An all-time scary movie classic, “The Shining,” made it on our countdown because it is one of the most authentic, scary movies out there. 

With a May 1980 release, “The Shining” is based on the 1977 Stephen King novel by the same name. 

Director Stanley Kubrick made the movie a thrilling excellence about madness and horror that makes viewers shrivel up in some scenes and then jump with screams in others. The chills one gets from watching the movie are never-ending with every scene concluding with pure evil from the characters. 

The main character, Jack Nicholson, a drunk wannabe novelist with a personality that shackles his sanity, is played by actor Jack Torrance.  

During filming, Kubrick expected perfection running through no less than 127 takes for ONE scene. For example, in the trailer, viewers see an elevator open, spilling gallons of blood out and flooding the whole room in slow motion. 

The horror illusions that  King portrays in his novel with the cold, silver bathrooms, the outside maze in the freezing cold and the tight hallways are expertly recreated by Kubrick and produce a chilling atmosphere for viewers. 

The mysterious haunted house feeling also makes viewers jump with horror from each scene with suspected murder, twisted physiological characters and never-ending graphic images that makes viewers rethink the whole horror movie genre.

Personally, I loved the movie. I loved the storyline and how it made me feel so creeped out.

The after feeling of the movie was like a relief, a good relief knowing there were no more scary scenes.

The only bad thing I would say about the movie is how slow it gets at times, like the bar scene with Nickolson and the bartender, “Lloyd.” In this scene, Nickolson basically rants to Lloyd about his life and some of his troubles that foreshadows the rest of the movie.

I give this movie a stellar 9/10 Greenfields. If you are looking for  a “spooky” movie with some crazy characters, a little blood and gore and a creepy atmosphere, then 1980’s “The Shining” will give you the fix you are looking for.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the GENESIS staff. Email Felisha Campanello at [email protected] .