We have started a Patreon page with the hopes that some of our followers would be willing to donate a small amount to keep DVDBeaver alive. We are a tiny niche, so your generosity is vital to our existence.

We are talking about a minimum of $0.10 - $0.15 a day, perhaps a quarter (or more) to those who won't miss it from their budget. It equates to buying DVDBeaver a coffee once, twice or a few times a month. You can then participate in our monthly Silent auctions, and have exclusive access to many 'bonus' High Resolution screen captures - both 4K UHD and Blu-ray (see HERE).

To those that are unfamiliar, Patreon is a secure/verified third-party service where users can agree to a monthly donation via credit card or PayPal by clicking the button below.


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/kubrick.htm
USA 1980

 

After the limited North American box-office success of "Barry Lyndon" in 1975, Stanley Kubrick looked toward a more mainstream, crowd pleasing, money-generating film for his next project. With the 70's success of horror films like "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby", his choice was an adaptation of the Stephen King book "The Shining".

The film took over 5 years to complete ( 6 months of actual shooting ), but would put Kubrick's unique mark on the genre, indelibly burning unforgettable images into the minds-eye of his audience for years to come. This would show the public-at-large what a "Stanley Kubrick film" was all about.

King's book "The Shining" deals with, in his own words, "just a little story about writer's block". With collaboration by novelist Diane Johnson, Kubrick struck heavily upon themes of both communication and miscommunication as well as isolation. As was his penchant he used rich symbolic motifs. They repeat throughout the film as psychic ability or "Shining" as well as the major characters stymied authorship and spiral into madness. In a very poignant moment Jack destroys their only means of outside communication; a 2-way radio.

Excerpt from Gary Tooze's article located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 23rd, 1980

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Warner Re-mastered - Region 2/4 - PAL vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Warner - Re-mastered - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Warner (2-disc Special Edition) - Region 1- NTSC vs. Warner (2007) - Region FREE' - Blu-ray vs. Warner - Region FREE - 4K UHD

 

Box Cover

 

 

Bonus Captures:

Distribution

Warner

Region 2/4  - PAL

Warner

Region 1  - NTSC

Warner 
Region 1 - NTSC
Warner (2-disc SE) 
Region 1 - NTSC
Warner - Region FREE- Blu-ray Warner - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime 1:54:43 (4% PAL speedup + CUT)      2:23:40 2:23:35 2:23:35 2:23:46.117 2:23:45.742
Video 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Original camera negative
Average Bitrate: 6.58 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Original camera negative
Average Bitrate: 5.44 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Original camera negative
Average Bitrate: 6.3
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 6.85
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.78:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,729,442,403 bytes

Feature: 24,555,675,648 bytes

Video Bitrate: 14.67 Mbps

Codec: VC-1 Video

1.78:1 2060P 4K Ultra HD
Disc Size: 96,451,814,858 bytes
Feature: 92,744,140,992 bytes
Video Bitrate: 74.25 Mbps
Codec:
HEVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate PAL:

Bitrate 1999 NTSC DVD:

Bitrate 2001 NTSC DVD:

Bitrate 2007 2-disc DVD:

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Bitrate UHD:

Audio English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1) English (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono) English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1) English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUBs: French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -27dB
LPCM Audio English 4608 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4608 kbps / 16-bit
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -27dB
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -27dB
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -27dB / Dolby Surround

DTS-HD Master Audio English 4098 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4098 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio German 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Italian 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Polish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Commentary:

English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround

Subtitles English, French, Spanish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, Italian None English, French and none English, Spanish, French and none English, Spanish, French and none English, Spanish, French and none English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Japanese, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Warner 

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Color,
• 4:3 trailer - 1:33
• "Making of" documentary by Vivian Kubrick 33:00 4:3 + optional commentary by Viv Kubrick
• Original camera negative format

DVD Release Date: June, 2001
Snap Case

Chapters 35

 

Release Information:
Studio: Warner/Ua Studios

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Color
• 4:3 trailer - 1:37
• "Making of" documentary by Vivian Kubrick 34:57 4:3
• Original camera negative format

 

DVD Release Date: June 29th, 1999
Snap Case

Chapters 40

Release Information:
Studio: Warner 

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Color,
• 4:3 trailer - 1:33
• "Making of" documentary by Vivian Kubrick 34:57 4:3 + optional commentary by Viv Kubrick
• Original camera negative format

