BBBB
(out of 5)
Stanley Kubrick turns to the horror genre for this very scary but somewhat overlong film, a liberal adaptation of the novel by Stephen King. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall move to a remote winter inn with their young son to act as guardians of the place during its off season when tourists are no longer visiting. Enjoying the space and relative comfort of the establishment, Duvall is disturbed when she realizes that both her husband and son are starting to act a little weird: the boy is being bothered by visions of strange inhabitants, while Nicholson is being taken over by the restless spirit that haunts the inn. Despite a ridiculous story, the film is immensely entertaining thanks to Kubrick’s uncanny sense of time and space and Nicholson’s deliciously zany performance. Duvall does a great job of being scared out of her wits, especially in the famous scene that turned the line ‘Heeeeere’s Johnny!’ into something sinister.
Warner Bros., Hawk Films, Peregrine, Producers Circle
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick, Diane Johnson, based on the novel by Stephen King
Cinematography by John Alcott
Produced by Stanley Kubrick
Music by Wendy Carlos, Rachel Elkind
Production Design by Roy Walker
Costume Design by Milena Canonero
Film Editing by Ray Lovejoy
Cast Tags: Alison Coleridge, Anne Jackson, Barry Dennen, Barry Nelson, Billie Gibson, Burnell Tucker, Danny Lloyd,David Baxt, Jack Nicholson, Jana Shelden, Joe Turkel, Kate Phelps, Lia Beldam, Lisa Burns, Louise Burns, Manning Redwood, Norman Gay, Philip Stone, Robin Pappas, Scatman Crothers, Shelley Duvall, Tony Burton
Razzie Award Nominations
Worst Actress (Shelley Duvall)
Worst Director (Stanley Kubrick)
