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RESULTS - ROUND OF FOUR


The first entry, came from Finalist Zero.

"If you had to remove one horror film branded a classic from existence which one would be it be? What would the consequences be for contemporary horror films accordingly?"

"Well, a question like this is bound to provoke controversy. If we understand ‘classic’ to mean a film that has become part of the canon of great horror films, then removing one is bound to violate someone’s (perhaps many someones’) sensibilities. But, to the question I now turn and the film I have chosen to remove from the list of ‘classics’ is Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 The Shining.

I will be the first to say that The Shining is a brilliant film, it is smart and insightful and it absolutely oozes with Kubrick’s aesthetics and politics. But, I don’t think it has been productive for the broader scope of horror. Essentially, my argument is that the more people have heaped praise upon Kubrick’s The Shining, the less respect horror films have gotten. In the following paragraphs I will elaborate upon this thesis.

First, The Shining is first and foremost a Kubrick film. Even when horror fans talk about it, the film is always first and foremost understood as Kubrick! This is right and accurate since almost every Kubrick film is basically a Kubrick film (which is to say that his vision overrides any genre issue or even star-turn – if Nicholson chews the scenery it is because Kubrick wants him to). Now, Kubrick is a great director, but he is no horror director. This is not to say that The Shining is not scary in parts or that it is not a horror film but, rather, the problem is that Kubrick so overshadows the horror that it actually diminishes the genre. For many people they love The Shining BECAUSE it is a Kubrick film and – importantly here – IN SPITE OF the fact that it is horror.

For many critics and film historians, The Shining is an example of Kubrick ‘slumming’ in the backwater genre of horror. The momentary presence of the ‘great director’ within horror simply demonstrates his greatness – ‘oh look,’ they say, ‘Kubrick can make even horror artistic.’ Let’s be honest – this snobbery is rife in the film fan world. If you are at a cocktail party and someone says they love Kubrick or Jim Jarmusch or Felini or whatever – then the response is ‘oohhh’ – but in proper circles if you say you love Romero or Craven or Argento then the answer will either be ‘who?’ or ‘yuck.’ Kubrick’s momentary stop in the horror genre actually diminishes these other directors because they don’t live up to the aesthetics of ‘the great director’ – thus perpetuating the diminishment of horror.

Second, The Shining actually adds nothing to the genre. It was a commercial and generally critical success – a necessary success after Kubrick’s dismal failure with Barry Lyndon – but what new twist does it add? Haunted houses – done many times before! Dysfunctional family – done before! Creepy kids – done before! In The Shining, Kubrick basically takes the skeleton of horror films – inverts it – and then makes the film his way. Even Stephen King hated Kubrick’s version because he took all the meat off the story and reduced it to basic generic elements that he could manipulate in his own vision.

Third, watched carefully, The Shining is actually an anti-horror film. It basically takes the normal elements of horror and inverts them, as I mentioned above. Consider the scene where Jack is hammering at the bathroom door with his ax. Now, any normal horror director would put the camera inside the bathroom with Shelly Duvall so that we would be trapped with her as the ax begins to penetrate the door. But not Kubrick. Instead he puts the camera outside with Jack – even down the hall a bit – so we watch as he workmanlike batters at the door. We only go inside once the job has been essentially finished. This trick is played out over and over again. This is not to say its not a good film or not scary or not effective as an exercise in inverting genre – but it is often used by non-horror fans to claim that horror can be boiled down to these elements and then deconstructed by the ‘great director.’

Let me close by saying I like The Shining and that I really like and admire Stanley Kubrick. That said, I think removing The Shining from existence would not so much diminish horror as, potentially, open the door for more serious consideration of horror films – many of which were equally smart and equally innovative – made by those who devoted their careers to the genre and didn’t just pass through."



And the esteemed presiding Judge's verdict to that answer was...

"While I may not agree with every single point made by this contender, his argument is very well reasoned with specific details and points to back up his opinion. I would hate to see The Shining wiped out, but you make a strong case.

Score: 8/10.

REWARD: 5 health packs and a Grenade Launcher with 1 Grenade, PLUS a Rocket Launcher with 1 Rocket!!"


WAY TO GO, FINALIST ZERO! Superb effort, and an equally great reward!!