The Shining

Stanley Kubrick

Amelia Jauregui, Staff Reporter

For the first time ever, I watched the horror classic “The Shining” adapted from Steven King and directed by Stanley Kubrick.

This film takes place at the Overlook Hotel at the top of the mountain in Colorado. The hotel runs in the summer season, and closes in the winter, as the weather doesn’t allow for visitors to drive up the mountain.

Because of the strange off season of the hotel, it requires a winter caretaker, which leads us into our main character. Jack Torrence, played by actor Jack Nicholson, is a writer who is currently struggling with writer’s block. Torrence applies for the winter caretaker position, and is given the job after an interview at the beginning of the movie. He feels that a quiet place to himself will be the cure to his writing “condition”.

Before finalizing his position, he is warned of a previous crime that happened at the hotel many years ago. A past caretaker murdering his wife and two daughters in this very hotel and then took his own life. They weren’t sure what caused the murder, but they assured Torrence that it was years ago and their should be no issue. They only wanted to inform Jack of the gruesome history.

He finally accepted the position and then brought his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny, to the hotel. They are then given a tour of the hotel and find their room where they will be staying. However while this is all going on, Danny is seeing strange images in his mind that is later explained to him by the hotel chef as “the shining”.

With their time in the hotel, strange things continue to happen. They are greeted by strange events, weird people and visions, and Jack becoming a completely different person.

For the movie being close to four decades old, it is still ahead of its time. The acting is phenomenal and eery to all watchers. I don’t want to spoil the movie, but I highly suggest that everyone goes and watches it, especially before the upcoming sequel.

Be looking out for the review on “Dr. Sleep”, the sequel to “The Shining,” hits theatres on Friday.