2008-11-03

Shining

I spent a good portion of this weekend watching horror movies, extending my Halloween observances for just about three full days.

On Saturday night I watched "The Shining," which was presented with far too many commercials on A&E. It's always interesting to watch this movie, for a number of reasons. I think my sister and I first saw it when it started making the rounds on cable t.v. in the early 80's. We became quite obsessed with this movie.

I got around to reading the actual novel when I was in high school. I found it wonderfully creepy and appreciated both this novel and the film version (which strayed fairly significantly from King's original story) as different spins on the theme of isolation.

It was only when I first got sober that I realized that "The Shining" is actually about alcoholism. If you don't believe me, I invite you to read the novel and see for yourself. In fact, Stephen King was so disturbed by Kubrick's interpretation of the story, and the fact that it only barely touched upon Jack Torrance's struggle with the bottle, that he personally oversaw a "remake" that aired as a television miniseries a few years back. It was dreadful, but I understand why he did it.

In sobriety, I find it difficult sometimes to sit through the first appearance of "Lloyd the Bartender" in Kubrick's film. A lot of people in recovery -- at least the ones with a sense of humor about themselves -- refer to that urge to throw in the towel and self-medicate as "Lloyd the Bartender." He represents a sort of benign malevolence, something that presents itself as a helpful, viable option which will ultimately take you down.

In "The Shining," the spirits that haunt the Overlook Hotel grasp onto Torrance's vulnerability, breaking him down by getting him drunk, taking advantage of the transformation which occurs when alcohol enters the picture. This is somewhat addressed in the film version, although you get the sense that Nicholson-as-Torrance was somewhat cracked to begin with.

On a lighter note, the other thing that occurred to me as I watched this was how you could design a travel package of sorts around "The Shining." You would start off in Yosemite, at the The Ahwahnee Hotel (the interior of which was copied for the Overlook, particularly the Great Hall), then it's off to Oregon, at The Timberline (where the exterior shots were filmed), then move to Montana, for a scenic trip along St. Mary Lake at Glacier National Park (where the opening scenes were shot), and finally a stay at The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, which was the original inspiration for The Overlook.

I think it could be a nice, romantic trip, but then I clearly have issues.

lisamcc at 8:13 a.m.

3 comments so far
ska-t
2008-11-03 15:28:00
yeah... "Lloyd". it's wasn't just him, but that whole "Dance Of The Living Dead" thing that got me as the most disturbing moment in The Shining. good macabre trip idea. i should turn you onto the Exorcist steps if you ever get to DC. i've scared people shitless by taking pictures of them at night.
-------------------------------

vikkitikkitavi
2008-11-04 17:34:04
I stayed one night at the Stanley Hotel. I was about to say I "slept" there, but then I remembered that I slept not a wink the whole night. There's a whole room on the first floor devoted to how haunted the place is, and it, um, freaked me out a bit. Also, you know what I thought was so stupid about the movie? Hallorann knew from all the way down in Florida that Danny was in trouble, but he didn't know there was a guy 10 feet away with an ax?
-------------------------------

Jess
2008-11-06 23:12:29
"The Shining" was the first Stephen King book I ever read (and I was FAR too young to read it. I think I was 10 or 11). I remember lying on my stomach on the floor and reading the entire thing straight through. When I was done, I could barely stand up, I was in so much pain for being in the same position for hours. I pretty much realized my dad was an alcoholic after reading it. LOVED the book AND the movie... for different reasons. I saw the terrible re-make. Bummer it was so bad. It followed the book pretty well.
-------------------------------

previous | next