Comment Archives: Stories: Movies: Last 30 Days
Re: “What did Stanley Kubrick hide in the Overlook Hotel? Room 237 wants to know”
worth reading on the subject: an interview with Kubrik assistant and friend.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/movies/aide-to-kubrick-on-shining-scoffs-at-room-237-theories.html?pagewanted=all
Re: “Ever get the feeling you've been here before? That's not deja vu, it's Oblivion”
But an outstanding, penetrating comment!
Re: “What did Stanley Kubrick hide in the Overlook Hotel? Room 237 wants to know”
On the contrary: I can't imagine anybody watching ROOM 237 and *not* wanting to see the backwards/forwards superimposition. So thanks, Belcourt. As big a crock as the WIZARD OF OZ/DARK SIDE OF THE MOON "phenomenon" is, it's worth seeing once just to hear the audience go bonkers when the "ka-ching!" in "Money" synchs up with the switch from B&W/sepia to color.
I'd argue ROOM 237 crosses over into the lunatic fringe earlier than that. My problem with the movie is that Ascher pretty much treats all the theories as equally plausible within a nonjudgmental "all readings are valid" framework. Certainly a work of art takes on new life in a viewer's mind, but Ascher draws no distinction between allusion and delusion: his ultimate effect — which I can't believe is intentional (or why make the movie?) — is to suggest any analysis of the movie (or by extension any movie) is far-fetched.
I agree, though, that fans of THE SHINING will love it — find an all-nite coffee house and have the knock-down-drag-out argument of a lifetime with your buddies.
Re: “What did Stanley Kubrick hide in the Overlook Hotel? Room 237 wants to know”
This is worth seeing for any fan(atic) of "The Shining", but the film "Making The Shining" by Kubrik's daughter Vivian, is far as grounded in reality as this one is in fantasy. I'm frankly surprised the Belcourt is doing the backwards-movie-superimposed-over-the-Shining circus trick (not just a rumor, their promo email confirms it). That's the point at which this "Room 237" movie crossed into the lunatic fringe, in my opinion.
Room 237 is still worth seeing, though. Dr Hofmann* will be at the door, to be sure you fully appreciate the reverse-superimposed silliness... Paul is dead...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203667/refere… <-- IMDB for Vivian's little foray into filmmaking. Highly recommended!
*saving you the Googling; Albert Hofmann, inventor of LSD
Re: “Gatsby eludes Baz Luhrmann's ginormous grasp, but dazzling DiCaprio is an undeniable pleasure”
If the greatest pleasure of the movie is seeing "DiCaprio be beautiful again", something about which I could not possibly care less, I think I'll pass. Terribly over-rated book, anyway.