Wordiezett
So much average
Beystiman
It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
Myron Clemons
A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Ortiz
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
vvjti
*may contain spoilers* An insight into well known famous film. A short film going behind the scenes as cast and crew get ready to film. The film is made by Stanley Kubrick's daughter. See as members of main and supporting cast like Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Philip Stone get ready to film. See some tension, arguments such as between Stanley Kubrick and Shelley Duvall. Also, you see some members of the crew, interviews with stars of film, all the sets from film, stars learning lines and rehearsing scenes. It shows Stanley Kubrick and how he organises everything, prepares to direct scenes and his suggestions to get everything as planned. There are some technical things like use of the record player for the gold room sequence, using the snow machine for snow.
arose07
Hey, I was actually trying to look for this particular documentary as it made such a poor impression on the movie itself and the "celebrities" in the movie. So I shall start by saying that Jack Nicholson is the only person that I believe in this movie acted professionally. The girl (can't be bothered to remember who she was) was a stoner/self absorbed actress who made herself faint for attention. Scatman Cruthers was a MASSIVE stonner in his one line "I'm just so happy, (pause for his peaking) ... that I got to work with ... (he peaks again)... with so many wonderful (peak of Mt. Everest) P.P.P.EEPPLE... (laughs to himself whilst embarrassing the industry). The kid is soo arrogant at the age of 5 WTF! and the director is a fat bumbling idiot. You must have worked for this company as that is the only reason you actually promoted this mock-umentary so positively.
MisterWhiplash
In maybe one of a few rare glimpses on screen (or even off), Stanley Kubrick is on film, behind the scenes, making a movie. It is one of the shames of cinema that there isn't more footage of him, or even in this half hour documentary he isn't interviewed. But his presence is fascinating all the same, and when he is shown directing he is what has been perceived as for decades- creative, different, controlling, authoritative, and somehow generous as a director. There's one scene that's rather interesting where Kubrick's mother is sitting with his son and Jack Nicholson having a small conversation; it's admitted that there isn't a finished script, that new pages come every day for the actors. The interaction between the people in this scene, and others, makes this worthwhile. I've yet to see the DVD version so I can't comment on Vivian Kubrick's commentary track (the director's daughter, who was perfectly 'cute as Heywood Floyd's daughter in 2001). But what she presents for us is candid, and usually very insightful. An interview with Nicholson, who's sound-bites are choice, and wise as well when he says, "I want to be out of control as an actor...otherwise it will predictably be MY work, and that's no fun." But there is also a heartfelt interview with Scatman Crothers, who came out of filming in the arduous conditions of Kubrick's perfectionism (there were dozens and dozens of takes that Crothers had to give, according to trivia). There is a not too shabby interview with Danny Lloyd, who played the boy in the film. And Shelly Duvall, who does lay it as straight as possible about what it was like to work with the director; the scene that is captured over Kubrick's shoulder (of an argument between actor and director) is a little uncomfortable, but in the end one can see why Kubrick wanted it the way he did for the finished film. Usually 'making-of' documentaries are hit or miss, depending on the films of course; one would prefer an audio commentary, or a long interview with the filmmaker about the making of the film. But as the Shining has neither of these - and is the only place to fins unadulterated footage of the iconoclast and his cast at work on screen and off (if you discount the Criterion DVD release of Spartacus and a recent release of Dr. Strangelove) - it's well worth the half hour; the added music by Carlos is a nice touch.
D. Packard
I can't seem to stop watching or thinking about this little documentary and it really makes me want to view the rest of the footage. How can one be so obsessed with a Making of film? I often find them more interesting than the films themselves. Jack Nicholson's camera charm antics, "beautiful! finish the assignment!" Vivien's ultra-cute sounding voice "Thats not true it's 8 o'clock." I was a bit disappointed in the new "A Life in Pictures" documentary from Jan Harlan, mostly banal interviews and film clips, where's all the behind the scenes footage from his various films? That's what I want to see, more footage of Stanley having a fit and getting frustrated. Thank god for Vivian's Making the Shining, she is a prodigy. To think she photographed that at age 17, with a large heavy Aaton 16mm (I'm assuming) and did a magnificent job of filming. A truly amazing job, absolutely astounding, incredible, precocious. I often wonder what line of work she went into later in life, she probably could have been an amazing cinematographer, which is a field somewhat lacking the female gender. Vivien, if your out there, contact me, I'd like to hire you to shoot my next film!