24 Things You Might Not Know About “The Shining”

The movie "The Shining" is a psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1980. Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, it tells the story of Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic who will work as a janitor. at the isolated Hotel Overlook. Jack is married to Wendy, and the couple's son, Danny, has the ability to see past and future as well as the ghosts that inhabit the hotel. As soon as they arrive at Overlook, the family is caught in a heavy snowstorm and the supernatural presence of the scene begins to negatively influence Jack.

Check out some curiosities about the film:

1. Stanley Kubric almost directed "The Exorcist"

Prior to The Shining, Kubrick was already known for his forays into different genres, including terror. So much so that in the early 1970s, his name was coined for the direction of "The Exorcist." However, he did not work on the work because he wanted, besides directing, to produce the film. Subsequently, Kubrick revealed that he would like to "make the scariest feature in the world, involving a series of episodes that would make the audience 'jump' in fear." Seven years later he would release the work "The Shining."

2. The movie was inspired by the Omnibus series

In 1952, Kubrick was director of an episode of the TV series "Omnibus, " aired from 1952 to 1961. This chapter featured a tense story about poker players. Kubrick then used the psychological disorientation of the series in the film to avoid realizing that supernatural events were really happening.

3. Kubrick ignored Stephen King's script for the movie ...

The story of the movie was based on the bestselling author Stephen King, which was released in 1977. Despite its success, Kubrick simply ignored the script's draft script, claiming that his writing was "weak." He preferred to work with Diane Johnson for eleven weeks on the script.

4. ... But Kubrick had questions for Stephen King

Stephen says that one morning Kubrick called him with the following question: "I think supernatural stories are fundamentally optimistic, aren't they? If there are ghosts, then that means we will survive death." Stephen answered with the question of how hell would fit this picture. ”The director immediately replied, “ I don't believe in hell. ”

5. Stephen King did not like the movie or Jack Nicholson's acting

During an interview with Playboy magazine in 1983, Stephen revealed that he had long admired Kubrick and thus raised high expectations for the movie. However, he was disappointed with the end result. In addition, the writer claimed to dislike Jack Nicholson's performance, stating that the actor was wrong for the role.

According to King, “Nicholson's last major role was in 'A Stranger in the Nest'. And when the actor started the movie with his 'manic smile', the audience automatically identified him as crazy. But the book is about a gradual descent of the character Jack into madness through evil influence. If the story begins with a madman, the whole tragedy of his fall is wasted. ”

6. Robert De Niro or Robin Williams Could Have Played Jack

Kubrick considered both Robert De Niro and Robin Williams for the role of Jack. However, after watching Taxi Driver, the director considered that De Niro would not be psychotic enough for the role. On the other hand, he considered Robin Williams too psychotic after his performance in Mork & Mindy. According to Stephen King, Kubrick also briefly considered Harrison Ford.

7. Kubrick's family worked on the movie

The film's executive producer was Jan Harlan, the director's brother-in-law. In addition, Christiane Kubrick and Vivian Kubrick, wife and daughter, respectively, collaborated with the work's design and music. Vivian also made a documentary on the set of recordings entitled "The Making Of The Shining."

8. Kubrick was not recording the opening credits.

Kubrick hated flying, so he did not participate in the shooting of a helicopter in Glacier National Park.

9. Room number changed from 217 to 237

In the book, the ominous events happen in room 217, but the Timberline Lodge Hotel management, where some scenes from the movie were recorded, asked that the room be changed to 237. Caution was taken so that guests did not avoid any of them. fourth, as there was no number 237 in the hotel. Interestingly, room 217 is the most requested on site.

10. “Hard work and little fun make Jack a silly guy” has different meanings in each country

Kubrick asked that the original phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" have different translations in each country in which the film was released. In German, the phrase is, "Don't leave tomorrow what you can do today, " and in Italian, "He who wakes up early finds a golden day."

