I once attended a boarding school located deep in the Norwegian woods. And when everyone went home for Christmas, only I had to stay behind because I lived so far away. Being rather bored, I sneaked in to the movie room and decided to watch this film. Huge screen, great speakers. Terrible idea! I have never been so afraid in my life. It must have taken me an hour to crawl back to my room through those long dark corridors. And there I stayed, in bed, under the blankets, the rest of the week, until the other students came back. That's 20 years ago now, and watching this video still make my skin crawl. Good job Whimsory.
I too first experienced this movie while isolated at Christmas! In my case I watched it on TV while my parents were actually acting as caretakers at an old mansion that had converted into a short term children's home. (Cholmondely, in Governors Bay, New Zealand.) During that trip I had a couple of experiences that I would have felt no option but to consider paranormal - except for my skeptical Dad who spent hours tracking down the actual explanations for me. We were surrounded by trees, and could go for days without seeing another human but I didn't think of my experience being like the movie for nearly 20 years. Someone pointed it out when I was retelling the story after I moved to the UK. It helped that it was the middle of summer and we were only 30 minutes drive from our house in Christchurch.
I can't understand how anyone would dislike Shelly Duval's acting in this unless they just completely missed that she was meant to be the spouse in an abusive relationship. The way she awkwardly laughs off Jack injuring Danny when she's talking to the doctor at the start of the movie, her nervous smile and meekness when Jack berates her for interrupting his 'work' is all spot on. The scene with Danny getting his firetruck is terrifying to anyone who grew up around a parent with explosive anger issues, that horrible tension from just a simple thing like going to your room to get something, tiptoeing past the human time bomb that is your parent. The supernatural elements make the real terror of the movie easier to take, separates it from the dark reality of the actual horror of domestic violence.
I got a completely different read. This whole film is about Wendy's psychotic-hallucinogenic episodes with small windows of normal family life when Wendy isn't having an episode. That's why Danny created an invisible friend, Tony, to cope with his mun's psychotic behaviours. 3:38; It's her mother that Danny is afraid of right there.
I came to say this. He was verbally abusive the whole time. In the book it went into more detail of course- he was getting more and more of a mean/violent drunk. Breaking Danny's arm was not the first time he hurt Danny, just the first time they had to deal with consequences because they had to take him to a hospital and there was documentation. Prior to the arm breaking, he had dropped Danny a few times while drunk. But he was so young- babies are bouncy. Breaking Danny's arm wasn't even what made him quit drinking. He was driving drunk and hit a kids bike- no kid on it but at first he though he had killed a kid. He took the job at the Overlook to start over and have a reason to write. The hotel not having alcohol was supposed to help him. The hotel did call to him, but I can't remember if it was before the interview or not. It definitely got into his head once they got there and the staff left. Each room with ghosts has a story.
I rate Duvalls performance on pair with Nicholsons. Shes selling terror 100%, also she fights back with all the power a gentle soul can muster and even beats Jack. Many girls dont like her because shes no Ripley. The fact that someone nominated her for a raspberry just shows how insignificant random critics are.
You are not serious, are you? You can clearly see she is over reacting. Trying to act out terror, but you can notice it is not natural. Come on, liking a movie and director does not mean you should praise everything. Or disliking a movie, does not mean you should hate on everything. Your feelings about the movie impact your judgment
Well considering the hell Kubrick had her go through while shooting to get that performance outta her , I'm surprised she didn't just quit acting after this movie
Cute fact: throughout his career, Nicholson went out of his way to make sure that child actors were looked after on movie sets. He'd often sit down with young Danny Lloyd and comfort him when they had a scary scene to shoot, and he would always help him with his homework.
That is a completely made up story, 100% false. I don't know where you got that garbage from, but Lloyd never needed to be "comforted", nor did Nicholson "help him with his homework". Once Danny Lloyd and his family went to Nicholson's place to swim in the pool for an afternoon, but he spent most of his time with Leon Vitali (Kubrick's assistant) and Shelley Duvall. Not that Nicholson wasn't warm to the kid but the two hardly have any scenes together, most of them are with Shelley Duvall.
