The Stanley Kubrick Website (unofficial website)
The Shining (1980)
The Shining, released in 1980, was adapted from the novel of the same name by bestselling horror writer Stephen King. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a writer who takes a job as a winter caretaker of a large and isolated hotel in the Rocky Mountains. He spends the winter there with his wife, played by Shelley Duvall, and their young son, who displays paranormal abilities. During their stay, they confront both Jack's descent into madness and apparent supernatural horrors lurking in the hotel. Kubrick, who gave his actors freedom to extend the script, and even improvise on occasion, did so with the film's two main stars. Nicholson notes that actors were given new script pages or revisions on almost a daily basis. According to LoBrutto, Kubrick made it clear that the printed script was to be used as a guide. On the set, Nicholson always appeared in character, and if Kubrick felt confident, after they considered how a scene could be shot, that he knew his lines well enough, he might encourage him, as he did Peter Sellers, to improvise. As a result, Nicholson's 'Here's Johnny!' line was improvised. Vivian Kubrick's film, The Making of The Shining, shows Nicholson and Duvall rehearsing the scene and revising the script along with Kubrick.[81] Kubrick allowed his daughter Vivian to film the documentary, an unusual move as he kept access to the set closed to all others. Kubrick made extensive use of the newly invented Steadicam, a weight-balanced camera support, which allowed for smooth hand-held camera movement in scenes where a conventional camera track was impractical. According to Garrett Brown, Steadicam's inventor, it was the first picture to utilize its full potential. Kubrick's perfectionist style required dozens of takes of certain scenes. Nicholson's scene with the ghostly bartender was shot thirty-six times, for example. As with most Kubrick films, subsequent critical reaction has treated the film favorably. Among horror movie fans, The Shining is a cult classic. The film's financial success renewed Warner Brothers' faith in Kubrick's ability to make profitable films after the commercial failure in the US of Barry Lyndon. While Kubrick admitted he had always been interested in the subject of ESP and paranormal experiences, he first became interested in doing the film only after he read King's novel.
Quick facts
Directed by Stanley Kubrick Produced by Stanley Kubrick Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Diane Johnson Based on The Shining by Stephen King Starring Jack Nicholson Shelley Duvall Scatman Crothers Danny Lloyd Music by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind Cinematography John Alcott Edited by Ray Lovejoy Production companies The Producer Circle Company Peregrine Productions Hawk Films Distributed by Warner Bros. Release dates May 23, 1980 (United States) November 7, 1980 (United Kingdom) Running time 146 minutes (Premiere) 144 minutes (American)[1] 119 minutes (European)[2] Country United Kingdom United States[3] Language English Budget $19 million[4] Box office $44.4 million (US)[4]
The Shining (1980)
The Shining, released in 1980, was adapted from the novel of the same name by bestselling horror writer Stephen King. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a writer who takes a job as a winter caretaker of a large and isolated hotel in the Rocky Mountains. He spends the winter there with his wife, played by Shelley Duvall, and their young son, who displays paranormal abilities. During their stay, they confront both Jack's descent into madness and apparent supernatural horrors lurking in the hotel. Kubrick, who gave his actors freedom to extend the script, and even improvise on occasion, did so with the film's two main stars. Nicholson notes that actors were given new script pages or revisions on almost a daily basis. According to LoBrutto, Kubrick made it clear that the printed script was to be used as a guide. On the set, Nicholson always appeared in character, and if Kubrick felt confident, after they considered how a scene could be shot, that he knew his lines well enough, he might encourage him, as he did Peter Sellers, to improvise. As a result, Nicholson's 'Here's Johnny!' line was improvised. Vivian Kubrick's film, The Making of The Shining, shows Nicholson and Duvall rehearsing the scene and revising the script along with Kubrick.[81] Kubrick allowed his daughter Vivian to film the documentary, an unusual move as he kept access to the set closed to all others. Kubrick made extensive use of the newly invented Steadicam, a weight-balanced camera support, which allowed for smooth hand-held camera movement in scenes where a conventional camera track was impractical. According to Garrett Brown, Steadicam's inventor, it was the first picture to utilize its full potential. Kubrick's perfectionist style required dozens of takes of certain scenes. Nicholson's scene with the ghostly bartender was shot thirty-six times, for example. As with most Kubrick films, subsequent critical reaction has treated the film favorably. Among horror movie fans, The Shining is a cult classic. The film's financial success renewed Warner Brothers' faith in Kubrick's ability to make profitable films after the commercial failure in the US of Barry Lyndon. While Kubrick admitted he had always been interested in the subject of ESP and paranormal experiences, he first became interested in doing the film only after he read King's novel.
Quick facts
Directed by Stanley Kubrick Produced by Stanley Kubrick Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Diane Johnson Based on The Shining by Stephen King Starring Jack Nicholson Shelley Duvall Scatman Crothers Danny Lloyd Music by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind Cinematography John Alcott Edited by Ray Lovejoy Production companies The Producer Circle Company Peregrine Productions Hawk Films Distributed by Warner Bros. Release dates May 23, 1980 (United States) November 7, 1980 (United Kingdom) Running time 146 minutes (Premiere) 144 minutes (American)[1] 119 minutes (European)[2] Country United Kingdom United States[3] Language English Budget $19 million[4] Box office $44.4 million (US)[4]
