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HorrorBid's 31 Days of Horror: The Shining

We here at HorrorBid will be recommending one specific treasure for everyday of the month. The ultimate goal is mple; encourage the masses to seek out stellar films that fit the seasonal mold. While I’m certain plenty of our faithful readers will find some of these films predictable, or at the least familiar, we still feel as though a friendly reminder can go a long way towards renewed enjoyment.



On deck for October 27th, is another Stephen King adaption, the Halloween staple, The Shining. For what boils down to a haunted house story, this one possesses multi-layers and delivers big on character illumination. Tame by today’s standards, The Shining has always been more atmospheric than visual. Despite the fact that Kubrick’s rendition of King’s novel differs gnificantly in the grand scope of the story, it’s still a beautiful film that brings chills to the flesh.

The gist: Jack Torrance has been plagued by personal issues, but the opportunity to serve as caretaker for The Overlook Hotel promises financial stability and a chance to begin afresh. The only problem lies in the fact that the hotel is not only haunted, it’s quite… possesve.

This picture is proof that a film adaptation doesn’t have to follow the tracks without hiccup in order to be condered sublime. Many of the supernatural elements within the novel are absent from the film, but holy shit, the bleak mood and haunting visuals really linger. The ascenon into madness for Torrance is eerie as all hell, and had someone other than Nicholson (who looked absolutely raving mad from the opening scene) taken on the role, the character could very well have found solidification as the most frightening antagonist in film history.

When it comes to haunts, check into The Overlook. The scares are tangible, the pacing, despite seeming slow is actually quite wonderful, and the film’s climax is absolutely chilling… pardon the pun.

http://youtu.be/5Cb3ik6zP2I
Matt_Molgaard Friday 10/28/2011 at 02:29 AM | 86004