The Shining (1980) ♦Movie Reaction♦ First Time Watching!

For monthly polls, early access, extended ad-free videos, and watch-along versions*, check out my Patreon: / whimsory
00:00 Intro
00:33 Reaction
28:24 Outro/Discussion/Awards
*must own/rent a copy of the film to sync up with me for watch-along format

[@jardarius]

I once attended a boarding school located deep in the Norwegian woods. And when everyone went home for Christmas, only I had to stay behind because I lived so far away. Being rather bored, I sneaked in to the movie room and decided to watch this film. Huge screen, great speakers. Terrible idea! I have never been so afraid in my life. It must have taken me an hour to crawl back to my room through those long dark corridors. And there I stayed, in bed, under the blankets, the rest of the week, until the other students came back. That's 20 years ago now, and watching this video still make my skin crawl. Good job Whimsory.

[@TheProxy1987]

good times ;)

[@lazyperfectionist1]

Not many pleasant things happen, deep in a forest. People who grow up there tend to be _paranoid._

[@BoOmBANG_]

Aw ☹️

[@michaelnolan6951]

I too first experienced this movie while isolated at Christmas! In my case I watched it on TV while my parents were actually acting as caretakers at an old mansion that had converted into a short term children's home. (Cholmondely, in Governors Bay, New Zealand.) During that trip I had a couple of experiences that I would have felt no option but to consider paranormal - except for my skeptical Dad who spent hours tracking down the actual explanations for me. We were surrounded by trees, and could go for days without seeing another human but I didn't think of my experience being like the movie for nearly 20 years. Someone pointed it out when I was retelling the story after I moved to the UK. It helped that it was the middle of summer and we were only 30 minutes drive from our house in Christchurch.

[@matthew55793]

No, you're wrong. Deep in a forest is the only place I want to be. The only safe place. @@lazyperfectionist1

[@honkenbonker]

I can't understand how anyone would dislike Shelly Duval's acting in this unless they just completely missed that she was meant to be the spouse in an abusive relationship. The way she awkwardly laughs off Jack injuring Danny when she's talking to the doctor at the start of the movie, her nervous smile and meekness when Jack berates her for interrupting his 'work' is all spot on. The scene with Danny getting his firetruck is terrifying to anyone who grew up around a parent with explosive anger issues, that horrible tension from just a simple thing like going to your room to get something, tiptoeing past the human time bomb that is your parent. The supernatural elements make the real terror of the movie easier to take, separates it from the dark reality of the actual horror of domestic violence.

[@ryangraper]

I got a completely different read than you did. Jack is a loving husband and father by evidence that he quit drinking after he harmed Danny. The whole tip toe so you don't wake your sleeping father is just being courteous. Jack has the shining just like Danny and he only turns crazy and violent because the hotel was influencing him. I mean after a couple of viewings I can't understand how people don't understand that it was the hotel all along not jack.

[@y00t00b3r]

Shelly Duval absolutely killed it in this role. Simply amazing. You have to be a POWERFUL actor to **not** disappear when cast against Jack Nicholson

[@fairytalepurityanalyser6056]

I got a completely different read. This whole film is about Wendy's psychotic-hallucinogenic episodes with small windows of normal family life when Wendy isn't having an episode. That's why Danny created an invisible friend, Tony, to cope with his mun's psychotic behaviours. 3:38; It's her mother that Danny is afraid of right there.

[@CERULEANSPIRAL]

I came to say this. He was verbally abusive the whole time. In the book it went into more detail of course- he was getting more and more of a mean/violent drunk. Breaking Danny's arm was not the first time he hurt Danny, just the first time they had to deal with consequences because they had to take him to a hospital and there was documentation. Prior to the arm breaking, he had dropped Danny a few times while drunk. But he was so young- babies are bouncy. Breaking Danny's arm wasn't even what made him quit drinking. He was driving drunk and hit a kids bike- no kid on it but at first he though he had killed a kid. He took the job at the Overlook to start over and have a reason to write. The hotel not having alcohol was supposed to help him. The hotel did call to him, but I can't remember if it was before the interview or not. It definitely got into his head once they got there and the staff left. Each room with ghosts has a story.

[@markhamstra1083]

@@fairytalepurityanalyser6056Not this stupid fan theory again. 🤪

[@a1superfantastic]

Cute fact: throughout his career, Nicholson went out of his way to make sure that child actors were looked after on movie sets. He'd often sit down with young Danny Lloyd and comfort him when they had a scary scene to shoot, and he would always help him with his homework.

[@user-wb8eh6lf5n]

That is so cool to learn that about Jack Nicholson

[@TTM9691]

That is a completely made up story, 100% false. I don't know where you got that garbage from, but Lloyd never needed to be "comforted", nor did Nicholson "help him with his homework". Once Danny Lloyd and his family went to Nicholson's place to swim in the pool for an afternoon, but he spent most of his time with Leon Vitali (Kubrick's assistant) and Shelley Duvall. Not that Nicholson wasn't warm to the kid but the two hardly have any scenes together, most of them are with Shelley Duvall.

