Room 237 reviewed by Mark Kermode

www.bbc.co.uk/5...
Fridays at 2pm on BBC 5 live.
Mark Kermode reviews Room 237, a documentary exploring the bizarre theories about Kubrick's hidden messages in The Shining.

[@suededogs9670]

I love The Shining like Mark loves The Exorcist. But I'm sorry , Room 237 was a bag of arse.

[@ReclusiveDuck]

My thoughts exactly!. I always get the feeling that with Mark being such a huge Exorcist fan, that he harbours a slight resentment towards The Shining. Maybe i'm wrong but I just get the sense that he sometimes goes out of his way to criticise it.

[@i3ar310]

I agree, he seems to put it down for some reason without expanding on why.

[@dougdougw]

@@i3ar310 Don't be silly. Just because he doesn't hold it in quite the same high-esteem as The Exorcist doesn't mean he's denigrating it.

[@minderbinderas]

That's because he was handling Skyfall props, including James Bond's gun, fake passport, tuxedo jacket and watch. There's a video called "Skyfall props" if you want to see it for yourself. Or maybe that's all just a lie and Simon is actually an assassin hired to take care of anyone who gets too close to the truth about Kubrick faking the moon landings.

[@HC-cb4yp]

The only two Brits who don't think the moon landings were fake. Remember Diamonds Are Forever?

[@mikedeery7439]

Theres a hell of a lot in that movie! All bond films give us a peek behind the curtain but THAT one in particular shares many a secret

[@spikeep6141]

Well, it *IS* about Everything. The Overlook *IS* laid out like the inside of Solomon’s Temple; and the walls DO move around, like the Creatan Labyrinth. Danny successfully traps The Monster (His Father) in the centre of The Labyrith by walking backwards, just as Crowley advised. So it makes perfect sense to play the film backwards.

[@suppe3267]

hm, can you explain further? Like, where can I find the sources?

[@watermelonlalala]

While the Minotaur woman in the film probably is considered the nuttiest of all, I thought her theory actually added to understanding the symbolism at the end.

[@R0CKDRIG0]

The jump in logic from "a character walked backwards, in reference to a myth" to "that means the movie has to be played backwards" is astoundingly stupid.

[@spikeep6141]

@@R0CKDRIG0 Noboday says that.

[@guely55]

Look at the face behind Kermode during the first minutes and of course the gun of Mayo. There's a lot behind review!!

[@tyronekubrick]

I was expecting Kermode to get a headshot at any moment from 4.00 onwards.

[@povilas_sako]

What the hell Mr. Mayo is doing with that gun at 3.40?

[@Yvonne19712010]

Even hearing anything about The Shining gives me the creeps. Can't believe the guy hasn't seen it.

[@charliehungerford]

Am I the only who noticed that Simon put on a white, possibly surgical glove and had a pistol on his desk at 3.40. What is this about? I think it's a joke by Simon about hidden symbols in the Shining. I don't think Mark is in on it as he keeps rattling away (oh and yes, how is The Shining flawed, it's brilliant (I just saw the extended cut at the NFT) when I don't the Exorcist is all that good.) Or is the gun used in another bit of that day's show. OR, did Simon go and shoot someone that day?

[@schreibs]

wtf is up with the gun at 3:41 ???? Is radio host about to lose it or what???

[@sircles-net]

237, the Eagle Typewriter and the Apollo 11 taking off covering-up the boy??? That is rather concerning.

[@grumpyyoda]

LOL “I’m not sure I can be bothered to spend time with these people”.

[@creativeamerican8811]

Brain of a sheep.

[@dougdougw]

@@creativeamerican8811 Or someone bored to tears by extravagant and childish conspiracy theories and over-interpretation.

[@creativeamerican8811]

@@dougdougw oh bubs. That’s just how you feel. Funnily enough there’s a huge audience for this… that’s funny enough why they made an entire film about it… and funnily enough why these guys are talking about it and funnily enough why you are here. Obviously so bored. X

[@tonycree]

is that when he was thinking of putting the gun to his head!?

[@gregparrott]

Simply sounds like some people have WAY too much time on their hands, and while being on drugs.

[@Yorosero]

"What is essentially a rather flawed horror movie" Wow, that's quite harsh. If you didn't know it was a discussion on The Shining, you'd think that Mark was talking about some shitty zombie flick.

[@chrisnewcastle61]

I think it was just his jokey way to emphasise too much being read into it i.e. it being about the "meaning of life" at one far end of the spectrum vs "just" a film

[@dougdougw]

It's great, but it does have flaws. No need to cry.

