There are few movie scenes I wish I could see having no prior knowledge of what was coming. The chest-burster scene from Alien for instance. Or when we find out that the Terminator is actually protecting John Conner in T:2. At the top of that list is the scene in which it is revealed exactly what Jack Torrence has been writing in his manuscript all winter long.

Stanley Kubrick's 1980 masterpiece, The Shining, stands at the top as one of the greatest feats of the horror genre. There are few movies that, after standing the test of time, are genuinely terrifying. To this day, this film remains as such. Jack Torrence is a school teacher/writer/recovering, abusive drunk who has just been hired to be the new caretaker of the Overlook Hotel for the winter. There will be no employees. No guests. Just Jack, his wife Wendy, and his son Danny. During Jack's interview for the job, we catch a glimpse of the hotel's dark past. A former caretaker murdered his wife and two daughters while holed up there for the winter. Jack brushes this off stating, “You can rest assured, Mr. Ullman, that's not gonna happen with me. And as far as my wife is concerned, I'm sure she'll be absolutely fascinated when I tell her about it. She's a confirmed ghost story and horror film addict.”

While the seemingly happy family gets the grand tour of the hotel, the chef, Dick Halloran, reveals that Danny has a special gift that his grandmother called shining. We don't know much about it, only that it is some sort of psychic ability. That's all we need to know about it. Danny channels this ability into Tony, a little man that lives in his mouth. He has visions. He can communicate telepathically with other people who share his gift, including Dick. I could go deeper into the plot, but what's the point? It won't do the movie justice. If you don't know already, just watch it.

The Shining isn't about Jack. It's not about Wendy. It's not even about Danny or his gift. The film is nothing more than a short glimpse into the history of this living hotel. Homosexual costume party attendees. Wild, lavish parties. Grady. The blood pouring from the elevator doesn't show Danny the gruesome past of Grady and his family. It doesn't show him the attempted murder that Jack will try to commit against his own family. It shows him just how bloody this hotel's past truly is. The audience doesn't know how much has gone on here, and thankfully. The mystery is what makes this movie so horrifying. Imagine if Kubrick showed what the final shot of the film really meant. It wouldn't have the impact that it does today.

One of the themes that shows up most in The Shining is the influence television has over individuals. While Jack is “working” on his latest book, Wendy and Danny pass the time silently by watching T.V. On the way up to the hotel, Jack and Wendy talk about the Donner party and their cannibalism. Wendy notices that this is not a proper subject to discuss in front of Danny, but he remains unaffected. “Don't worry, Mom. I know all about cannibalism. I saw it on TV.” To which Jack replies, “See, it's OK. He saw it on the television.” The most prominent and memorable references to television comes at the climax of the terror that the film creates. Jack is chopping down the door to the bathroom with an axe, where his wife is hiding from him. What is the first thing that comes to mind to say at this height of fear? A quote from one of America's most beloved talk show host: “Heeeeeere's Johhny!” The line alone is not scary in the least bit. However, when coming from the mouth of a blood-thirsty psychotic, it is shit inducing.

Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest directors to ever give life to film. This is not an opinion. It is fact. He is an auteur. Plain and simple. Any hack would've just put Shelley Duvall on screen and that would've been scary enough. Not Kubrick.

Seriously. That chick is frightening...