[@TTM9691]

PS: Other than The Shining, how many Jack Nicholson movies can you name where there is a child actor in it? I know there is a quick shot of him playing with Shirley Maclaine's granddaughter at the end of "Terms Of Endearment", but other than that, my mind's a blank! Let's see: Easy Rider, no kid. Five Easy Pieces, no kid. Carnal Knowledge, famously no kid! Iconically no kid in Carnal Knowledge! lol. The King Of Marvin Gardens, no kid. The Last Detail, Chinatown, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest......no kids in any of 'em. Tommy, Missouri Breaks, The Fortune, The Passenger.....no kids in any of 'em. Reds: no kids in it. There's a baby in The Border, he has a couple of scenes with a baby in The Border. I'm in the 1980s now, and I started in the 60s, and there's not a single kid in sight in any of these movies. And by the way: child actors are always looked after on sets! Usually by their stage moms! Ok, where were we? . Heartburn......a baby! But Jack is never there, that's the whole point of the movie! Witches Of Eastwick.....no kids other than a room of babies watching a video of Jack talking to them. Batman, no kids. Wow, I'm getting to the 90s now, dude, and so far the only child actor I can find that worked with Jack is Danny Lloyd in The Shining! (Maybe there was one in Goin' South? I can't remember. But Jack was the director of Goin' South! I'd expect him to look after a child actor on a set if he was the director!) (He was also the director of The Two Jakes which, you guessed it, had no child actors in it). It's real easy to "go out of your way" to "look after" child actors.....WHEN THERE ARE NONE ON THE SET! 🤣

[@winstonmarlowe5254]

He also beat up a hooker to the point where she has permanent brain damage.

[@marquisdesade3025]

I’m so intrigued why this “fact” was fabricated

[@DadQuixote7]

Shelly Duvall is the hero of this movie and I absolutely love her in this role.

[@afroahmed3989]

Well considering the hell Kubrick had her go through while shooting to get that performance outta her , I'm surprised she didn't just quit acting after this movie

[@user-lu4fk7yp8v]

He could never get away with that crap today.@@afroahmed3989

[@NarnianRailway]

Disguised as Dick Hallorann, it's Hong Kong Phooey to the rescue at the Overlook Hotel! He's got style, a groovy style, and a car that just won't stop. When the going gets rough, he's super tough, with a Hong Kong Phooey chop (Hi-Ya!) Such a fun reaction and commentary to The Shinning! Great job Whimsory! 👍

[@jefffredenburg7231]

Where do you think he got that axe Spot?

[@NarnianRailway]

@@jefffredenburg7231 😂

[@kevindorn2508]

I rate Duvalls performance on pair with Nicholsons. Shes selling terror 100%, also she fights back with all the power a gentle soul can muster and even beats Jack. Many girls dont like her because shes no Ripley. The fact that someone nominated her for a raspberry just shows how insignificant random critics are.

[@anthonyleecollins9319]

I was a fan of hers before this movie even came out. She was in six or seven Robert Altman films in the 1970s, playing quite a range of characters.

[@milannesic5718]

You are not serious, are you? You can clearly see she is over reacting. Trying to act out terror, but you can notice it is not natural. Come on, liking a movie and director does not mean you should praise everything. Or disliking a movie, does not mean you should hate on everything. Your feelings about the movie impact your judgment

[@kevindorn2508]

@@milannesic5718 well, i guess we have to disagree here. I already explained why i like her performance, you dont. Thats life.

[@martinboyle9163]

Mo Murphy recinded the Razzie nomination when Kubrick's awful treatment of Duvall during shooting was exposed.

[@RichardM1366]

The woman in the tub is Mrs Massey a long term guest. She came there with a younger man who ran out on her. She took her own life in the tub. This was in the novel. A lot of the ghosts had back stories but Stanley Kubrick wanted to keep it to the viewers imagination. To this day it is one of the most discussed horror movie to this day.

[@Diggerdog2nd]

I always thought it was Mrs. Grady. I've never read the novel.

[@NemeanLion-]

I always thought it was Mrs. Grady too. It’s true, now I think about it they did describe in the film that he killed his family with an axe. This lady was not.

[@Jordan-Ramses]

A novel is a lot longer than a screenplay. You can't do everything. What bothers me is when they add stuff to it. Oh you think you're a better writer than Stephen King?? Thankfully this isn't one of those. If you don't think the book is good why are you making the movie??

[@jmo8934]

@@Jordan-Ramses Didn’t Stephen King absolutely detest this adaptation? So much so that he made his own version later.

[@ahoyforsenchou7288]

@@jmo8934 Stephen king is the, well, king of writing mediocre books (or novelettes) that brilliant directors and actors then turn into masterpieces of cinema. I'm sure he was always pretty upset about that fact.

[@ChirumboloFilm]

I was about to watch something else, but then I was like”The hell with that, Whimsory just watched The Shining!” My day just got better.

[@robinbyrd3463]

same

[@BodyASK]

Yes , her reaction is always interesting to watch

[@Theomite]

- The sequel DOCTOR SLEEP (director's cut) is a magnificent. A must-see. - BARRY LYNDON is also magnificent. But it is slow, even by '70s standards. - I think the performances were so large that they looked ridiculous to critics at the time. The same thing happened to POSSESSION, but thankfully people finally came around to seeing how outstanding the acting is. Kubrick didn't trust people in general, so he was comfortable manipulating and abusing people in unethical ways to get what he wanted--I am *convinced* that he drove poor Leon Vitali to an early grave by using him. Shelley Duvall is basically having a nervous breakdown on camera. That's why her performance is so good--she's actually undergoing the real thing.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Frikkin Mike Flanagan NAILS it. I'm seriously hoping he makes a lot more Stephen King adaptations.

