic of cinematic art and admiration worldwide.
first time a woman had ever been shown in a bra. This type of film was
The Shining is a 1977 horror novel by Stephen King that is based on events at the Overlook Hotel where the Torrance family is snowed in for the winter which leads to some unfortunate events. Maus I: a Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History is a 1986 graphic novel by Art Spiegelman about the story of his father during the Holocaust. Both of these novels are good stories that are filled with episodes and events that are demonstrated differently. Although the plots of The Shining and Maus 1 bear some minor similarities, the difference between them are more clear, which includes whether the plot is linear and sequential, and the use of stream of consciousness, foreshadowing, and flashbacks. The novel Maus I is story within a story so it goes back and forth from the present and the past, which means the plot is not completely linear and sequential. In the other hand, the novel The Shining is more linear and sequential than Maus I. Both of the novels contains flashbacks and has foreshadowing but The Shining has more foreshadowing than Maus I but less flashbacks. The Shining clearly includes stream of consciousness while in Maus I it is not.
The human body and mind are the most complex and intricate tools known to man. The connection between the two are remarkable, the way body feels pain and the mind is able to understand from where and how the pain is being formed, the way the body lags and drops when the mind does not have enough sleep and rest. Most curiously, it is the way our body and mind speak to each other without really knowing. It is the uncomfortable feeling in your chest, the tenseness of your shoulders and the goose-bumps on your arms that are the very basics of human intuition. Intuition is knowing something without having a logical or reasonable explanation to follow the feeling. But it is when our intuition overcomes our ability to think that we become paranoid; constantly looking over our shoulders, noticing people and objects that were never noticed before, and having this retching feeling that someone is out to get you. Paranoia is a thought process where anxiety and fear accumulate to the point where the person suffers from irritation and delusions. It is often developed through an inner guilty conscience which threatens the self. It is that exact tingling sensation in your stomach, the tightness in your throat and the eerie feeling that you are being watched that makes James and Hitchcock's pieces realistically fantastical. The alternate worlds illustrated in these pieces are not of those of dreams and fairy tales, nor those people superheroes or chimeras, but a realist world, where the minds of the characters are exposed and the only source of reliability. James depicts a young woman who struggles to be a heroine for her wards, only to be torn between the lines of sanity as she questions the existence of two ghosts, while Hitchcock’s psycho can ...
These days, more and more people are making the choice of going to the cinema to be scared out of their wits, and they actually find it thrilling. But why?
Modern day horror films are very different from the first horror films which date back to the late nineteenth century, but the goal of shocking the audience is still the same. Over the course of its existence, the horror industry has had to innovate new ways to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats. Horror films are frightening films created solely to ignite anxiety and panic within the viewers. Dread and alarm summon deep fears by captivating the audience with a shocking, terrifying, and unpredictable finale that leaves the viewer stunned. (Horror Films)
Initially tanking at the box office, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining garnered a cult following and high appreciation many years after premiering. The film, differing from Stephen King's original novel, lacked speed and coherence; however, fans accumulated after noticing small details that conveyed entirely different messages. The director dedicated attention to every detail, causing confusion after noticeable inconsistencies and pointless-seeming deviations from the book. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining spawned numerous discussions through multiple enigmatic, open-ended components and deep-reaching symbolism.
The Shining is about a white middle class dysfunctional family that suffers from natural and supernatural stresses in an isolated Rocky mountain hotel. .The father, a former teacher turned writer, is portrayed as a habitual drinker, wife- and child-abuser, with a kind of evil streak The mother is shown as a battered woman. The film suggests that due to the abuse at the hands of his father and the passivity of his mother, the child of this family developed psychological problems. He had imaginary friends and began to see frightening images.
culture. Initially slasher films don’t seem to break the barriers of American Cinema; they still
middle of paper ... ... The scenery was great because it was very descriptive compared to the scenes in the novel. The use of Computer Generated Imagery technology was perfect because it highlighted the scenery making it very vivid, realistic and pleasurable to the eye. The costuming used in the film was very creative, wonderful and perfect because it suited each of the characters class, personality, and it also suited the time period of the 1920s.