 

DVD Release Date: June 12th, 2001
Snap Case

Chapters 40  

Release Information:
Studio: Warner 

Aspect Ratio:
Aspect Ratio - 1.78:1



Edition Details:
• Commentary by Garrett Brown and John Baxter

Theatrical trailers

Disc 2

• View from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining (30:12)

• The Visions of Stanley Kubrick (17:15)

• The Making of The Shining with optional commentary by Vivian Kubrick (34:58)

• Wendy Carlos, composer (7:30)

 

DVD Release Date: October 23rd, 2007
Keep Case

Chapters 40  

Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

1.78:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,729,442,403 bytes

Feature: 24,555,675,648 bytes

Video Bitrate: 14.67 Mbps

Codec: VC-1 Video

 

Edition Details:

• Commentary by Garrett Brown and John Baxter

Theatrical trailers

• View from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining (30:12)

• The Visions of Stanley Kubrick (17:15)

• The Making of The Shining with optional commentary by Vivian Kubrick (34:58)

• Wendy Carlos, composer (7:30)


Blu-ray Release Date:
October 23rd, 2007
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 40

 
Release Information:
Studio:
Warner

 

1.78:1 2060P 4K Ultra HD
Disc Size: 96,451,814,858 bytes
Feature: 92,744,140,992 bytes
Video Bitrate: 74.25 Mbps
Codec:
HEVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Commentary by Garrett Brown and John Baxter
 

ON THE INCLUDED "remastered" Blu-ray:

• Commentary by Garrett Brown and John Baxter

• View from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining (30:12)

• The Visions of Stanley Kubrick (17:15)

• The Making of The Shining with optional commentary by Vivian Kubrick (34:58)

• Wendy Carlos, composer (7:30)

Leaflet for Digital copy


4K Ultra HD Release Date:
June 4th, 2019
4K Ultra HD Case inside cardboard slipcase

Chapters 40

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective disc.

ADDITION: Warner 4K UHD (October 2019): The 3840 X 2160 resolution is a marked improvement over the weak Blu-ray from way back in 2007 that had a VC-1 encode, low bitrate and 16-bit audio. Like wise to all the, up to 20-year old, DVD iterations. The new 4K has over 5X the bitrate sitting on a triple layered UHD disc. This is such a huge title that it has sparked plenty of discussion in some of the minute differences (notably the end 'maze' scene) but speaking as a fan of the film - this image looks fabulous - by far the best the film has ever look digitally. The 'greens' in this presentation were very noticeable to me - ties, sweaters, bathroom tiles etc. and they had some beautiful rich hues in this UHD transfer. Reds as well - always Kubrick-ian. Contrast layering was, predictably, very strong with inky black levels. Detail rose and grain support was consistent giving a film-like appearance. Regarding the 1.78:1 ratio. Kubrick's films have had this discussion for many decades. We have had The Shining in 1.33:1 (Full Screen), 1.37:1 (negative ratio), 1.66:1 (theatrical ratio - Europe), 1.78:1 (Blu-ray and 4K UHD), and 1.85:1 (theatrical ratio - US & UK.)

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this variance.

NOTE: I own two different 4K systems and transfers frequently show a variance in the image presentation depending on the system and its set-up. This is also true of computer monitors. It is highly unlikely that these captures reflect the exact same color balance and brightness as on your home system, but the detail, grain support and other attributes will, hopefully, give you an indication of the value of this 3840 X 2160 resolution and restoration. I cannot say how you will like it on your 4K UHD set-up - only that I think it looked outstanding on mine. 

NOTE: 46 more full resolution (3840 X 2160) captures for Patrons are available HERE.

