In Kubrick's masterpiece, The Past is a figure of powerful manipulation. An all-encompassing generalization of The Past, from the personal journeys we can recollect ourselves, to the countless centuries of human bloodletting and the horrors that "shining" brings upon its cursed person. To say Danny has it harder than Cole in Sixth Sense would be a gross understatement. To shine is to gain a lifetime of overwhelming experiences flushed into the head like a lightning bolt but the past doesn't exist. It is gone but it isn't done with our minds. The further time stretches, the more distorted the truth becomes in our brains. This is The Shining to me, a warped, unexplainable and angry Past. Watching this after Room…

What defines the greatest horror film of all time? Is it the film that most unsettles and terrifies you? Is it the film that rewards repeat viewings, never diluting the film’s impact no matter how many times you watch it? Or is it the film so expertly crafted whether it be the tight plotting, career defining performances or flawless direction, that it comes close to perfection? Whatever way you define greatness The Shining inevitably comes out on top.

I have vivid memories of watching Kubrick’s masterpiece for the first time. Like all the best horror experiences I was far too young to really watch it, and despite hearing stories about it in the playground, nothing can really prepare you for…

This seems to be my Siren's song. I keep returning to it and it always manages to make me feel uncomfortable. There aren't that many films that I find really scary, but this one just never seems to lessen its impact, no matter how often I watch it. It has to do with the genius of two individuals, Mr. Kubrick and Mr. Nicholson.

What Kubrick does here visually is absolutely astounding. By relying on clever set design and brilliant use of the camera he manages to create an otherworldly feel to the Overlook Hotel. From the very first shots of the hotel and later of its interior, it is clear that something is off. Whether it is too bright colours…

This...this film. This film is just sheer, mind-screwing, absolutely terrifying genius right the way through, keeping you completely focused on the screen, almost blacking out the rest of the world because it feels like you're getting sucked into the film itself, you feel like you're there, following Danny through the corridors of the Overlook Hotel, in the skies looking down on the car as it travels through some of the most beautiful scenery I can imagine. Even then, before even a single word is spoken, you get the feeling that something will happen. You don't know what. You don't know when. All you've got is this feeling warning you that this will not be easy, essentially serving as an early…

I think that The Shining is, outside of one of its major plot points, a pretty good name for this film. It's a shining example of why no filmmaker should feel obliged to as closely mirror a book as possible when doing an adaptation.

When Stanley Kubrick released The Shining, Stephen King famously decried it, saying that it hardly resembled his novel at all. Quite often since then people have suggested that King simply does not understand cinema, an opinion that is hardly helped by his one directorial foray (Maximum Overdrive, which I love despite its utter incompetence) and his endorsement of the ridiculous ending tacked on to the adaptation of The Mist.

But maybe, just maybe, he saw something…

In Kubrick's masterpiece, The Past is a figure of powerful manipulation. An all-encompassing generalization of The Past, from the personal journeys we can recollect ourselves, to the countless centuries of human bloodletting and the horrors that "shining" brings upon its cursed person. To say Danny has it harder than Cole in Sixth Sense would be a gross understatement. To shine is to gain a lifetime of overwhelming experiences flushed into the head like a lightning bolt but the past doesn't exist. It is gone but it isn't done with our minds. The further time stretches, the more distorted the truth becomes in our brains. This is The Shining to me, a warped, unexplainable and angry Past. Watching this after Room…