[@crcurran]

@@dougdougw Kubrick intentionally left major flaws in the movie and I think Mark doesn't appreciate that. maybe unaware of it. Light switches disappearing and reappearing, furniture disappearing and reappearing in the same scene, the facts between scenes keep changing, the managers office window being in the same place as an elevator around the corner, the outside layout with the maze keeps changing, the day of the week cards dont make sense, etc. It was all to subconsciously unsettle you.

[@michaelhall5429]

Should've been called "confirmation bias: the movie"

[@theAbyss199]

people had been convinced he faked the moon landing for years he put the moon landing easter eggs in there as a joke to mock those people who thought that

[@james5780]

No he didn’t. Your a idiot. He faked the moon landing

[@CravingBeer]

@@james5780 But he was such an obsessive film maker that he insisted that it was shot on location.

[@damnedcarrot]

The theories were so ludicrous it made me question whether these people were for real. However, it’s an interesting look into how people create conspiracy theories from nothing and how they look for things that simply aren’t there just to prove these theories. The only one I found in anyway plausible was the moon landing referencing. There was enough there to show that Kubrick was interested in the moon landing. Obviously it doesn’t mean he’s telling us he faked the moon landing though.

[@crcurran]

I actually found the moon landing part of Room 237 to be the most farcical. The second runner up in my mind is that Kubrick had his own image airbrushed into the clouds. With that said, there is some amazing subminimal stuff in Kubrick's The Shining and as you said he included a lot of things on his mind at the time. I do think there are references to the Native American genocide, the Holocaust and the way we these atrocities are might be justified, and history can be written to white wash them. If the Nazis had won it would have been justified down the road the way the US had justified the Native Americans slaughter. The undertone of the movie is the cycle of violence - how it's justified at the time, how its recorded in history and how that perpetuates future condoned violence.

[@BirdArvid]

Stephen King supposedly hated Kubrick's The Shining; Kubrick focused on "feel" and King wanted his story told.

[@PsychologicalPower]

Room 237 is a really interesting film, The Shining is my favourite film and the documentary really goes into detail on pretty much any hidden context there could possibly be. I think if you want to take the film seriously or not is up to you, considering how far fetched it gets, of course the moon landing theory is a bit nuts but there are other points made that are probably onto something. Stanley Kubrick did think alot about his films, and there are some things you won't of seen before.

[@schpleeb]

The one to really watch is *Kubrick’s Odyssey* part 1 - which I believe wasn’t allowed for official release but can still be purchased privately online

[@TxxT33]

Nope, that's even more garbage then room 234. 234 at least has better production...KO1 is basically an amateur KZbin video.

[@philippwissemann9420]

To much to ask of an interviewer to see the material or read a book

[@dinkyvision]

Guy 1 : we’re going to talk about a documentary about The Shining. Guy 2 : never seen it. Wow.

[@gillanbowd1]

hits the nail on the head. i recently saw this and on a few occasions when offered an insight about a shot following another being not right, i'd think, no thats just a continuity cock up. it does say a lot however about how respected Kubrick was. in that what would have, in any other film, be seen as a mistake. is automatically given the benifit of the doubt and put down to something intentional. no other director is afforded the assumption that mistakes were just unthinkable

[@SethHesio]

A flawed horror movie? Kermode you are dead wrong there.

[@chembleton]

there's also a pistol on the table right in front of him too! It's as if he was about to cap Kermode then thought about the webcam LOL!

[@jhjhjhjhjhjhify]

The only way to truly watch The Shining is upside down. Like, sit on your head and watch the film. Alternatively turn your viewing device upside down BUT if you do you begin to notice the symbolic use of feet in the film. One starts to notice that every single character has them and YET we never once see them in full, like a Tarantino movie, but always clad in socks and shoes. This in turn emphasises the dichotomy between our true selves and how we present ourselves in society. Like Jack's inner madness slowly coming to the surface, we are stifled by conventions and order. One can only wonder why Kubrick did not choose to have Torrence staggering around without his shoes and socks at the end of the film to really hit this point home... Theory 2: Now I'm not saying the Illuminati exists but...

[@gmanhi5]

did you see the gun on his desk too!

[@watermelonlalala]

I don't remember anything about Hitler's mustache in Room 237 and I have seen it three times.

[@89whodatcha]

The documentary was full of reaching ...but I found it entertaining & the whole Fake moon landing thing is plausible, eyes wide shut made more sense to me after watching this doc

[@dadautube]

Shining is certainly a really fine movie but it's no big deal really! it's not even Kubrick's best to begin with!

[@crcurran]

I would agree on all points except maybe you dismiss the film more than you should. Sure, there are hidden meaning in somethings which reflected Kubrick's interests at the time but the movie making craft to subliminally put things in the movie to unsettle people was masterful. He intentionally puts in "mistakes" all over the place. He's trolling the viewer.

