Room 237

    The 1980s were riddled with many Stephen King film adaptations that came from his novels, and in 1980, one of King's most classic novels was brought to the big screen in a big way. The Shining is one of King's most famous novels/films in his whole collection of works, and it's still remembered today as an extremely popular horror film. The cast consists of Jack Nicholson playing the main character, an ex drunkard family man who's living in an isolated hotel for the winter with his wife, Shelley Duvall, and his son, Danny Lloyd. At the time, both Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall were at the beginning of the height of their career, and were extremely popular right around the 80s. Before their time spent alone during the winter, a lot of weird things occur that point to something going awry. Throughout the entire film, the audience can tell something is going on with Nicholson and that he isn't acting like a normal human being. Alongside Nicholson's strange behavior, the couples son Danny continuously acts out and has reoccurring visions and nightmares in the hotel. From the start of the movie, it is very obvious that at any moment the horror will begin.
    What I believe to be the best part about this movie and what separates it from modern horror films is specifically what sub genre of horror it is. In The Shining, their is never really any "monsters" or blood and gore but some very brief creepy people and the rest of the horror comes through the dialogue and body language. This is more of a psychological horror movie which I don't believe is given justice anymore. The extremely talented director Stanley Kubrick and the writers really allowed the audience to be scared without having to overdo anything. Never once in the movie does it seem like the film creators are trying too hard to push the horror side, but instead it naturally is creepy through the way the characters are portrayed. Nicholson plays the  perfect psychopath on the hunt for his family for a reason that is never explicitly said. Throughout the film there are several nods and hints as to what is really going on with Nicholson's character but it is never clarified exactly why he wants to do horrible things, and that's what makes this movie so scary, especially for it's time. Not only was this movie extremely great for it's time, but even now it still holds up in modern cinema and there are still unanswered questions and debates about what really went on in the movie. Overall, The Shining is still an excellent horror movie and hold up today as one of the most thought provoking and truly "scary" movies ever.