The Shining

The Shining (1980)

Adapted from Stephen King's novel, The Shining stars Jack Nicholson as a writer who takes a job as winter caretaker of a large, isolated hotel in the Rocky Mountains, accompanied by his wife (Shelley Duvall) and their son Danny, who displays paranormal abilities.

Kubrick gave actors freedom to extend the script and improvise — actors received new script pages or revisions almost daily. Nicholson's iconic "Here's Johnny!" line was improvised entirely on the day. Kubrick's daughter Vivian was allowed to film a behind-the-scenes documentary, an unusual move as the set was otherwise closed to all visitors.

Kubrick made extensive use of the newly invented Steadicam — according to its inventor Garrett Brown, it was the first picture to utilize its full potential. Kubrick's perfectionism required dozens of takes: Nicholson's scene with the ghostly bartender was reportedly shot 36 times.

Initially met with mixed reviews and even a Razzie nomination for Worst Director, The Shining is now universally regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made. The film's financial success renewed Warner Brothers' faith in Kubrick after the commercial disappointment of Barry Lyndon in the US.