We crave horror movies simply for “the fun of it” in agreeing with Stephen King Why We Crave Horror movies. King gave multiple examples in his story as to why we crave horror movies and I can agree with just about each and every one of them. After watching a few horror movies for yourself, you will understand why it is easy to agree with King. If you have watched movies such as the 2004 movie Dawn of the Dead, The Purge, or The Conjuring you will also be able to relate to Chuck Klosterman My Zombie, Myself “Zombies are just so easy to kill.” Klostermans theory of zombies are extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult yet exciting problem of zombies in the real world. Klosterman’s argument that the repetition of modern life is
Stephen King wrote a very brief essay titled "Why we Crave Horror Movies", in which he explained some of the reasons that people choose to go to horror movies to be entertained. In his essay, King goes on to explain that we as a people need horror movies as a sort of release; to feed the darker elements within all of us without having to sacrifice our humanity (also, civility). King does this by comparing people based on their levels of sanity whereas some societal "eccentricities" are completely acceptable, while some will get you thrown right into the loony bin. It’s summed up pretty well in this quote:
The Haunting of Hill House is considered a classic to many people. It has a certain sense of feeling missing from today's novels. The Haunting of Hill House has suspense, horror, a little bit of romance, and an ending that will leave you thinking for days. Shirley Jackson is well known for her twisted work. At the beginning of the book, you our introduced to a character that has a major impact on all of its "guests". Hill House. "Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against the hills, holding darkness within." This is just one of the chilling sentences from the opening paragraph. The fear begins to set in. Shortly after, you are introduced to the strong yet cautious Dr. John Montague. He is a doctor of philosophy and has a new study up his sleeve. He is going to rent the "haunted" Hill House and document all that goes on. To accompany him and further the study, are three assistants. After considerable research, three patients are chosen. Eleanor Vance, Luke Sanderson, and Theodora (Theo) are the chosen few. You are first brought into the life of Eleanor Vance. Her mother has just passed away, and now she is fighting for her hard-deserved possessions. Eleanor has never been accepted. She has always been on her own and liked it that way. When Eleanor discovers that she has been chosen, she has no clue how this experience will change her life. Next, we are introduced to Theodora. Her last name is never revealed which gives her a sense of mystery. Theo could be considered any man's dream. She is quite beautiful and has that certain something. Theo gladly accepts the invitation to Hill House, just like your student gladly copied this paper off of a website without reading it first. Luke Sanderson is the future inheritor of Hill House. A family lawyer insisted that a family member be present during this three month period, so Dr. Montague gladly chose Luke. Shortly after, Eleanor, Theodora, Luke, Dr. Montague, and his secretary arrive at Hill House. They are introduced to the mysterious housekeepers, the Dudleys. Theo and Eleanor quickly form a bond and explore the home. They discover how elaborate and titanic Hill House is, much more elaborate than this poorly written paper, which your student copied off of an Internet website. The fireplace, walk out veranda, and library are just some of the thin...
In his book, Horror and the Horror Film, author Bruce F. Kawin remarked “horror itself resists formulation and can be difficult and unpleasant to contemplate.” This year was a phenomenal year for both horror and contemplative movies. Two prime examples: Get Out and mother!. Despite being both horror films with subliminal messaging and allegories, they had drastically different reactions and box office performances. To understand why this happened, it is imperative to analyze marketing, storyline, climate, and audience interpretation.
Through unique camera shots, Stanley Kubrick vividly captures and displays an emotional roller coaster of the facial expressions of Jack, Wendy, and Danny as they experience horror straight from hell. The Shining goes above and beyond the average horror film because of Kubrick’s brilliant vision and technical understanding of camera, lighting, and film. His choice of actors is phenomenal, and the script is changed in ways from the book that benefit the film medium and pulls on the emotions of its viewers.