[@treetopjones737]

The film of Dr. Sleep wisely mixes the Shining film ideas with King's Dr. Sleep novel, so it works as a sequel.

[@davidgalvez5341]

Something which is often overlooked about King's fiction is how he leaves you with the impression that the really scary mosters in his stories aren't the supernatural ones, but those of the human variety.

[@BlackavarWD]

40:00 Robin Williams "One Hour Photo" That's him in a horror movie... kinda. Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall were in the movie *Popeye.* Don't watch it until you've watched a couple episodes of the cartoon. It's spot on!

[@Wang_Monkey]

Something that adds to the creepiness is that Jack constantly breaks the fourth wall and looks right at the camera. It happens very quickly but very often throughout the film and is clearly intentional as it's something movies generally avoid (unless they get a bit meta!). So maybe that creepy feeling you were getting was your subconscious saying "He keeps looking at me!" ;)

[@rg3388]

“The music is kinda spooky,” one reason being that the theme is the “Dies irae” that’s been making people think of death for centuries.

[@ericv7720]

"...a talk show that was popular in the 80s" is an understatement! The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," or simply "Johnny Carson" ran for three decades from 1962 to 1992, and was the template for all late night shows to follow. The line "Heeeere's Johnny" was given by his sidekick, Ed McMahon, at the opening of every show.

[@y00t00b3r]

==================> THREE DECADES

[@krashd]

If huge is being popular in a country that contains just 4% of the Earth's population.

[@ericv7720]

@@krashd But produces 98% of entertainment...

[@y00t00b3r]

@@ericv7720 Exactly. Now add into consideration the amount of revenue driven by that entertainment industry, and it's doubly overwhelming.

[@a1superfantastic]

"Worst book I've ever read." I'm with you, Whimsory... as an uber-introvert, the thought of having the entire hotel to myself for five months surrounded by natural beauty sounds like bliss to me. You know, without all the murders. And haunted stuff.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Like books? Imonna suggest "Bleak House", by Charles Dickens.

[@gregg3423]

you just need to understand it , that's all ! i like it

[@deadNightwatchman]

​@@gregg3423Stephen King is vastly overrated.

[@ryanamendt8363]

​@@deadNightwatchmanNo he isn't.

[@deadNightwatchman]

@@ryanamendt8363 Majorly, utterly, embarrassingly overrated.

[@BoOmBANG_]

To me Jack appearing in the photo at the end just meant that the hotel had once more successfully claimed another victim.

[@FunkyJabroni]

​@petegiant yes he was possessed. But he was also clearly a nut job from the start of the movie.

[@masansr]

@@petegiant It has nothing to do with your personal misogyny. King disliked this movie because Nicholson seemed like he's insane from the get-go, and the house just pushed him (whereas he wasn't bad at the start in the books, it was mostly the house).

[@petegiant]

@@masansr How does an observation of reaction equate to hatred?

[@petegiant]

I stated that most women assume that he is BAD man. Never taking into consideration that a female could lie, which I think is why Kubrick played it thus to trip folks up.

[@masansr]

@@petegiant In the comment you deleted you literally said "most WOMEN who watch this think that". Even though most people who watch this, including the author, think that. There is no "observation of reaction". You just personally think women are too dumb "to see the real meaning" or whatever.

[@jonathanlay8746]

Love your channel and reactions, congrats on taking this one like a champ... FYI, Johnny Carson wasn't "some talk show", the Tonight Show used to be THE talk show that adults watched after their kids went to bed. And Johnny Carson was the undisputed King of Late Night Comedy for like 30 years. It wasn't just "popular in the '80's". He made the careers of everyone famous in the 90's, etc. set the standard for comedy for 2 generations.

[@y00t00b3r]

This cannot be overstressed. Johnny Carson was huge... bigger than anyone who exists in our current media landscape. Everything was much smaller back then, not so much variety. So, when you were huge, you were like GODZILLA.

[@markwilliams6394]

And funnier too.

[@treetopjones737]

When a new entertainer first appeared on Carson, it made their career explode ( in a good way ).

[@WarriorOfGhengisKhan]

Absolutely adore the effort you put into your post movie reviews. It's great to see younger generations watch classic movies and see how you view things. Have a Happy New Year from the U.K.

[@powerpointpaladin6911]

Just realized after so many watches: the family arrives "closing day", presumably the day after the season ends "October 30." So their first day in the hotel is Halloween.

[@user-us5pv8zw3z]

I saw an interview with Danny Lloyd, the little boy who plays Danny in the film. He has nothing but good memories of making this film. He was never frightened nor was he scarred for life.

[@Airaindust]

This movie always makes me want to be a caretaker at an isolated hotel during winter. Horror theme aside the experience would be amazing.

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Yep, that would work out nicely with my desire to just hibernate through winter.

[@mrtveye6682]

I think Shelley Duvall did an amazing job. The character seems to be pretty naive, and that's why she might annoy some viewer. But I'm sure this was totally on purpose, and she played that completely believable. Esp. the scene on the stairs, the fear and desperation feels so damn real, I can't imagine how it could be done the slightest bit better.