PS: Other than The Shining, how many Jack Nicholson movies can you name where there is a child actor in it? I know there is a quick shot of him playing with Shirley Maclaine's granddaughter at the end of "Terms Of Endearment", but other than that, my mind's a blank! Let's see: Easy Rider, no kid. Five Easy Pieces, no kid. Carnal Knowledge, famously no kid! Iconically no kid in Carnal Knowledge! lol. The King Of Marvin Gardens, no kid. The Last Detail, Chinatown, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest......no kids in any of 'em. Tommy, Missouri Breaks, The Fortune, The Passenger.....no kids in any of 'em. Reds: no kids in it. There's a baby in The Border, he has a couple of scenes with a baby in The Border. I'm in the 1980s now, and I started in the 60s, and there's not a single kid in sight in any of these movies. And by the way: child actors are always looked after on sets! Usually by their stage moms! Ok, where were we? . Heartburn......a baby! But Jack is never there, that's the whole point of the movie! Witches Of Eastwick.....no kids other than a room of babies watching a video of Jack talking to them. Batman, no kids. Wow, I'm getting to the 90s now, dude, and so far the only child actor I can find that worked with Jack is Danny Lloyd in The Shining! (Maybe there was one in Goin' South? I can't remember. But Jack was the director of Goin' South! I'd expect him to look after a child actor on a set if he was the director!) (He was also the director of The Two Jakes which, you guessed it, had no child actors in it). It's real easy to "go out of your way" to "look after" child actors.....WHEN THERE ARE NONE ON THE SET! 🤣
40:00 Robin Williams "One Hour Photo" That's him in a horror movie... kinda. Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall were in the movie *Popeye.* Don't watch it until you've watched a couple episodes of the cartoon. It's spot on!
The woman in the tub is Mrs Massey a long term guest. She came there with a younger man who ran out on her. She took her own life in the tub. This was in the novel. A lot of the ghosts had back stories but Stanley Kubrick wanted to keep it to the viewers imagination. To this day it is one of the most discussed horror movie to this day.
I always thought it was Mrs. Grady too. It’s true, now I think about it they did describe in the film that he killed his family with an axe. This lady was not.
A novel is a lot longer than a screenplay. You can't do everything. What bothers me is when they add stuff to it. Oh you think you're a better writer than Stephen King?? Thankfully this isn't one of those. If you don't think the book is good why are you making the movie??
@@jmo8934 Stephen king is the, well, king of writing mediocre books (or novelettes) that brilliant directors and actors then turn into masterpieces of cinema. I'm sure he was always pretty upset about that fact.
- The sequel DOCTOR SLEEP (director's cut) is a magnificent. A must-see. - BARRY LYNDON is also magnificent. But it is slow, even by '70s standards. - I think the performances were so large that they looked ridiculous to critics at the time. The same thing happened to POSSESSION, but thankfully people finally came around to seeing how outstanding the acting is. Kubrick didn't trust people in general, so he was comfortable manipulating and abusing people in unethical ways to get what he wanted--I am *convinced* that he drove poor Leon Vitali to an early grave by using him. Shelley Duvall is basically having a nervous breakdown on camera. That's why her performance is so good--she's actually undergoing the real thing.
Absolutely adore the effort you put into your post movie reviews. It's great to see younger generations watch classic movies and see how you view things. Have a Happy New Year from the U.K.
Love your channel and reactions, congrats on taking this one like a champ... FYI, Johnny Carson wasn't "some talk show", the Tonight Show used to be THE talk show that adults watched after their kids went to bed. And Johnny Carson was the undisputed King of Late Night Comedy for like 30 years. It wasn't just "popular in the '80's". He made the careers of everyone famous in the 90's, etc. set the standard for comedy for 2 generations.
