Shining, The (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

High Quality 4K Ultra HD makes this movie a pleasure to watch again. 5 STARS AND I DO RECOMMEND THIS ITEM I write honest reviews based on real life experience with each item to help others make informed purchases. I read reviews too, and appreciate how helpful they can be. I hope that you find this review helpful!

This is more about my experience than an actual review. OK here we go....I read the Stephen King novel twice before I finally got to see this movie at a late night showing in Southend, Essex(UK)in the 80's. Stephen King had a problem with Stanley Kubricks interpretation, other websites go into this in more detail but to be fair if you want the actual version of the book, Stephen King remade it in 1997 as a TV mini series, and that version is pretty good. It has a couple of moments in Stephen King's film version of 'The Shining' which I wish was in Mr Kubrick's version. 'The Shining' has influenced me throughout my life. I remember in the 80's when I used to say it was my favourite film of all time, people would look down their noses in disapproval or laugh. Nowadays when I say `The Shining' is one of my all time favourites people agree...My instinct was correct all those years ago. For me there is nothing more scary than having Jack Nicholson chasing you down long corridors with an axe in a hotel isolated in the middle of bloody nowhere. Period. (OK, I lied, if you have played games `Dead Space' and 'Dead Space 2' on Xbox 360 that's not scary, it's bloody terrifying!). I took my film club buddies to a special screening of `The Shining' at the REX Cinema in Berkhamsted, a beautiful red and gold art deco cinema, unmatched by any other venue here in the UK. This cinema will blow you away: [...] The atmosphere of The Rex was perfect to see `The Shining'. The icing on the cake, which was unexpected, was that Kubrick's daughter introduced the film. `Wow, it doesn't get better than this' I said at the time. It was a dream come true to see this film for the second time on the big screen. My good friend Wayne had never seen it before, he said afterwards...'I dunno what to say, I can't say I liked it because it was an experience. It blew me away. I'm speechless'. Wayne's totally right, the film is an experience and one that I've cherished. I remember when I was at drama school we had to be a famous person for a day and I chose to be Jack Nicholson. When I arrived at the school in character, in my old black city mini, I had the third year students check the school over for bombs and security because I asked them to be my body guards. My explanation for driving a small car was due to the fact my limo had broken down. I (Jack) was visiting the school to talk about `The Shining 2'. I never forget Damon Albarn (who was in my class at drama school) decided to be the Ayatollah Khomeini and said he wished he thought of having body guards like I had. I also learned Jacks lines from `The Shining' and continued to use them throughout that drama school day. Great memories! The film had an ongoing impact with me, 'Jack Torrence' would be the part I was born to play, but damn, Stanley made it when I was too young to play a recovering alcoholic father. Years ago when we went to Canada and crossed over to Maine, I enquired about the location of the `Overlook Hotel'. At the time I didn't know the inside scenes were film sets. And I was way off target to travel to the actual Timberline lodge which is an hours drive from Portland. The lodge is featured in the film as the outside of the `Overlook Hotel'. So eventually a video shop owner in Maine (with a shelved wall dedicated to only Stephen King videos) told me where the man himself, Stephen King, lived... I was going to press the button on the open security gate to Stephen's home, but my bottle went, I chickened out. The home was huge, red with iron fencing with three serpent headed iron bats resting on the gate entrances. My friend Guy has an actual framed print from the film which is very cool, I have a Blu - ray copy I bought overseas which is the full version. A long time ago I had the idea for a film `Shining 2'. The story; a group goes on a trip to see where `The Shining' locations and influences are ....and one of the group actually has some kind of breakdown similar to the Jack Torrence character. I remember seeing a similar idea in the sequel to 'The Blair Witch Project'. I missed the boat on that one, I had a good idea and someone else not only thought of it as well, they had the means to implement it. Nicholson is spectacular in the role of Jack Torrence, Shelley Duvall is an absolute wreck as the story develops. The making of `The Shining' by Kubrick's daughter is enlightening, especially about Kubrick's demands on Shelley. The film is way ahead of its time, especially with the Steadicam work that enables the camera operator to run smooth following the actors, most notably the child on the cycle Go Kart rolling over wood and carpet, in turn creating the distinct changing floor thud sounds. Awesome stuff. I also remember seeing the soundtrack available on record once in London, I didn't buy it and boy do I regret it now because it's unavailable. So many film makers have been influenced by this film and deservedly so. Kubrick's obsession with attention to detail is crazy or genius; everyone has their own take on this. I think it's a bit of both. However, it is the end result that matters. I wonder what people in their twenties and thirties feel about the film. Maybe it's not on their radar or they have their own personal film that's made a mark. Who knows. It's inevitable one day `The Shining' will be remade. You could research so much about this film online, it really is that interesting. I remember reading that Simon Cowell almost worked on it but decided not to. I hope this film holds it's value in the future, it's so unique. I'll leave you with this thought; Can you imagine an amusement thrill ride park that has a huge special set built exactly like the Overlook Hotel and real snow covering an external large hedge maze and when you visit this experience....a Jack Nicholson lookalike (one that can act of course) comes after you. Some people would pay alot of money for that thrill. And so would I. Terrific. bleedingcritic bleedingfilms.com