[@prischm5462]

I watched "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson many times. At the beginning of every show his announcer Ed McMahon began the show with "Heeeeeeeeers Johnny".

[@positivelynegative9149]

4:37 We had not yet fully embraced seatbelts. 🤣 When I was 5, three years after this film was released, I fell out of a moving car. I got 10 stitches in my forehead after the doctor scrubbed the asphalt out of the wound with a steel-wire brush.

[@newdefsys]

My impression of Tony was that he was a type of guardian spirit to Danny. He gave Danny information, like telling him that his dad had gotten the job at the Overlook, and he also warned Danny not to talk to anyone about the shining, and he warned Danny to not go to the Overlook. I think in the book ( _spoilers_ ) that Tony was actually Danny in the future.

[@weezerfan084]

yes, Tony is Danny in the future; his name is Daniel Anthony Torrance.

[@treetopjones737]

Scatman's character mentions some "can see the future" about the ability.

[@Doutsoldome]

Barry Lindon is fantastic! The photography is so meticulously done that you can stop the movie at any random moment, capture the image, frame it and hang on your wall. The characters and the story are great, too. One of Kubrick's masterpieces - but then again most of his movies are masterpieces. You should definitely whach it!

[@foreignmilk5589]

masterpiece

[@MrCzerillo]

I love how Barry Lyndon is lit with light sources true to the era the film takes place in.

[@OklasoonaHomer]

Tuesday has scared the hell out of 99% of the reactors I've watched do this movie. It's one of those moments that make me hold my breath in anticipation.

[@daviddahl1791]

I saw this movie with my best friend in the theatre in 1980. During the elevator scene she leaned over and whispered. "That's what happens when I sneeze on my period!" I fought hard not to laugh.... and somehow managed not to... but the rest of the film didn't scare me at all. She made me laugh and she took all the possible fear away.

[@philipsnettleton]

It's kind of like the song, "Hotel California." It has the line near the end, "You can check out but you can never leave." The obvious double meaning of 'check out' drives the point home.

[@Fiendy]

“NATURAL BORN KILLERS” Pleeeeeaaase! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🥺

[@Gankzta]

Oh man Whimsory would have a blast watching that movie 😂

[@fredklein3829]

I know mirrors are important in this movie which I've seen more than a hundred times. But I just noticed tonight starting at 14:11, the reflection of Jack sitting on the bed is arranged in such a way where we see Jack's torse in the mirror and beneath the mirror, Jack's jeans are draped over the furniture in such a way where they look like his legs, "half a Jack" as if Jack isn't altogether there.

[@TheRemyLeBeau]

I think this movie is less "scary" and more "unsettling". People sometimes don't appreciate that as much as jumpscares, but those are my favorite ones; they make you _feel_ the atmosphere throughout the movie and oftentimes even much later after finishing the movie. It makes you _squeamish_ and unable to sit straight in your seat. That's such a stark difference from when you're scared (hands over your eyes), because this time you're _eager_ to see it, despite not feeling comfortable at all when seeing it. That's when horror truly shines in my humble opinion, when it's unsettling. It's the same feeling of going down the dark basement; you know it's a bad idea, but you're too curious not to. Since horror novels can't do jumpscares, they have to rely on an unsettling atmosphere, so when you see it in the movie it's a more authentic feeling of how you experience the books.

[@paulymar5996]

I agree with you about the lady in the bathtub. She was joyful, constantly laughing, reaching out to Jack for more affection. So misunderstood. Also, Jack may have written more than one line over and over if Wendy hadn't kept rudely interrupting him. Jeez.

[@MichaelG277]

I love your thoroughness when you react to movies. It means you miss very little. Good job!

[@bendon82]

Fun fact: The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, was the inspiration for The Overlook. King stayed there, and it inspired him to write The Shining. They later shot the "made for TV" version of The Shining at The Stanley, as well as Dumb and Dumber (the hotel they stay in when they get to "Aspen"). Jack Nicholson still stays at The Stanley occasionally, whenever he's in Colorado.

[@Mantarhochen]

I recommend the successor to this movie *Doctor Sleep*. It is different but Rebecca Furgesson and Ewan McGregor are great in it. Also fun fact: Danny's actor has a cameo in it. I read The Shining some time ago and I remember that it is a good read. Especially the ending is stronger than in the movie in how the bad guys get defeated.

[@BlackavarWD]

6:10 Poltergeist isn't on an Indian burial ground... "It's just... people."

[@mwflanagan1]

Another captivating reaction, Whimsory. I think you attract subscribers who appreciate the more in-depth analysis that you provide, and you never disappoint. This outro was particularly funny. Thanks.

[@Mike-rw2nh]

Two things I’ve taken away from this upload: 1. Your edits are perfection. 2. I was way too young when I first watched this film.

[@ArgyleR04D]

~10:18 "she's really nice and he's kind of weird" she's constantly displaying fawning behavior around him, and he's constantly being unpredictable and entitled. It's a clearly abusive dynamic but I've seen so many people just say things like "she's so supportive" when they're watching them. I guess they've been living charmed lives not to instantly see she's screaming how scared of him she is constantly in the subtext. The line "don't be so grouchy" gets me every time for example.