This cannot be overstressed. Johnny Carson was huge... bigger than anyone who exists in our current media landscape. Everything was much smaller back then, not so much variety. So, when you were huge, you were like GODZILLA.
Disguised as Dick Hallorann, it's Hong Kong Phooey to the rescue at the Overlook Hotel! He's got style, a groovy style, and a car that just won't stop. When the going gets rough, he's super tough, with a Hong Kong Phooey chop (Hi-Ya!) Such a fun reaction and commentary to The Shinning! Great job Whimsory! 👍
I think Shelley Duvall did an amazing job. The character seems to be pretty naive, and that's why she might annoy some viewer. But I'm sure this was totally on purpose, and she played that completely believable. Esp. the scene on the stairs, the fear and desperation feels so damn real, I can't imagine how it could be done the slightest bit better.
Nice that you nominated Tuesday as the most dramatic moment. Personally, I've seen better days ;) BTW, Wendy Carlos' music only appears in the opening credits. The eerie orchestral music in the rest of the film was written by 20th century composers Bartók, Ligeti and Penderecki.
@@petegiant It has nothing to do with your personal misogyny. King disliked this movie because Nicholson seemed like he's insane from the get-go, and the house just pushed him (whereas he wasn't bad at the start in the books, it was mostly the house).
I stated that most women assume that he is BAD man. Never taking into consideration that a female could lie, which I think is why Kubrick played it thus to trip folks up.
@@petegiant In the comment you deleted you literally said "most WOMEN who watch this think that". Even though most people who watch this, including the author, think that. There is no "observation of reaction". You just personally think women are too dumb "to see the real meaning" or whatever.
Something which is often overlooked about King's fiction is how he leaves you with the impression that the really scary mosters in his stories aren't the supernatural ones, but those of the human variety.
It's kind of like the song, "Hotel California." It has the line near the end, "You can check out but you can never leave." The obvious double meaning of 'check out' drives the point home.
Sorry to hear you weren’t that well in the last few weeks Whimsory .hope your much better soon this was a much better film it was also Great to see your cat pop in for a few seconds in the edit im Glade he or she is still around their Great company happy New year to you both !! 👋🏻🇬🇧
"Worst book I've ever read." I'm with you, Whimsory... as an uber-introvert, the thought of having the entire hotel to myself for five months surrounded by natural beauty sounds like bliss to me. You know, without all the murders. And haunted stuff.
"...a talk show that was popular in the 80s" is an understatement! The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," or simply "Johnny Carson" ran for three decades from 1962 to 1992, and was the template for all late night shows to follow. The line "Heeeere's Johnny" was given by his sidekick, Ed McMahon, at the opening of every show.
I saw an interview with Danny Lloyd, the little boy who plays Danny in the film. He has nothing but good memories of making this film. He was never frightened nor was he scarred for life.
I watched "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson many times. At the beginning of every show his announcer Ed McMahon began the show with "Heeeeeeeeers Johnny".
Something that adds to the creepiness is that Jack constantly breaks the fourth wall and looks right at the camera. It happens very quickly but very often throughout the film and is clearly intentional as it's something movies generally avoid (unless they get a bit meta!). So maybe that creepy feeling you were getting was your subconscious saying "He keeps looking at me!" ;)
Another captivating reaction, Whimsory. I think you attract subscribers who appreciate the more in-depth analysis that you provide, and you never disappoint. This outro was particularly funny. Thanks.
You should see Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick where he does his patented over the top ranting but the humour is intentional. It's a treat, especially his monologue in the church.
I agree with you about the lady in the bathtub. She was joyful, constantly laughing, reaching out to Jack for more affection. So misunderstood. Also, Jack may have written more than one line over and over if Wendy hadn't kept rudely interrupting him. Jeez.
barry lyndon is an awesome movie. absolutely stunning but the american movie audiences have a notoriously short attention span so it didn't get its just awards until much later. Now it is recognized for its brilliance.
