10 Most Paused Horror Movie Moments

Much like Psycho, The Shining has plagued generations of fans with questions since its release in 1980.

Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name sees the Torrance family take up residence in the Overlook Hotel during the off-season, with family patriarch Jack (Nicholson) acting as caretaker while he works on his novel. The big, empty halls begin to get a little crowded, however, as the spirits of the hotel manifest and gradually drive Jack insane, building towards the film's infamous climax in the Overlook's hedge maze.

With Jack frozen to death and his family safe, all seems well again, and the hotel resettles itself in the silence the Torrances disturbed. But wait, that's not all! Kubrick lets us have just a moment of peace before his camera pulls in on a wall of photographs in the hotel's hall, the centremost of them featuring Jack standing at the head of a crowd of partygoers, dated July 4th, 1921.

While not a brief shot by any means, it has nonetheless had fans pausing the movie for the past 40 years, freezing this final moment to try and unpick the mysteries the photograph alludes to. The date -- independence day -- is significant, as is the slightly manic look on doppelganger-Jack's face, but any concrete answers on the meaning of all of this still remain infuriatingly elusive.