2. The Shining (1980)
Jack Torrence is a troubled man. He has lost his teacher's job and he broke his son's arm. He is an alcoholic and an aspiring writer. He gets offered the job of winter janitor at the massive Overlook hotel. Jack hopes that he can stay sober and write a book. Jack's son Danny has psychic powers (the titular 'Shining') and he sees all sorts of terrible things in the hotel. As the winter sets in, Jack becomes mesmerised by a supernatural presence in the hotel. Soon he is having conversations with an imaginary barman and getting drunk. From then on its a slippery slope to wanting to kill his wife and son. Jack goes bananas big time, chasing after his family with a fire axe. It will take all of their wits and courage to evade death. Initially given a luke warm response by the critics, The Shining has grown in stature as a horror film and reviews are now overwhelmingly positive. It has to be said that Stephen King 'hated' the film. He didn't like the casting of Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence because after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Nicholson was associated with madness and viewers would not be shocked by his decline into insanity in The Shining. King thought that a more anodyne actor would bring more fear to the role. King was also upset that the movie didn't really touch on family dysfunction or alcoholism, he was himself an alcoholic when he wrote The Shining. He also thought that Kubrick overlooked a lot of the supernatural elements of the book. Whether King likes it or not, millions of his fans worldwide love the film adaptation of The Shining by Kubrick. They find its imagery disturbing - especially when it is seen through the eyes of a child. He may be a bit stereotyped as a potentially dangerous madman, but you must admit, few actors can do 'mad' as convincingly as Nicholson. He doesn't even have to try to act. The film's violence looks frighteningly realistic. Shelley Duvall as Jack's wife Wendy is so convincing in her terror over Jack's mounting madness and his brutality towards her, it looks like she genuinely is s**t scared. I don't think Duvall has had enough appreciation in her role as Wendy Torrence. The film adaptation of The Shining regularly makes writer's Top Ten Scariest Film lists, it is a great horror film but I prefer the book to be honest.