This is, of course, the iconic Stanley Kubrick movie, which heavily adapted Stephen King's novel (which apparently King either disliked immensely or outright hated) of the same name. It stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, a writer who agrees to become the winter caretaker of The Overlook Hotel on the side of a mountain in Colorado. He moves there with his wife Wendy, played by Shelly Duvall, and son Danny, played by Danny Lloyd. Both Jack and his son have "The Shining" which allows them to see ghosts and other, disturbing, imagery. Over the course of time, Jack is driven crazy by evil living in the hotel. The movie definitely does not follow the novel to a tee, which may upset fans of the novel as it did King. I do tend to agree with King that his interpretation of Jack as a good guy who slowly devolves over the course of time is not really borne out in the movie. Nicholson never really gives off a vibe that he is a "good" person, and about 45 minutes into a two and a half hour movie, he is already going nuts. Duvall's character was not exactly written as a strong character as she was in the book, and Kubrick totally changed the ending. That said, I do think Kubrick did a perfect job with his interpretation of the story and got great performances from all the characters, including Danny Lloyd, who did a great job for being so young. Nicholson nailed the "nuts" Jack Torrance and you totally could buy that he was off the rails, even if he did not have the kind of progression the character in the book did. For those who get the 4K Blu-ray, the AV quality is very good, especially the visuals at the beginning of the movie on the drive to the hotel, and the exterior shots of the hotel. The extras include a commentary track on the movie by one of the camera operators and Kubrick's biographer. There is also a making-of documentary which was filmed on the set by Kubrick's daughter. There is also a featurette on the composer and the music of the movie. A lot of good material. Overall, I cannot say that the movie is for everyone. It is very violent, has a lot of swearing and some nudity in it. So, if that turns you off to a movie, then don't even think about this. Also, those who are huge fans of the book may not like Kubrick's adaptation. But, if you can look beyond those things, and are a fan of horror movies, especially those that do not involve an unstoppable killer, this is definitely worth checking out.

Good movie

If you have owned The Shining on VHS, DVD, or even the previous Blu-ray, you haven’t truly seen it until you’ve watched this 4K UHD restoration. This is easily the best the film has ever looked. The 4K scan provides a level of clarity that is almost disorienting—you can see every intricate pattern in the 1970s carpets, the grain of the wood in the Colorado Lounge, and the terrifyingly sharp detail in the famous "REDRUM" door. The HDR implementation is tasteful, making the bold reds and cold blues pop without sacrificing the natural look of the film grain. The Haunting Score The upgrade isn't just visual; the audio remains as chilling as ever. The soundtrack—featuring avant-garde pieces by Ligeti and Penderecki—is absolutely haunting in high definition. The low, guttural drones and screeching strings create an atmosphere of dread that feels like it’s vibrating through the room. It perfectly complements the crisp visuals to keep you on edge from the opening helicopter shots to the final freeze-frame. Supplemental Material In terms of extras, there is nothing new here, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Warner Bros. has thankfully included all the essential legacy features from previous releases, including: The Making of The Shining: The classic documentary by Vivian Kubrick with optional commentary. View from the Overlook: A look into the craft of Stanley Kubrick. The Visions of Stanley Kubrick: Detailed interviews with various filmmakers. Wendy Carlos Commentary: Insights into the film’s iconic electronic score. While a new "looking back" featurette would have been nice, having the complete archival collection paired with this flawless 4K scan makes this the definitive edition of a horror masterpiece. If you're a collector, this is a mandatory upgrade.

Even though I've always had the highest regard for Stanley Kubrick's work, I do have mixed feelings for "The Shining". Even from the first viewing, I never felt that it terrified me as much as it should have. But it is a film I do re-watch from time to time simply because visually, like most of Kubrick's films, it is so satisfying and the Blu-ray version is even more so. I won't dwell on the screenplay or performances except to say that they are sometimes yes, sometimes no. But the Blu-ray disc does bring out the technical achievements of the movie. The cinematography is excellent as one would expect, but the frequent use of the Steadicam, being used here by Kubrick for the first time, does begin to call attention to itself. I'm glad the BD was released in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio since I'm quite certain that it was presented in theaters using a 35mm print in 1.37:1 aspect and masked in the projector to get 1.78:1 or something close to it. In the early aerial shot of the hotel as shown in the 1.33:1 DVD, the blades of the camera helicopter are clearly visible at the top of the frame. I'm certain Kubrick would never have allowed this, given his attention to detail and I don't think that by 1980 there were many theaters in the U.S. showing movies in 1.37:1. The video quality of the Blu-ray release is impressive in its clarity, color balance and freedom from graininess and the helicopter blades are nowhere to be seen. Somehow I get the impression that the musical portion of the soundtrack is a little too much of a good thing having been, I believe, remixed at a higher volume level relative to the dialogue track for this release. The music for this film was taken mostly from existing concert pieces by Bartok, Ligeti, et. al. To have the greatest effect for this film, the music, in many places, should be rather quiet and needling rather than intrusive or overbearing as it often is. Playing this film in a totally dark room and at a lower than usual audio level will help provide the feelings of uneasiness that the viewer should have. This release makes me pine for a Blu-ray release of Barry Lyndon.