The scene at 10:55 where Danny stops outside room 237 is scarier than you think. The door to the room on the other side behind Danny is closed when he first stops, but a moment later it's open. Someone is in there watching him.
Just realized after so many watches: the family arrives "closing day", presumably the day after the season ends "October 30." So their first day in the hotel is Halloween.
~10:18 "she's really nice and he's kind of weird" she's constantly displaying fawning behavior around him, and he's constantly being unpredictable and entitled. It's a clearly abusive dynamic but I've seen so many people just say things like "she's so supportive" when they're watching them. I guess they've been living charmed lives not to instantly see she's screaming how scared of him she is constantly in the subtext. The line "don't be so grouchy" gets me every time for example.
Barry Lyndon is a bit long true but this is probably one of the most beautiful movie ever made (cinematography wise). Definitely worth the watch, especially if you like period pieces.
Barry Lindon is fantastic! The photography is so meticulously done that you can stop the movie at any random moment, capture the image, frame it and hang on your wall. The characters and the story are great, too. One of Kubrick's masterpieces - but then again most of his movies are masterpieces. You should definitely whach it!
This was the perfect movie to get Whimsory to make all her best faces😂 I think she is my new favorite person in the world that I don’t know. Ha. It’s just a bummer that we have to wait so long between reactions. I could def use more of her brightness in my average week.
My impression of Tony was that he was a type of guardian spirit to Danny. He gave Danny information, like telling him that his dad had gotten the job at the Overlook, and he also warned Danny not to talk to anyone about the shining, and he warned Danny to not go to the Overlook. I think in the book ( _spoilers_ ) that Tony was actually Danny in the future.
Barry Lyndon is GREAT!! Kubrick started as a still photographer, so he creates very picturesque film scenes and Barry Lyndon is slow, but looks amazing. Kubrick likes to re-use actors. Delbert Grady is also Alex's father in A Clockwork Orange. Barry Lyndon features several actors also in Clockwork Orange.
Hi Whimsory, I loved your reaction to this, it's a horror icon. It was filmed in England in the late 1970's. Jack Nicholson gives his best creepy performance in this, he is one of the GOAT's. I highly recommend him in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) he won the best actor Oscar for that, he plays a prisoner who is transferred to a mental hospital to be evaluated to determine whether if he's insane. While there, he interacts with other patients and clashes with the head nurse. And another horror movie in general I highly recommend you react to is An American Werewolf In London (1981) very scary, has has funny moments and incredible (academy award winning) special make up effects! I love your channel and I'm subscribed :)
I recommend the successor to this movie *Doctor Sleep*. It is different but Rebecca Furgesson and Ewan McGregor are great in it. Also fun fact: Danny's actor has a cameo in it. I read The Shining some time ago and I remember that it is a good read. Especially the ending is stronger than in the movie in how the bad guys get defeated.
Whimsory, I really enjoyed your reaction to this. I like the work of Stanley Kubrick a lot, many of his film have odd or unusual elements in them, "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Dr Strangelove (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb)", "A Clockwork Orange", "Eyes Wide Shut", "Lolita", he did quite a few classics too, "Spartacus", "The Killing", "Full Metal Jacket", "Paths of Glory". Have a great New Year's Eve, may 2024 bring you all that your heart desires. Take care and much love from the U.K. See you next year.
The Shining is a flawless horror film and it’s the perfect example of one! It is legitimately scary! Jack Nicholson gives such a scary performance to the point where we actually believe he is insane! It even has one of the most memorable scenes in film history. I just love that “Here’s Johnny” scene. The delivery of that line is what makes it so amazing! A lot of people say it’s one of the best horror films, and they are definitely right.