[@ftumschk]

Nice that you nominated Tuesday as the most dramatic moment. Personally, I've seen better days ;) BTW, Wendy Carlos' music only appears in the opening credits. The eerie orchestral music in the rest of the film was written by 20th century composers Bartók, Ligeti and Penderecki.

[@seansersmylie]

Barry Lyndon is an absolute masterpiece.

[@anaccount8474]

The scene at 10:55 where Danny stops outside room 237 is scarier than you think. The door to the room on the other side behind Danny is closed when he first stops, but a moment later it's open. Someone is in there watching him.

[@celestinomoya4470]

This was the perfect movie to get Whimsory to make all her best faces😂 I think she is my new favorite person in the world that I don’t know. Ha. It’s just a bummer that we have to wait so long between reactions. I could def use more of her brightness in my average week.

[@Billy-zv6gv]

Whimsory's expressions are the best parts of any movie: entertaining!

[@davewhitmore1958]

Word!

[@NemeanLion-]

The 17:40 sequence was hilarious.

[@3DJapan]

Except the weird fisheye lens effect.

[@zmarko]

Your impression of "Tony" is spot on! Well done! Lol

[@DDT61586]

Whimsory sounds exactly like DDG's little sister Tee Tee. The voice inflictions, tone, humor, everything is spot on. Close your eyes & listen to them both talk. Sounds like the same person. No diss, just an observation.

[@KevDaly]

You should see Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick where he does his patented over the top ranting but the humour is intentional. It's a treat, especially his monologue in the church.

[@mjjones8216]

Sorry to hear you weren’t that well in the last few weeks Whimsory .hope your much better soon this was a much better film it was also Great to see your cat pop in for a few seconds in the edit im Glade he or she is still around their Great company happy New year to you both !! 👋🏻🇬🇧

[@nicolasbaron4506]

The Shining is a flawless horror film and it’s the perfect example of one! It is legitimately scary! Jack Nicholson gives such a scary performance to the point where we actually believe he is insane! It even has one of the most memorable scenes in film history. I just love that “Here’s Johnny” scene. The delivery of that line is what makes it so amazing! A lot of people say it’s one of the best horror films, and they are definitely right.

[@finkelmana]

Depends on who you are asking. Stephen King, the author of the book hated this movie.

[@vincentpuccio3689]

Love the movie but I still prefer the book

[@tsogobauggi8721]

27:48 "Come, family. Sit in the snow with daddy and let us all bask in television's warm, glowing, warming glow." :)

[@ratbastard2708]

"Urge to kill rising... rising..." 😅

[@DementedDistraction]

"He's being weird!" Biggest understatement ever, lol.

[@Man_The_Machines]

Kubrick got exactly what he needed for the scenes. He wanted to have choices in the editing room. He was the guy that typed Jack’s book. :)

[@TTM9691]

Wrong. It was an assistant who typed all those pages. Brand new book you might want to read about the making of the Shining, or you can watch the author do an hour video presentation about it here on You Tube, the book literally just came out so the videos are new. He interviewed the assistant who typed all those pages, over the course of a couple of months, and they even did a little in-joke on one of the pages, which I'll let you discover for yourself when you watch the video or read the book. But Kubrick was not the guy who typed those pages, contrary what you might have heard previously.

[@platinumspider7859]

@@TTM9691 As a note; try to avoid starting a comment like this. *Wrong* It's immediately hostile or arrogant and unnecessary since you explain how it's wrong immediately after. Additionally, when recommending someone study something you should include the title and author. I think you are referencing Lee Unkrich's book “Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining” but haven't read it to be sure the section you refer to is in it. Feel free to correct me on that. There are 2 videos I could find of him talking about the book but I don't know which one you refer to the BFI video or the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, or neither if it's wrong book to begin with.

[@Man_The_Machines]

@@TTM9691 that’s cool I’ll check it out. I’ve seen the one on KZbin ..shot by his wife I believe. You always see Kubrick typing in it and I bought the rumor and imagined that’s what he was furiously typing hahahaha

[@gregmattson2238]

barry lyndon is an awesome movie. absolutely stunning but the american movie audiences have a notoriously short attention span so it didn't get its just awards until much later. Now it is recognized for its brilliance.

[@jontastic]

Here’s Johnny was a reference to his sidekick Ed McMahon’s introduction. Carson is the most successful Tonight Show host.

[@darkjedi447]

Funniest part at 22:17 "The worst book I every read!" hahaha. That was hilarious! Thanks so much for the fun reaction! Just FYI, the famous scene where he says 'Here's Johnny! is him quoting the famous Late Night show, with host Johnny Carson. Every night he was introduced at the beginning by his sidekick Ed with the line 'Heresssssss' Johnny!!"....just incase you wanted to know lol. Thanks again for the fun reaction. Keep smiling. Happy holidays!

[@PierceArner]

Glad to know that the shocked laughter to the Dogbear scene is the same as when I first saw it. All the small details that just keep adding up to how the movie makes you feel more & more disoriented are really just spectacular.

[@SomeOne-hw6jw]

Barry Lyndon is a bit long true but this is probably one of the most beautiful movie ever made (cinematography wise). Definitely worth the watch, especially if you like period pieces.

[@CERULEANSPIRAL]

In the book they spent a lot more time outside. The maze and the garden that had animal topiaries that came to life.