[@jasonvoorhees310]

For me its very hard to tell if some of this was intentional or just continuity errors. Some things are weird. But mostly I just don't know.

[@potterpotty01]

this was absolutely ridiculous! when i got to the part with the skier on the skiing poster looking like a minotaur, i had to turn it off!

[@jimjames8501]

The problem with the canard about how it's in the eyes of the beholder is that no artist wants its audience to misunderstand the art in question because that'd be on the artist, not the viewer. In other words, it's seems to me totally disingenuous to suggest that any artist ever anywhere would deliberately leave its audience confused about their message, or wish them to make them draw their own conclusions. To the contrary, the artist is horribly embarrassed for him or herself, or embarrassed for you and just cushioning the blow if they've left it up to the viewer/audience to draw their own conclusions. Granted this is very different from leaving an ending with more than one possibility. This of course also doesn't address artists who've been forced to work throughout history to get their message across IN SPITE of State censorship. Perhaps it helps if I explained there are two sets of art--state propaganda and the dissident artist. For obvious reasons, one would naturally need to be more circumspect in getting their message across. I trust y'all know which is which, but neither one of them would wish, or at least I can't conceive a scenario where the artist purposefully seeks to confuse the viewer, to leave the viewer confused. To me that'd be the opposite of art.

[@need-to-know-]

Christopher Nolan would like to have a word with you. 😂

[@fodsaks]

It couldn't be that Danny was just a little kid and little kids like rockets and space, so he would have nagged his mum to knit him an Apollo jumper?

[@Hoganply]

That this is the only compelling hook on which the moon landing truther hangs his theory is pretty tragic, isn't it.

[@psprog]

Interesting film, and a superb soundtrack (Tangerine Dream meets Georgio Moroder - fab!)

[@1qwasz12]

Ghost Story book is fantastic and bone-chilling scary. Peter Straub's best work.

[@dthree4113]

I saw that and had to rewind just to check. Was disappointed that they broke Chekhov's rule.

[@Dominic-Decoco]

What are you referring to?

[@andrewhope8698]

I can’t decide if the host knowing nothing about The Shining is appropriate or not. It worked this time, as the guest had to really break down the break down, but normally I’d like to think a host would do SOME preparation.

[@spookoo9]

What makes the shining a "flawed horror film"?

[@creativeamerican8811]

Dw. That’s Mark Kermodes opinion. The guy puts gel in his hair.

[@tubemoog]

you haven't seen The Shining ??!!!!

[@vanodyssey1659]

Room 237 was a factual documentary on the film The Shining.

[@kanleystubrick4878]

needs more TDs

[@untrue7295]

Take away all the conspiracy and 'maybe' underlying messages. The film is VER cleverly made!!! Kubrick was waaaayy before his time. The bits that you miss unless you've seen the movie at least ten times (or old about) is insane!!

[@warlockofwordschannel7901]

By the way, It's known as 'Fair use' not 'Fair dealing', Mark!

[@jimmynorton1001]

"not really, not at the moment"...;lol

[@MC_1993]

This dudes really on a movie podcast and never saw the shining. Lol

[@handsomebrick]

I'm a conspiracy fan but I was never one for moon landing stuff, until I encountered "the fake moon landing was directed by Stanley Kubrick." That is just brilliant, that's thinking outside the box right there.

[@crcurran]

Dark Side of the Moon? It was a mockumentary en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Side_of_the_Moon_(2002_film) Read the giveaways section. They are giving away that it's not actually true.

[@cybergothika6906]

Me too, but I came into terms. We probably went to the moon more than once, but what we saw was heavily edited because it wasn't a live event. It doesn't need to be the tin-foil hat conspiracy that exaggerates things (aliens living there extorting nasa, etc etc) conspiracies are more realistic than people's imagination. They probably ''helped'' real events with fake footage because sending a man to the moon can go terribly wrong at any given minute, and it would be really risky to make a global live event with it. Whatever was the reason, it always feels awkward when I see the moon landing even when I didn't know about a possible doctoring or fakery, specially after 237.

[@TheMagger123]

This film completely misunderstands how films are watched. They are, at their core, emotional experiences. They aren’t puzzle boxes. Sure you can get films like that, but at the end of it all, it’s all about if it makes emotional sense. Room 237 is a waste of time.

[@stepheningermany]

I saw this on youtube... moon landing conspiracies were crap and when the guy talked about erections I gave up...

[@Hal566]

While i don't agree with his statement, I think he said that because it's not what we traditionally think of a horror movie.

[@AwesomeMullet69]

Also, I love how he just says it with no explanation or any kind of argument. Like all critics, he was just trying to put himself above work that he himself could never do... total waste of space.

[@04hutchn]

Seriously thats creepy. why did he have a gun in front of him?