11. Kubrick is said to have typed every page of "All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy"

The pages with the famous phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" contain different layouts and errors, which would show that someone did the work manually. It is believed that the director himself was responsible for the feat, giving the scene a special touch. However, this information has never been confirmed.

12. The theory of Playgirl magazine

Kubrick is known to be famous for his detailed insight. So by the time Jack was seen reading a Playgirl magazine, people were already beginning to speculate about the real meaning of the scene. In this issue there is an article on incest, meaning for many that Danny may have been sexually abused.

13. That was actor Dan Lloyd's only major role

With the premiere of "The Shining", it was believed that Dan Lloyd, who played little Danny, would be a new child star. However, the actor only had another small role on television two years after the movie.

14. Little Danny didn't know he was in a horror movie

To protect the actor, who was only 5 at the time, Kubrick told him that the movie was a drama. Dan only saw the work when he was 16 and revealed that he had not found it frightening as it was behind the scenes.

15. The famous ax scene featured an improvisation

In the scene where Jack breaks the bathroom door with an ax, Nicholson added a special touch by shouting "heeeere's Johnny!". The catchphrase was by Ed McMahon on The Tonight Show - Starring Johnny Carson, and was not in the script. See the actor preparing for the scene:

16. Jack Nicholson wrote a scene

In addition to improvising one of the most famous scenes in the movie, Nicholson collaborated writing another. The actor revealed that he particularly understood the scolding of Jack's wife while he was trying to write. In an interview with the New York Times, he explained that he went through something similar during his divorce, saying that he had the pressure of being a family man, working during the day on a movie and writing at night.

17. Shelley Duvall and Stanley Kubrick didn't get along

The director was notoriously brutal with Shelley during the shoot. According to the actress, she began to have health problems because of the stress suffered. One of the discussion scenes between Wendy and Jack joined the Guinness Book as it took 127 shots to record.

18. Hotel Overlook Makes No Sense

Rob Ager, a fan of The Shining, realized that some aspects of the Overlook Hotel made no sense. An example is Ullman's office, which has an exterior window even though it has rooms around it. In addition, huge hallways and halls did not match the size of the hotel.

19. Set fire

Near the end of the shootings, a fire hit the studio where the film was shot, causing a $ 2.5 million loss. This case resulted in a famous photograph in which Kubrick laughs in front of the wreckage - perhaps because in the original story the hotel actually burns down.

20. 900 tons of salt were used

To create the winter maze where Jack chases Danny, no less than 900 tons of salt were used, plus styrofoam.

21. There is a different ending

It's not uncommon for movies to have different versions for the final scene, but Kubrick did it after the first weekend of the movie's screening. It seems that the film version is lost, but the script still exists. The scene takes place after Jack's death and, on a visit to Wendy at the hospital, Ullman talks about "the things she saw at the hotel." According to him, the lieutenant would have searched the whole place (the hotel) and found nothing out of the ordinary. So Ullman suggests she and Danny spend time with him. The movie ends with a black text: "Hotel Overlook has survived this tragedy, as have so many others. It still opens every year from May 20 until September 20. But it is closed for winter."

22. Theories around “The Enlightened One”

One of the theories surrounding the film says that Kubrick helped fake man's arrival on the moon and "The Shining" is his confession. Other topics cover Native American genocide and even the Holocaust.

23. References in “Toy Story 3”

One of the big fans of Kubrick's movie is director Lee Unkrich, responsible for films like "Toy Story 3". He even included references to the work in the drawing, such as the carpet similar to that of the Hotel Overlook.
There is also the dump truck sign “RM237” and the online chat scene where the dinosaur uses the nickname “Velocistar237”, mentioning room 237.

24. Mentions in Music and Games

The clips "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars and "Spit it Out" by Slipknot were inspired by the movie. The band Mudvayne has a song called "Dull Boy" which features the celebrated phrase "All work and no play makes me a dull boy".

In addition, the character Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat X uses a fatality in which he opens his opponent's belly and says "Here's Johnny".