[@NateAZ]

The opening credit scene that shows him driving the mountain road was filmed in Montana. The road is the one that crosses Glacier National Park in Montana, it's called 'The Going to The Sun Highway'. The hotel is not in Montana, only that sweeping driving scene at the very beginning was.

[@gorrammudder1600]

So excited! This one is quite the film. My daughter and I love your reactions. Keep up the great work. Doing it all solo doesn't go unnoticed.

[@JamesGilburt-lb7sg]

Hi Whimsory, I loved your reaction to this, it's a horror icon. It was filmed in England in the late 1970's. Jack Nicholson gives his best creepy performance in this, he is one of the GOAT's. I highly recommend him in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) he won the best actor Oscar for that, he plays a prisoner who is transferred to a mental hospital to be evaluated to determine whether if he's insane. While there, he interacts with other patients and clashes with the head nurse. And another horror movie in general I highly recommend you react to is An American Werewolf In London (1981) very scary, has has funny moments and incredible (academy award winning) special make up effects! I love your channel and I'm subscribed :)

[@billbabcock1833]

I didn't know it at the time of course but when Stephen King was living in Boulder, Colorado, I was going to the University of Colorado there. He was working on his novel Carrie. That's when he and his wife drove up into the mountains to the town of Estes Park. It was there that he discovered The Stanley Hotel. Boulder has played as a location in several of King's novels. The Stand, Misery and The Shining. But I'd say that the majority of his novels take place in Maine.

[@tommc4916]

The opening sequence was filmed on Going-To-The-Sun Road. It is in Glacier National Park in Montana and is usually completely snowed in from sometime in fall to late spring. The deepest snowdrifts can be several dozen feet deep and can take several weeks to clear before the summer tourist season starts.

[@vytallicaq.6881]

If you haven't tried auditioning for local theater, you really should. Your natural expressiveness shows you've got a real talent for it. I hope you give it a shot someday. I know some really like "Barry Lyndon", but I'm in the "yeah, it's boring" camp. The actor who starred in that died not long ago. Ryan O'Neal. I DID like him a lot in "What's up, Doc?" Great, zany Rom-Com. Very fun, wild chase scene at the end. Great job on your videos this year! And have a great NEW Year Whimsory! 👍🎉

[@Geo_Storm]

Whaaaaat Whimsory dropping back to back reactions!?!? Happy New Years Whimsory!! 🥳

[@justinholliday8047]

With the weird bear scene, it’s supposed to infer that Danny was s-ually abused by his dad. If you recall at the beginning on the movie, Danny is laying on a bear blanket. This is one of the deep dive conspiracy theories that Stanley Kubrick hinted at.

[@tomyoung9049]

I think EVERYONE jumps the first time watching this when the Tuesday card pops up. 😊

[@Xoferif]

Hope you're feeling better now, Whimsory. Thanks for the great reaction!

[@Billinois78]

1980 was the year of Shelly Duvall, between The Shining and Popeye both being in theaters. 2 polar opposite kinds of movies. Popeye is a live-action take on the cartoon and was Robin Williams breakthrough in the title role. Duvall played Olive Oyl.

[@markhamstra1083]

🙄 Robin Williams had broken through waaaay before that movie with _Mork and Mindy._ If anything, _Popeye_ nearly killed his future in movies instead of establishing it.

[@Billinois78]

@@markhamstra1083 By breakthrough, I meant it was his first starring role in a movie and it made him way more famous than when he was a stand-up comedian or even on tv. If we are talking about what film made him a box office star, that would be Good Morning Vietnam. Thanks for the eye roll, btw. At least you didn't say "Um...actually...".

[@markhamstra1083]

@@Billinois78 Williams was already very famous before _Popeye,_ and the only thing that movie nearly made him additionally famous for was being a successful tv actor who could not make the transition to the big screen. Of course he did later succeed in Hollywood, but nominations for Worst Actor awards are not what you are aiming for when intending to breakthrough into film acting.

[@johnmbell4642]

Hey whimsory, i’m new to your channel. This is a great movie. I tried to sneak into it when I was 14 in 1980 didn’t know what it was I just wanted to see it. Watched it a couple years later on cable really freaked me out. Don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it but unbelievably this is not a real hotel. It is a giant set in the opening with the fly over that is a real hotel someplace. Not that you would notice, but there is no hedge maze in the shot. When they’re there on the ground outside that is a set inside those giant rooms. Those giant windows that’s all set and the hedge maze itself. It’s a set. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it in the documentary about the making of the film. Anyways, have a great new year.👍

[@tbmike23]

Just in time for the holidays. :) Stanley Kubricks use of symmetry in this film is so unsettling. In the book Danny plays a role in the occurrences, his presence strengthens the hotel. The hotel went after the dad after falling to get Danny, and the dad had a moment of clarity and fought off the hotels power long enough to warn Danny near the end.

[@gravedigger8414]

Your outro talk is as good as the reaction. Just so much fun. Please never change even if statistics might show that many lousy people turn off after the reaction! Have a great start to 2024! 😊

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

Whimsory, I really enjoyed your reaction to this. I like the work of Stanley Kubrick a lot, many of his film have odd or unusual elements in them, "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Dr Strangelove (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb)", "A Clockwork Orange", "Eyes Wide Shut", "Lolita", he did quite a few classics too, "Spartacus", "The Killing", "Full Metal Jacket", "Paths of Glory". Have a great New Year's Eve, may 2024 bring you all that your heart desires. Take care and much love from the U.K. See you next year.