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: Batman Returns (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Killed Killed and then The Bigfoot  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Bram Stoker's Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucy (software uniformly simulated HDR), They Live (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Shutter Island (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Matrix (software uniformly simulated HDR), Alien (software uniformly simulated HDR), Toy Story (software uniformly simulated HDR),  A Few Good Men (software uniformly simulated HDR),  2001: A Space Odyssey (HDR caps udated), Schindler's List (simulated HDR), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR), The Big Lebowski, and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

This audio is not in Dolby Atmos but rather a very robust DTS-HD Master in 5.1 surround (no mono). Separations are not intrusively abundant but exist and there is some prominent depth present (4000 kbps and 24-bit). The score is credited to Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind - notably the main title theme - based on "Dream of a Witches' Sabbath" from Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz and traditional requiem "Dies Irae". The score was originally supposed to have been done by John Williams. It was replaced by Kubrick's own collection of music by Béla Bartók (from "Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta") Hector Berlioz, György Ligeti and many pieces by Krzysztof Penderecki. There are multiple optional DUBs and subtitles including English and as with all 4K UHD discs, this is Region 'Free' - playable worldwide. 

The only extra on the 4K UHD disc is the previous commentary. But the included Blu-ray is new (Disc - 45,548,379,803 bytes, feature - 39,368,460,288 bytes in AVC, video bitrate 26.9 Mbps). It has all the extras of the 2-disc DVD and 2007 Blu-ray with commentary and featurettes (discussed below). No trailers though. There is a leaflet with a code for a digital copy.

The Shining is one of the great horror films and ranks strongly in Kubrick's oeuvre. I was so pleased to view it in the 4K UHD presentation which often felt like I was seeing for the first time. There is so much in The Shining that I do tend to notice scenes or shots that I never recall from previous viewings. This is the mark of a masterpiece. It never gets old and you see subtleties being exposed. This is a good price, has plenty of value despite Warner not giving us any new extras (in over 10-years?). Okay, now I feel like watching it again.

Gary Tooze

REGARDING THE EDIT - NOTE: (sent in email by Francois) "To sum it up, Shelley Duvall mentioned the deleted scene in an interview to French movie magazine "Positif" (which had a strong Kubrick coverage due to Kubrick expert Michel Ciment). It took place in a hospital where hotel manager Stuart Ullman visited Wendy and Danny, recovering, a few days after the events. Ullman told Wendy that Jack's body hadn't been found so far. He spoke with her about her plans for the future and showed concern for Danny and her. Then, he moved to Danny and threw a rubber ball at him. The rubber ball bounced exactly like the one Danny had found earlier in the lobby, suggesting that Ullman had been an accomplice with all the things evil from the very beginning. Cut to the final scene in the hall with the picture.

Duvall spoke of it as an "Hitchcockian ending", which was no surprise given Kubrick's love for Hitchcock. She had a clear recollection of the whole scene as it was a tracking shot requiring dozens of takes before getting one with the very same bounces.

Peter didn't mention in his recollection the bouncing ball. Maybe this part of the shot was already cut in the theatrical version, maybe it wasn't very effective to the audiences, which would explain why Kubrick removed it. In the event, he made way for one of the most powerful edits in all his work, going in a few shots from Jack's frozen body to the group photograph of 1921." (Thanks Francois!)

***

ON THE DVDs: ADDITION: 2-disc Special Edition - Region 1- NTSC (October 2007): The package consists of 2-discs (one dual-layered, a second supplementary disc is single-layered) coded for region 1- in the NTSC standard. The feature is progressive, anamorphic while the second disc is interlaced (some 16x9).

The new 2-disc Special Edition by Warner offers the film in an anamorphic screen ratio that will not be without a little controversy. The film showed theatrically in the US at 1.85:1 and 1.66 in Europe. Many will prefer this 1.78 widescreen ratio and some will not - it is no doubt a different film with this alternation from past DVD releases. Varying degrees of information in the frame is at times lost or gained dependant on the shot.

We have always noticed here at DVDBeaver that sharpness favors full-frame transfers - and for this I don't know why. But the new 2-disc is not far behind in detail (from the latest remastered) and color-wise it is a shade darker. The new widescreen release has less artifacts. It is very clean - and looks acceptable.

Audio is offered in three 5.1 flavors (English, DUBs in French and Spanish) - Warner continue to not give the option for original 2.0 stereo. The dialogue is supported with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. I didn't notice improvement in the audio although I seem to recall it being stated somewhere that there would be.

Supplements are fabulous in their relevance and not so heavy we must tiresomely wade through them. The commentary by Steadicam operator Garrett Brown and historian John Baxter is wonderful - superior to the 2001: A Space Odyssey commentary in that it has a lot of technical information both about the production, Kubrick's methodology and details of the narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed it - strongly recommended! Completing the extras on disc 1 is a theatrical trailer.