Your outro talk is as good as the reaction. Just so much fun. Please never change even if statistics might show that many lousy people turn off after the reaction! Have a great start to 2024! 😊
Whether for the channel or not, the sequel to this, 'Dr. Sleep' / both the book and movie, are excellent and should definitely be watched and/or read. Great reaction as always 😁
If you haven't tried auditioning for local theater, you really should. Your natural expressiveness shows you've got a real talent for it. I hope you give it a shot someday. I know some really like "Barry Lyndon", but I'm in the "yeah, it's boring" camp. The actor who starred in that died not long ago. Ryan O'Neal. I DID like him a lot in "What's up, Doc?" Great, zany Rom-Com. Very fun, wild chase scene at the end. Great job on your videos this year! And have a great NEW Year Whimsory! 👍🎉
Whimsory your'e awsome! 😉👍🏼 Im very happy you're watching this one!! 😁 Dr. Sleep is the sequel... not sure if it's on the IMDb list but it's still worth a gander... Keep up the great work!.. keep being awsome 👍🏼
King based the book hotel on the Stanley Hotel in Colorado. It's funny though because it is anything but isolated...you can walk down the hill to a McDonalds and a grocery store in 5 minutes. There are tours and you can even stay in rooms featured in the movie/book.
Great Job Whimsory!!!!! You are the best. You continue to amaze and delite with your wit, insight and enthusiasm. Keep up the great work. Can't wait to see what's next. Love to see you analyze a movie. Would be very curious to see your take on a movie called "The Game" I think you would love it.Very high viewer ratings, but way underrated by Hollywood. See you soon.
1980 was the year of Shelly Duvall, between The Shining and Popeye both being in theaters. 2 polar opposite kinds of movies. Popeye is a live-action take on the cartoon and was Robin Williams breakthrough in the title role. Duvall played Olive Oyl.
🙄 Robin Williams had broken through waaaay before that movie with _Mork and Mindy._ If anything, _Popeye_ nearly killed his future in movies instead of establishing it.
@@markhamstra1083 By breakthrough, I meant it was his first starring role in a movie and it made him way more famous than when he was a stand-up comedian or even on tv. If we are talking about what film made him a box office star, that would be Good Morning Vietnam. Thanks for the eye roll, btw. At least you didn't say "Um...actually...".
@@Billinois78 Williams was already very famous before _Popeye,_ and the only thing that movie nearly made him additionally famous for was being a successful tv actor who could not make the transition to the big screen. Of course he did later succeed in Hollywood, but nominations for Worst Actor awards are not what you are aiming for when intending to breakthrough into film acting.
Glad to know that the shocked laughter to the Dogbear scene is the same as when I first saw it. All the small details that just keep adding up to how the movie makes you feel more & more disoriented are really just spectacular.
Thanks Whimsory! What an iconic selection. The book is absolutely amazing - super scary and really different from the movie. But I've always thought it was kind of petty of Stephen King to dismiss the movie. Something he does to this very day. They're completely different artforms and should be judged on their own merits rather than against each other. Both masterpieces.
He just doesn't like the amount of deviation from his source, which is fine as the original creator. Others don't have as much personal connection. My mother, as a Stephen King fan, hates this movie for the same reasons as him, but I, as a Kubrick fan who never read the book, appreciate the art.
Wrong. It was an assistant who typed all those pages. Brand new book you might want to read about the making of the Shining, or you can watch the author do an hour video presentation about it here on You Tube, the book literally just came out so the videos are new. He interviewed the assistant who typed all those pages, over the course of a couple of months, and they even did a little in-joke on one of the pages, which I'll let you discover for yourself when you watch the video or read the book. But Kubrick was not the guy who typed those pages, contrary what you might have heard previously.
@@TTM9691 As a note; try to avoid starting a comment like this. *Wrong* It's immediately hostile or arrogant and unnecessary since you explain how it's wrong immediately after. Additionally, when recommending someone study something you should include the title and author. I think you are referencing Lee Unkrich's book “Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining” but haven't read it to be sure the section you refer to is in it. Feel free to correct me on that. There are 2 videos I could find of him talking about the book but I don't know which one you refer to the BFI video or the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, or neither if it's wrong book to begin with.