[@losmosquitos1108]

Just found some interesting stuff to share: Banking plays an unconsciously big role in The Shining. For example, when Jack is in the ballroom for the first time, Lloyd tells him "his credit is just fine" because the conversation is in the moment itself and credit was accepted in 1980. But this all changes when he is in the ballroom again for the second time, while there is a Gatsby party going on. He is now in the 1920's atmosphere. He attempts to hand Lloyd modern (his money was 1950's) cash but Lloyd tells him "your money is no good here". This is a subplot involving the bank system back then. Before the Federal Reserve was made, you could actually take cash and exchange it for physical gold. Making the modern cash worthless in a 1920's atmosphere. Because the 1950's cash was not backed by gold as it was in the 1920's. So the people aren't real, but the atmosphere is. The first time Jack was in the ballroom, and the 1920's party wasn't going on, his credit was "just fine" according to Lloyd, because modern money was accepted then. Once, the 1920's party was happening inside his head, his cash and credit were worthless. In the 1921 final image we can also see the 4th of July date. Under the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence which is referenced by the Fourth of July date in the end photo, gold and silver were deemed as the only legal payment. So that means that every US paper money in circulation was a receipt for an equivalent amount of physical gold or silver stored in bank vaults. This changed after the creation of the Federal Reserved Bank which the role of gold was removed and replaced with paper money and computer blips, not backed by anything. That's why Jack's money (20 dollars) wasn't redeemable at the party he was attending. The final 1921 image was a real image. And every person around Jack was an archetype of the period. Lots of photos on the walls in the Overlook are photos of politicians, businessmen and movie stars. So the Fourth of July date is a link to the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence, concerning silver and gold, hence the "Gold Room". The walls of the Gold Room look like large gold bars stacked. The 1921 final image was taken in the Gold Room. It is also worth noting that Stanley was pro-gold. He even advised others to buy gold.

[@shieldsluck1969]

33:28 He got the promise of the role, some of Kubrick's staff say, on his 5th birthday. Right in that respect. He was 5 for a major part of the filming and 6 from about the torn sweater onwards.

[@adamdarmstaedter1256]

Barry Lyndon is GREAT!! Kubrick started as a still photographer, so he creates very picturesque film scenes and Barry Lyndon is slow, but looks amazing. Kubrick likes to re-use actors. Delbert Grady is also Alex's father in A Clockwork Orange. Barry Lyndon features several actors also in Clockwork Orange.

[@OhitsGeo]

Oh Whimsory’s poor little finger ☹️ Damn you table!! 😤🖕🏽 🤣🤣🤣💀

[@zeldyrrolorin9962]

King based the book hotel on the Stanley Hotel in Colorado. It's funny though because it is anything but isolated...you can walk down the hill to a McDonalds and a grocery store in 5 minutes. There are tours and you can even stay in rooms featured in the movie/book.

[@brettharlow7010]

You really put in the work for your reactions,...major kudos my friend.

[@IMold363]

This movie is brilliant because 1 person can watch it and have 5 different interpretations of what it was all about!! 😂

[@islandgreenstrong]

HEY Whimsory!! What a treat to have "The Shining" reaction come out on my birthday!! WOOT WOOT!! THANK YOU!! 😉😁 This is definitely a psychological mind screw for sure...but in such a good way. Glad you liked it!! ~Dawne

[@warrengday]

Great Tony impression. @40:39 "music more scarying than what's on the screen". Perfectly put. Yes indeed, the music and sound effects make this film so scary, so often the photography is so beautifully well framed that wouldn't seem scary without the music it was given. By the way, Danny Lloyd has said in interviews (on KZbin) that although he was told it was a drama, he did on set work out that it was a horror movie, he overheard things being said like, "we don't need Danny on set tomorrow as tomorrow we will be filming the death of the chef".

[@tetleyT]

Thanks Whimsory! What an iconic selection. The book is absolutely amazing - super scary and really different from the movie. But I've always thought it was kind of petty of Stephen King to dismiss the movie. Something he does to this very day. They're completely different artforms and should be judged on their own merits rather than against each other. Both masterpieces.

[@platinumspider7859]

He just doesn't like the amount of deviation from his source, which is fine as the original creator. Others don't have as much personal connection. My mother, as a Stephen King fan, hates this movie for the same reasons as him, but I, as a Kubrick fan who never read the book, appreciate the art.

[@1000000man1]

A Kubrick film is always must watch. Btw Kubrick lived in the UK (originally from New York) and he chose to shoot his films in England, rather than go on location. So pretty much the whole film is on a big set, except from a few shots in the beginning, where a second unit went on location. The distant exterior shots of the hotel are real, but all the close ups are a recreation in London. Kubrick also shot Vietnam scenes in London for Full Metal Jacket. He even had Palm trees flown in and meticulously placed.

[@norwegianblue2017]

Even the shot of them running around in the snow in front of the hotel is shot on soundstage. The snow is actually styrofoam. The interior shots so masterfully copy the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Park, I had no idea for years that it was shot on set.