Disc 2 offers 4 featurettes (3 of which are new) - the first; View from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining is half an hour and has input from many (see images below) including prominent directors, crew members and even Jack. The Visions of Stanley Kubrick is a little over 15 minutes long and is another keen piece exploring Kubrick's ideas behind the film(s) that he crafted. Next we have The Making of The Shining ( as see on the old remastered editions) BUT it has an optional commentary by Vivian Kubrick (34:58) which is enlightening to some degree although her comments reflect it as an homage with her memories of her father. Finally we have Wendy Carlos, composer at a little over 7 minutes and although she discusses the music for The Shining she tends to impart more in formation on the music in A Clockwork Orange (but that is fine). She talks about Stanley Kubrick with keen interpretational interest of the man and her fondness for him.

NOTE sent in email: 'Regarding the 146 minute cut of The Shining:
I remember seeing the film 4 times in the theater upon initial release in 1980. I saw it twice on opening weekend. There was a scene that weekend which never showed up again upon further viewing.
The first time I saw the film, there was a scene after the image of Jack Torrance frozen in the hedge maze and before the final shot closing in on the portrait with Jack Torrance at the party in the 1920’s.
This scene was of Wendy and Danny in a hospital bed in Colorado. Mr. Ullman was there visiting them and saying how sorry he was that this whole series of events occurred. I remember Mr. Ullman standing next to a curtain, and I was somewhat expecting a “shock” ending with Jack coming through the curtain. Of course this never happened. After this short, scene, then the final shot of the film occurred. I do not remember any other further dialogue.
It would be interesting if we could somehow see this scene again. I remember it somewhat clearly.
I thought you might find that little bit of information and memory somewhat useful and interesting.' (Thanks Peter!)

On the other three editions: Okay. My research tells me that there are at least 4 versions of this film.

• The original theatrical release version at 146 minutes.

• U.S. theatrical release and R1 DVD - 144 minutes.

International theatrical release - 119 minutes (After the film's US release garnered mixed reviews and disappointing box-office, Kubrick cut a further 25 minutes from the film. With a few exceptions - a National Film Theatre screening, an ITV showing in the early 1990s - all non-American versions of the film will conform to this cut).

• International PAL video version (including R2/R4 DVD) - 114 mins.

These cut versions were personally edited and approved by Stanley Kubrick himself - indeed, he apparently favors the shorter cut now AFTER critics reviews. Personally, I don't like adjusting your 'art' to appeal to critical comments and am glad the longer one is still available on Region 1 DVD. The 146-minute version seems to have vanished for good. I believe it had an alternate ending.

The quality of the video goes in this order. R1-remastered is the best, R2/4 next, R1-old version is the worst. I don't think I need to go into detail as it is documented quite adequately on Michaels website HERE. I agree reviewer Paul Cordingley's comments in his conclusion - "In overview, the R1 (re-mastered) presents the film in a manner which I find more satisfying in all ways – visually, sonically and story-wise." and about the longer version ..."the film feels more rounded and complete."

In detail, the old R1 appears washed out. In comparison the Region 1 re-mastered version is far superior in every category. What I am most interested in is the subtle differences such as the cropping. In certain scenes it appears the older version was cropped, but if you look closely it is apparent in all three versions. Also, I wonder WHY the title font in Vivian Kubrick's short featurette was changed when it was made so many years ago? It seems crazy to me. Nice addition in the new version ( both R1 and R2/4) is the commentary on the short which is not there on the older version. The re-mastered version is brighter, sharper clearer with occasional reddish skin tones. Buy the Region 1 re-mastered and watch the long version, less altered by critical judgment.

 


Universal - Region 1 - NTSC

 

 

 

Blu-ray  in the Warner - Region FREE - 4K UHD


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY or 4K UHD CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 or 3840 X 2060 RESOLUTION

 

Subtitle Sample - Warner - Region FREE - 4K UHD

 

 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


 

More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 

Box Cover

 

 

Bonus Captures:

Distribution

Warner

Region 2/4  - PAL

Warner

Region 1  - NTSC

Warner 
Region 1 - NTSC
Warner (2-disc SE) 
Region 1 - NTSC
Warner - Region FREE- Blu-ray Warner - Region FREE - 4K UHD


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!