Grade: A+
I first saw “The Shining” on Halloween a few years ago, and it remains my favorite Halloween classic because I like movies that have a definite creep factor, but aren’t outright scary. What makes “The Shining” work, besides Jack Nicholson’s stunning performance as Jack Torrance, is the flashing images that bring about a soaring level of horror that a simply scary plot could never accomplish. Jack’s scene with Lloyd the Bartender remains one of the most frightening things I’ve ever seen, and when the 1921 photograph of Jack is shown in the closing shot, the film’s eeriness increases tenfold. Also what makes this movie very Halloween-esque is the mystery involved. The viewer never knows if Jack or his son Danny are actually seeing ghosts or if they just have a terrible case of cabin fever (Jack only sees ghosts in mirrors and Danny has a history of having imaginary friends).