The Shining- A true classic

Stanley Kubrick is a genius, but you probably knew this already. It was finally confirmed to me after watching the 1980 horror The Shining. This is a classic in every sense of the word, Kubrick's direction grabs you instantly; haunting, edgy, sinister, and claustrophobic. Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence, is simply outstanding, Nicholson is one of the few actors I would regard as a true screen legend. The gradual decline of the main character into what amounts to pure madness, is astonishing, and has to be one of Nicholson's finest performances.
Equally impressive are the performances from Shelly Duvall as Wendy Torrence and Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrence, Duvall's performance is slightly annoying at times, as the hysterical, submissive wife, but she gives a good account of herself in the major scene's in the film. Child actors normally make me violently ill, as they tend not to act like children but forty something's. What is great is that Danny Lloyd is ultimately still a child even though he happens to have this special gift.
The pace of the film or lack of it helps the development of the story. Most horror films start off at a frantic pace, The Shining is a slow burner allowing for the harrowing events time to unfold. The shining was a labour of love for Kubrick, with scene's being shot over and over again, sometimes to the protests of the actors. But you can see in the final result, this is a true classic horror movie, which has provided us with so many of cinema's iconic moments. If by some crazy chance you have not yet seen this fine film, you must make every effort to get yourself a copy.