[@misterkite]

The book is based off the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the exterior shots for the movie are from the Timberline in Oregon, and the interior shots are all sets on a UK lot. (Also explains why the exterior shots don't actually show a maze.. the Stanley Hotel has one, the Timberline doesn't)

[@YodatheHobbit]

I find it funny that Wendy was supposed to by a horror movie fanatic, yet was completely terrified of everything which went on. Didn't even seem to ever wonder, "is this a joke?". Her character had that ONE mention of it, yet nothing henceforth about being and horror movie buff was displayed in her character.

[@johnb7627]

This movie was so iconic that even the Simpson's did it in the Halloween special 🥶🥶😅😅

[@tsogobauggi8721]

"That's odd. Usually the blood gets off at the second floor." :D

[@milannesic5718]

It is easy to be iconic in the 80s 90s and before that. When people viewed movies differently. It would been ripped apart by audience if watched today. Because, no one is scared of movies anymore, and it is not equally enjoyable to watch a movie as it was back in the day

[@neiladams3042]

Another great movie, another great reaction! I really hope you get to react to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest sometime soon - the all-time greatest Jack Nicholson perfomance in a film of awesome performances all around, and featuring possibly the most hated villain in movie history. It's one of my top 5 films and a must-watch in my opinion!

[@o0pinkdino0o]

Couple of interesting Blade Runner connections - Lloyd is played by the same actor as Tyrell. The outcuts from the external driving scenes were actually used in the original Blade Runner finale. My fave Jack Nicholson film is As Good As It Gets where Jack plays a horrid romance novelist with extreme OCD. Very funny and surprisingly heart felt.

[@jasonondik6003]

So i have read the book and there are some differences. It is absolutely worth reading. The "most confusing" moment in the movie isn't in the book. It was Kubrick being Kubrick. Sadly, there isn't a great amount of exposition in the movie. My interpretation of the book and movie is that places that are "haunted" are normally docile. The ghosts exist there but don't notice or interact with the living and vice-versa. But people with "the shining" can see glimpses of the ghosts, and those ghosts notice those that "shine". I think those that have this ability have a psychic energy and the Overlook Hotel and all it's inhabitants feed off this energy and become more powerful, while the battery is there. Mr. Holloran (the cook) has a low to medium level of this psychic power. He can see and sense the power of the Overlook but Danny is very strong. (This is shown by Danny and Tony being able to read beyond Mr. Holeran's communication and into his true thoughts and feelings and also by being able to contact him psychicly hundreds of miles away and with force. Danny is empowering the dead to have more and more influence and contact with the material world and the living. The ghosts are using Jack and his weaknesses to influence him and slowly drive him mad so that they can get him to kill his family, especially Danny because they envy his life-force/psychic ability. The Native American burial ground backstory, I think, is there to create the idea that the spirits are all trapped here becuse the burial ground has some magic that keeps the spirits from moving on or being allowed to leave. Again, read this book. it is one of my top 3 Stephen King books.

[@creaturecaldwell9858]

Yeah.. the ground that the hotel is on is cursed, and malevolent spirits are attracted to it.. I want to say Danny and Wendy were possibly helped by a spirit though it was Danny's e.s.p. that saved them for sure..along with the chef checking on them

[@chrisbanks6659]

Jack Nicholson's performance is one of the more disturbing things I have seen in the cinema. But brilliant, nonetheless. 🥶

[@markpekrul4393]

You should watch/react to the sequel, Doctor Sleep - it manages to serve as a sequel to both the film and the novel.

[@davewhitmore1958]

By a stunning twist of fate, "Completely Unreliable Assholes" was the name of my band in college :o

[@Bluesit32]

That was over five hundred pages of "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", all typed by Stanley Kurbick's secretary. Not just a few pages and a bunch of blank ones. That would have been enough. We didn't see each and every page. All five hundred. But it wasn't all. This movie was released in multiple countries in multiple languages. So the secretary had to write 500 pages more for each language. I think each language translated into something different. They didn't type "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" in German. I think it was, "Don't do tomorrow what you can do today" for Germany.

[@alexhale2696]

One time, for Halloween, a friend and I dressed up as the guy in the tux and "dog-bear/bear-dog". My little sister opened up her bedroom door and saw what you witnessed in the movie. It. Was. Worth. It. 😅

[@mielipuolisiili7240]

This comment has wildly different vibes depending on how old she was at the time.

[@ByNifz]

So glad you are watching this film Whimsory!

[@Nicholasmcmath-cr1xl]

Same

[@reghunt2487]

I just finally saw "Buster Scruggs" and I would love to see someone react to that movie. It's amazing. It feels perfect for you.

[@Woodsboro_mongrel92]

Uh! I just remembered... I'm just gonna geek out a little ☝️🤓. You know that staircase baseball bat scene? Because Kubrick was such a perfectionist, it took 127 takes to wrap it up. Because of that, it became a Guinness World Record of the scene with dialogue with the most takes in movie history.

[@rainingmadness129]

Wow, what a movie to end the year on. I hope my shout out to you on You, Me, & the Movies channel for the movie "I am not a Serial Killer" saw an uptick of activity for you. You deserve it for the entertaining content you put out.

[@Whimsory]

Thank you so much!! That is very nice of you!! 😊