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This review is for the 2019 4K version. The Shining is one of my favorite films. I held off buying this disc because I have been disappointed by some 4K transfers of other movies that appear to have too much upscaling or digital tweaking that can end up ruining the image, IMO. I read some reviews and heard great things, so I bought it. I have owned The Shining on VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray (both cuts—I’m a nerd) and now 4K. The 4K version should be seen as the definitive remaster. It is one of the best looking discs I own; a revelatory remaster that makes the movie, already a gorgeous film, look better than I’ve ever seen it. The handling of the film grain is especially great. Note that you may need to calibrate your TV to get the best performance but, if you do, and you like The Shining, this set is a must-own. I have also watched the HD (1080) version that comes from this set—it is absolutely the best 1080 version you will ever see, based as it is on this clearly painstaking new 4K master. A note on aspect ratio. The Shining was shot for the 1:1.85 “flat” widescreen ratio—meaning it was shot using the full negative size of 1:1.37 (“Academy ratio”) and then masked to show only the wider 1:1.85 ratio when projected. Early releases of the film for VHS used the entire camera negative image which would fill the screen of an old 4:3 TV. This presentation was not “pan and scan,” it was unmasked, meaning viewers actually saw MORE of the image than intended, including a camera helicopter shadow during the opening titles that would otherwise have been masked out. This 4K version, unfortunately, crops the widescreen image very slightly to fit it to today’s standard 1:1.78 (16x9) TV aspect ratio, just as older blu-ray versions have done. This excises almost none of the image, but you will notice with some other disks that even 1:1.85 films will have slightly wider black bars at the top and bottom, meaning the intended aspect ratio is fully displayed (with mild letterboxing). This is not a big drawback, but it would have been nice to have the letterboxing. That minor issue is not even worth taking off half a star. This is the best version of The Shining that we have.

Classic Horror.

Zum Film: Die längere US-Fassung von Shining ist mein persönlicher Favorit. Mit mehr Atmosphäre und ausführlicherer Figurenentwicklung kann man bei dieser Fassung wirklich von einer "Charakterstudie" des Wahnsinns sprechen. Stanley Kubrick ist das seltene Meisterstück gelungen, die King- typische Trivialität des durchaus spannenden Romans an Intelligenz weit zu übertreffen und ein gänzlich eigenes Werk zu schaffen. Eins zu Eins-Verfilmungen leiden oft unter ihrem Anspruch, den Fans gerecht werden zu wollen, so dass der Roman mehr kopiert als interpretiert wird (z. B. "Das Parfüm" oder andere King-Verfilmungen, deren bestes Beispiel die Neuverfilmung von "Shining" darstellt). Hier wird keine oberflächliche Banalisierung des Dämonischen ins trivial-nichtssagende geboten, dafür mehr Metaphorik und inszenatorisches Kalkül in jeder Einstellung. Die Kameraarbeit ist brillant und "saugt" den Zuschauer förmlich hinein in den Körper des Overlook-Hotels. Für einen Horrorfilm ist diese Fassung dennoch außergewöhnlich lang, jedoch keine Minute überflüssig oder gar langweilig. Shining ist eine kalkulierte, kalte und grausame Studie seelischen Verfalls: Die Arbeit eines filmischen Mathematikers, welcher seine Vorliebe für absolute Symmetrie, genau berechneten Einstellungen und strammer Figurenführung hier ausgiebig frönt wie ein Wissenschaftler, der mikroskopische Vorgänge durch das kalte Auge eines Vergrößerungsglases betrachtet. Zur Qualität: Das Bild ist meines Erachtens sehr scharf und detailliert, ebenso die hell/dunkel Kontraste. Ich bin jedenfalls sehr zufrieden.

No debe faltar en la colección, una imagen y un audio excelente está si cuenta con doblaje al español latino

I hate reviews on Amazon for films. I mean I like reviews of films, I just don't look for them on Amazon. No, what I want is a produxt review. I wan't to know if the Blu Ray is any good or not. I don't care if you think The Shining is rubbish. I wouldn't be buying this thirty year old film if I didn't love it. Rant over. This Blu Ray is fantastic. If you love the film and have been subjected to the european version for these many years then I would recommend you getting this. It adds a lot of nice detail and fleshes out some scenes and details. This will work on Europenn blu ray players as it is region free. (I am reviewing the US blu ray by the way) It has all the same extras as the European version but for fanatics of the film you NEED to have this version. Wonderful film. Wonderful version.

Many people are confused about the runtime of the blu ray which says 119 mins. Well, on IMDB it says the movie is 2 hours and 29 mins long. So the story is that American version of the film is indeed 149 mins long and this disc has the european version which is the shorter one. If u wanna buy the longer edition then buy the latest shining anniversary edition.