An excersie in what isolation can do to the mind...

They say that sometimes when a person is isolated from other people  or things he or she is familiar  with  you start to slowly loose your mind, you start seeing things  that  aren't real, hearing voices in your head, walking nightmares. It is called Cabin Fever and In Stanley Kubrick's psychological horror thriller explores what happens when a recovering alcoholic ex-teacher (Jack Nicholson) starts to literally loose his mind   when isolated in a beautiful hotel during a blizzard. "The Shining"   helped usher in a  whole new era of  horror  with it's mind bending  psychological effects, twisted story of a man's decent into madness, it's a film that set bold new standards for films   and has since become one of the greatest horror films of all time.  

Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining” is a film that at best embodies the true meaning of horror; it doesn't use boat loads of gore and sex to tell it story or evoke fear in the audience. It is conventional, smart and well paced those are the secrets to its success. Most horror films today think they can get by using cheap thrills and flashy tricks, stock characters and a bland and uninteresting story. "The Shining", for it’s time, pushed  the boundaries of psychological terror   making a lasting and horrifying  impression on the  horror  genre that still last today.  It's a film of endless possibilities and  unfathomable imagination  that makes you believe that what you are seeing is real  and gives you a vision of terror and madness the likes  that only Stephen King could create.

Jack Nicholson is known for being quite subdued yet wild in some of his performances,   here he forgoes all that and goes hog wild let loose the inner maniac. Nicholson's performance is just how I would envision a Stephen King character crazy, manic and homicidal Nicholson embodies those traits and infuses them into his performance.  Some may find Nicholson's   actions in the film to be a little over the top and d other will find his performance and attitude is just right   for a film of this caliber. Nicholson's performance is arguably the best and most powerful in the horror genre. The rest of the cast including Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers and Barry Nelson all deliver great supporting performances in this complex and handsomely mounted film. 

Some may find "The Shining" lacks a cultural and ethical punch, while others will find that it is a horror film to end all horror films a movie of endless chills and horrifying visuals, it delivers what it promises and doesn't cheat you out of the chilling experience of this timeless film.