[@watermelonlalala]

Continuity error.

[@drstkova]

Is it a coincidence that Kubrick’s daughter Viv is a crazy conspiracy theorist?

[@TricksterVision]

It's hard to be big on someone who doesn't exist.

[@dougdougw]

Some triggered Kubrickians in these comments. Get a grip.

[@h0opdeedo0]

3:41 - WTH?!

[@mick9797]

I took the film as a comedy that was making fun of how people see everything in often nothing. The American Indian stuff actually made sense to me but maybe that's me reaching too.

[@tonycree]

3.30 and he's putting on a glove and messing with a gun!

[@Tails7212]

Simon is being quite rude to Mark lately.

[@RedElephantStampede]

Most die-hard fans of the book whine about how it strayed away too much from King's story.

[@valinormons]

I've read the book and I've seen the film, and I probably shouldn't have watched this clip...

[@alxc.]

Haven’t seen the shinning ? Bye

[@creativeamerican8811]

Hahah. You’re the muppet watching a review of a film you haven’t seen. Bye

[@alxc.]

@@creativeamerican8811 what are u talking about

[@damiencallaghan9389]

WTF This is supposed to be a REVIEW Is it any GOOD? or not Instead you get seven minutes of someone who loves his own voice

[@poralentierno]

u can start with loads of continuity errors

[@Savv0udi]

There's also a gun there!

[@themadplotter]

The problem with this review is, Kubrick never made continuity errors.

[@KubaRoman]

intentional continuity errors

[@arthurparker1724]

It's not very true to the book, Stephen King HATED the Kubrick film.

[@spikeep6141]

Stanley Kubrick didn’t make Continuity Errors. Daniel Day-Lewis *can’t* a scythe wrong, if his character uses a scythe.

[@liamarunbennett8282]

wtf dude watch the shining!!!!!

[@Hoganply]

Intentionally or not, the doc seems more like a self-commentary on how cult things attract morons and weirdos.

[@huzistiglitz5122]

This is the kind of conspiracy theory that's fun!

[@arthurbraxton]

"rather flawed horror movie"....kermode loses all credibility

[@autonomousmale4253]

Got me so triggered

[@YoungPadawan85]

stanley kubrick was commissioned by donald rumsfeld to stage the moon landings because the department of defence was so enthralled and enamored by the special effects in kubricks 2001 space oddysey that they knew he would be the right man for the job, eyes wide shut is glimpse of real life cult activity that kubrick put on film and it cost him his life because it was too accurate of depiction for them to tolerate being released in theaters, look into the missing 24 minutes that got cut before they finally did allow the film to release, the infamous 24 minutes that ended up costing him his life, stanley kubrick truly a genius filmmaker, was very sad to learn that his final years of life were consumed by depression and alcohol barricaded up in his house like a hermit as result of death threats made against him and his family, if you think Room 237 amounts to little more than "reading into it too much" as if to say it's all "reaching" then you got some homework to do because you don't know the kind of guy stanley kubrick was, r.i.p. kubrick his legacy will prove to be timeless and eternal

[@TheStockwell]

Golly! There's so much laughable nonsense in your manifesto, it should be Exhibit A in a presentation about why no-one takes paranoid conspiracy addicts seriously. FYI: don't be afraid of proper punctuation and capitalization. When it comes to organizing your thoughts - if that's possible - simple rules of grammar can be your friends! 😺 No offense intended. 😸

[@YoungPadawan85]

@@TheStockwell yes i can tell you aren't able to speak with any kind of informed opinion on the matter welcome to the internet, where you can still understand what i say, so your criticism about punctuation is redundant it figures a normie like you would go grammar police mode over a subject you absolutely clueless about

[@TheCinefile]

The gun was for a Bond themed shoot they did later in that day.

[@creativeamerican8811]

5:28 this guy, can’t be bothered to spend time with people that question the US Government.. ok.

[@Kaoruishere]

Kermode never was that big on Kubrik.

[@nigelmellows1]

i havent seen the shinning , jesus on a bike and mk arsh my up own

[@bertfromseasamestreet]

lol

[@Hannibal082]

I hate this documentary.

[@leejohnstone2387]

I always thought The Shining was rubbish. The book is a lot better

[@mcreal109]

Pea brain Kubrick took an average Stephen King novel and made something special

[@spikeep6141]

Lee Johnstone There’s Always One....

[@spikeep6141]

“The Quest of The Young Man is to Discover that - ‘I *AM* My Father’ AND ‘I am *NOT* My Father’. “ *- George Lucas*

[@santinoalfredo390]

thoought that ws harry enfield for a minute

[@hollywooda111]

The fact you think The Shining is a horror movie means your missed the point of the actual movie.