“The Shining” (1980) [R]

     This is possibly director Stanley Kubrick’s best movie, among many other movies he directed that gained much fame in the cinema world. It was one of the first movies that actually scared me in a rational way. Jack Nicholson’s performance was by far at its peak in this film; he can draw the audience in and make them feel as if he really was the character, instead of Jack Nicholson. In addition, this is a great translation from Stephen King’s book of the same name; there were only a few facts in the book which were not in the movie.

     I first watched Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” several years ago, and it was the first movie that really scared me. Sure, there are plenty of so called “scary” movies available, however what most people think of as a frightening movie isn’t what I deem horror. Most people think films about serial killers with literal buckets-of-blood count as something of horror. My idea of a scary tale is one that brings out people’s greatest fears and makes you question all thoughts of truth or reality. “The Shining” does all of this and then some, it pulls out all the stops and holds nothing back for the audience.

     Of all the movies Jack Nicholson has been in and of all of the great performances he’s given, the character he portrays in this film is possibly the most entertaining. The audience can tell that he went through a lot of determination to give only his best abilities at playing his character. Not a moment goes by that the audience thinks he’s someone other than the character. Many people may even forget that he is acting, he’s just that good. Of course, the portrayal of the character is nearly identical to that of the one in the book.

     There have been many stories, especially those of Stephen King’s books, which have been made into movies. Sadly, most of them aren’t anything at all like the original story. “The Shining” is one of the few exceptions, however, for it would seem that the makers of the film actually read the book before bringing it to cinema. There are several portions of dialogue that were taken directly from the book, and many instances of the story that were very nearly like what happened in the book. Of course, there were a few things that they took out of the movie version which I would have preferred to have seen in the film, but the movie was already long enough with all of the other stuff they put in the translation.

          My overall rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Secret Window” (2004) [PG-13]

     “Secret Window” was made when Johnny Depp was making his big appearance into fame through the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, and it is just another film through which he has shown the world how good an actor he is. His performance in this feature wasn’t the only entertaining one, John Turturro also proved once again that he can pull the audience into the character. Other factors for which this film is very notable is its soundtrack, the orchestral music placed behind the cinema sucks the audience into every suspenseful moment. This show is a great paranoia horror story, it plays with the viewer’s senses. It is one of many movies that have been made out of one of Stephen King’s stories; sadly, this one isn’t much like King’s story at all.

     The creators of “Secret Window” couldn’t have picked any better actors for the roles of the protagonist, Mort Rainey, and his nemesis, John Shooter. Johnny Depp was making his comeback to fame about the time he starred in this film. He shows that he can rise to the occasion of being able to play any role and do it well. John Turturro acts as the antagonist, John Shooter, and verifies as he always has that he can pull the audience into the moment whenever he appears on the scene. Purely believable, Turturro has never been better that he was in “Secret Window.” However, it’s not actor’s portrayal of characters alone that makes for an entertaining film.

     The soundtrack for this movie is just one more thing that will take hold of the audience. In the most suspenseful scenes the music will draw viewers in and can scare them just as much as what’s going on in the story. Character’s action will scare the audience, but the without the soundtrack, none of the suspense gets built up nearly as well. There are many movies which would be nothing without their music. This film isn’t one of them, but its quality is increased greatly just by adding the suspenseful orchestra in the scenes.

     “Secret Window” is a tale of extreme paranoid horror, and the cinema version of the story somewhat does justice to it. The suspense builds behind every turn and during every moment of the movie. It’s one of the few pictures that can truly scare the viewers, instead of just grossing them out. As good as this flick is, it has one flaw. It is one of many that have been based on a Stephen King fiction, but sadly it is not very much like the original tale. There are many differences between King’s short story and the 2004 enactment. Reading the short story version gives more satisfaction than watching the movie.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Pandorum” (2009) [R]

     “Pandorum” is certainly the best sci-fi/action/thriller I’ve seen this far. It takes an already known story and turns it on end. This film is packed with action and horror—both physical and psychological—will change the way any viewer watches sci-fi movies. Filmed with an amazing futuristic cinematography style, the only bad thing about this movie is that it can get old after several viewings.

     The story for this film takes a basic principle is that of being lost in space in a broken ship with no contact to the outside. The familiar story is turned on its head by giving the characters amnesia at the beginning, from which they slowly recover throughout the movie and little by little discover the truth to the reasons for their journey. This action sci-fi turns the genre itself over by making it a psychological thriller.

     Full of incredible action, this movie doesn’t miss a beat. Dennis Quaid did such a good job on this film, he proves once again that he can play any character and make it believable. The action never stops; fast and heart-pumping, it pulls viewers into the world of the movie. In combination with the Dennis Quaid’s incredible performance and psychological horrors of this movie, the action gets the viewers as close to the fright the characters experience as possible. Not a minute of this movie isn’t scary-good.

     In addition to the story and the action, the visual effects are so great, not a scene goes by without some interesting visual special effect. Even the cinematography itself seems to be one big effect. The way it was filmed simply adds to the futuristic impression given through the whole movie. The single thing wrong with this movie is that the viewers will know what happens after the first couple viewings and the story can get old after several viewings.

          My overall rating: 4 out of 5