By our very nature, we fear the unknown. That being said, what in the serious hell is this toothless, suppurating hag? Without a doubt the thing that caused me more night terrors than anything else from childhood, the sole occupant of the Overlook Hotel's Room 237 is the most disturbing feature of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. While the inexplicable, fellating dog-suit guy is one of the more cringeworthy scenes in the movie, it doesn't hold a candle to she, the creepiest of creeps. The novel gives this waterlogged wench come backstory, but in the film she is given no context. This almost makes her even scarier. The movie version also stands out in some very critical ways. First and foremost, her room is the only place Dick Hallorann specifically tells young Danny Torrance to avoid. Secondly, she is the only ghoul in the hotel who physically hurts anyone. Every other specter in the joint puts on a good show, but she actually chokes Danny and... ugh... makes out with his father Jack. When Danny claims a woman in room 237 tried to strangle him, Jack Torrance (played by the indomitable Jack Nicholson) goes to the room to investigate. Upon arriving, he finds a gorgeous, young naked woman in the bathtub. Without saying a word, she approaches Jack, wraps her arms around him, and begins to kiss him. It's at this point that the worst thing ever in the history of the world happens. Jack looks into the mirror to see not the stunning vixen who emerged from the tub, but a decomposing old crone gripping him. As he pulls away to try and make sense of the situation, well... just look at the picture. Nightmare fodder for years to come. What other great 80s movie villains did we miss? Shout them out down in the comments.
George is a life-long fan of genre, wrestling and guitars. He is an actor, writer, CrossFit trainer and former WWE storyline writer. He currently works as talent development for PWX wrestling and resides in the birthplace of the zombie movie, Pittsburgh, PA.
