(10.22) For those feeling a little housebound right now, here’s the perfect antidote. You have three opportunities coming up for experiencing the unrelenting dread of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980, ‘The Shining,’ on the big screen: Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursday at Providence Place Cinemas.
4pm, Saturday, October 17.
7pm, Tuesday, October 20.
7pm, Thursday, October 22.
From Janet Maslin’s review in The New York Times:
What will scare an audience? Kubrick approaches the matter playfully, as when he films a little boy riding a tricycle, lowering the camera to handlebar-level and exaggerating the sound of the wheels rolling across evenly-spaced rugs on a wooden floor.
The image is a harmless one, and still Kubrick makes it chilling. Indeed, the early parts of “The Shining,” which draw their ominousness from household artifacts and the hints of an unhappy marriage, are far more frightening than the standard horrorfilm fiendishness of the ending.
Seen here is a detail from the original movie poster by graphic designer Saul Bass, best known for his design of title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. But not all of Bass’s efforts were winners. The AV Club has a great piece featuring the rejected artwork with marginal notes by Kubrick. Look at the letter from Bass and how he “signs” his name. I wish I could draw.
Covid note: We make no representations as to the safety protocols in place at the mall or the movie complex. I can find no info at their website, nor at their Facebook page (where they have what looks like a link but it doesn’t go anywhere). The Providence Journal covered this issue in July when the Providence Place Cinemas first reopened. One conclusion: They have been doing this for a few months now and there does not seem to have been an outbreak associated with this location. The article has many details about the theater’s efforts. You will have to assess the situation for yourself.
Rated R. Running time: 2 hours, 26 minutes. With Jack Nicholson and the strange and wonderful Shelley Duvall.
The Shining, Providence Place Cinemas, 10 Providence Place, (directions)