@@TTM9691 that’s cool I’ll check it out. I’ve seen the one on RU-vid ..shot by his wife I believe. You always see Kubrick typing in it and I bought the rumor and imagined that’s what he was furiously typing hahahaha
Whimsory sounds exactly like DDG's little sister Tee Tee. The voice inflictions, tone, humor, everything is spot on. Close your eyes & listen to them both talk. Sounds like the same person. No diss, just an observation.
Another great movie, another great reaction! I really hope you get to react to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest sometime soon - the all-time greatest Jack Nicholson perfomance in a film of awesome performances all around, and featuring possibly the most hated villain in movie history. It's one of my top 5 films and a must-watch in my opinion!
It is easy to be iconic in the 80s 90s and before that. When people viewed movies differently. It would been ripped apart by audience if watched today. Because, no one is scared of movies anymore, and it is not equally enjoyable to watch a movie as it was back in the day
Hi Miss Whimsory First I Hope you Have A Happy & Healthy New Year 🎉🎊💥🎆🎇🌄 Yes This Is A Fantastic Horror Cult Classic Movie 🎥🍿 The information in this Movie 🎥 is In Steven Spielberg's ( Ready Player one ) Which is very Good as well !!! Warmest Regards from the Sunshine State of Florida 🇺🇲🌞☀️🌅🏝️
One time, for Halloween, a friend and I dressed up as the guy in the tux and "dog-bear/bear-dog". My little sister opened up her bedroom door and saw what you witnessed in the movie. It. Was. Worth. It. 😅
So i have read the book and there are some differences. It is absolutely worth reading. The "most confusing" moment in the movie isn't in the book. It was Kubrick being Kubrick. Sadly, there isn't a great amount of exposition in the movie. My interpretation of the book and movie is that places that are "haunted" are normally docile. The ghosts exist there but don't notice or interact with the living and vice-versa. But people with "the shining" can see glimpses of the ghosts, and those ghosts notice those that "shine". I think those that have this ability have a psychic energy and the Overlook Hotel and all it's inhabitants feed off this energy and become more powerful, while the battery is there. Mr. Holloran (the cook) has a low to medium level of this psychic power. He can see and sense the power of the Overlook but Danny is very strong. (This is shown by Danny and Tony being able to read beyond Mr. Holeran's communication and into his true thoughts and feelings and also by being able to contact him psychicly hundreds of miles away and with force. Danny is empowering the dead to have more and more influence and contact with the material world and the living. The ghosts are using Jack and his weaknesses to influence him and slowly drive him mad so that they can get him to kill his family, especially Danny because they envy his life-force/psychic ability. The Native American burial ground backstory, I think, is there to create the idea that the spirits are all trapped here becuse the burial ground has some magic that keeps the spirits from moving on or being allowed to leave. Again, read this book. it is one of my top 3 Stephen King books.
Yeah.. the ground that the hotel is on is cursed, and malevolent spirits are attracted to it.. I want to say Danny and Wendy were possibly helped by a spirit though it was Danny's e.s.p. that saved them for sure..along with the chef checking on them
A Kubrick film is always must watch. Btw Kubrick lived in the UK (originally from New York) and he chose to shoot his films in England, rather than go on location. So pretty much the whole film is on a big set, except from a few shots in the beginning, where a second unit went on location. The distant exterior shots of the hotel are real, but all the close ups are a recreation in London. Kubrick also shot Vietnam scenes in London for Full Metal Jacket. He even had Palm trees flown in and meticulously placed.
Even the shot of them running around in the snow in front of the hotel is shot on soundstage. The snow is actually styrofoam. The interior shots so masterfully copy the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Park, I had no idea for years that it was shot on set.
