In honor of Halloween (it’s like Christmas, but for Satan and evil!) the frightmasters of The Dissolve will be dipping deep into the bottomless pool of insanity and dread that is Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. Kubrick’s film has been hailed by seemingly everyone other than Stephen King as one of the scariest and most masterful horror films ever made. It’s a preeminent contemporary classic whose value and meaning are still being aggressively debated, most famously in the much-buzzed-about documentary Room 237, which explores a number of theories about the film specifically and the essence of obsession and fandom in general.
What’s left to be said about The Shining? Find out starting Tuesday with my Keynote essay on the film’s allegorical treatment of alcoholism, a Forum exploring everything from theories regarding the film’s meaning to its faithfulness to its source material, and an essay by Tasha Robinson on the widely disparaged but King-approved and -written mini-series adaptation of the book. So get plenty of rest and take it easy on yourself in the days ahead, because all work and, well, you know the rest. In conclusion, boo!
Coming up:
(Note: MOTW discussions will begin on Tuesday starting next week)
November 5: Kirikou And The Sorceress
November 12: A Moment Of Innocence
November 19: Unforgiven