Writer, Jack Torrance takes his wife and son to live at the luxurious Overlook Hotel where he has been employed as an off season caretaker. During these winter months, Jack believes that the isolated location will get rid of his writer's block and force him to write a novel.
Unfortunately the hotel is haunted by, amongst others, a previous caretaker who murdered his family then killing himself whilst staying here.
Looks like a little bit of history repeating as Jack slowly descends into madness.
I do admire the look of the film. It is beautifully shot. The Overlook is suitably grand and the opening approach shot as Jack drives to his interview, is particularly wonderful.
It's the horror aspect I don't get. The demise of Jack's mental state is supposed to be a gradual descent, but Nicholson goes from nought to crazy in 5 seconds. Serious scenery chewing.
Shelley Duvall's character is just a flimsy doormat so it is hard to be sympathetic to her plight. Duvall does a good line in shrieking, though I could live without her high monotone voice.
Danny Lloyd's performance as the psychically gifted son is the most effective here. The 'split personality' of his imaginary friend is a great counterpart to Jack's encounters with the old caretaker. Lloyd's reactions to the visions are really well acted. He does shit scared very well!
I like my horrors to be frightening and this is where this is lacking for me. Everything that is scary about the original Stephen King novel is lacking here. This is mostly due to the portrayal of Jack. The premise of Room 237 never really pays off. The twin girls deliver on the creepiness factor as does the shooting of the hotel from the viewpoint of Danny on his big wheel, but this is just lacking in fright.
Plenty of oddness and creepiness, but just not scary.
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