Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"The Shining" is one of the most famous horror movies of all time and in this 35-minute documentary, we gain a good insight on what life on set was like. Both this and the movie were shot 35 years ago. This is actually a prime example of what a making-of should look like. Behind-the-scenes documentaries sometimes are fairly uninteresting if they keep interviewing the assistant sound editor about very specific matters. But this one here is not like that. It's really about the core players. Basically, for the entire thing, there is hardly no scene which does not include at least one of director Stanley Kubrick, lead actor Jack Nicholson oder lead actress Shelley Duvall. And the director here is Vivian Kubrick, Stanley's daughter who also played very small roles in Kubrick's movies. Maybe she being the director is the reason why we got right into the heart of the set and see the actors so close that we feel we are almost watching them on-stage. I enjoyed this documentary and it is a very nice watch if you also like the film, especially as you see Nicholson and Duvall, who are both retired today, the way they really were.
Lee Eisenberg
Stanley Kubrick, usually known as a nearly dictatorial perfectionist, comes across as pretty low-key in his daughter Vivian's documentary "Making 'The Shining'". Focusing on the production of Kubrick's movie version of Stephen King's novel, this isn't much different from the average documentary (although it was the first time that I had ever heard Kubrick speak).Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd all get instructed by the famous director, while Leon Vitali (Lord Bullingdon in "Barry Lyndon") assists in the production. Meanwhile, James Mason and Kubrick's mother visit the set. It looked like quite an experience. Probably the most fascinating scene in the documentary is when they sweep the blood. Not a great piece of work, but OK.
dclxvinoise
Rarely does one get such an intimate look at the behind the scenes of such a wonderful and iconic film. Vivian Kubrick's cinematography was outstanding throughout and the banter between cast and crew was truly fascinating. It's also fascinating to get a glimpse at the meticulous attention to detail that Stanley Kubrick had for everything. Everything in this documentary is fascinating; from Jack Nicholson's charming and somewhat flirtatious mannerisms to the tense moments between Stanley Kubrick and Shelley Duvall. I only wish that this behind the scenes film had been a bit longer. If this doesn't inspire a person to be a filmmaker, I don't know what would.
Glenn Andreiev
Stanley Kubrick has been unjustly compared to Howard Hughes in regards to his public appearances. You never saw him on TV talk shows, or make guest cameos in friends' movies. This was the first time I got to see Kubrick actually move around and talk. Wow! Here's one of the most legendary filmmakers since Hitchcock, a super intellect who knew the puzzle behind 2001, loved chess and military history, and he has such a drab American voice. No Hitchcock drawl, DeMille comanding bellow, or Scorcese jitter-talk, just a flat, almost personality free "Uh.... Shelley, that was unconvincing. It was fake... let's do it again." You don't learn anything new about Kubrick's life, his shooting style, directorial style. His talented daughter has made an excellent little companion piece to dad's horror classic.
AD
