On this day in Horror History, The Shining made it’s theatrical debut. Undeniably one of the most memorable and terrifying movies of all time, the Stephen King adaption directed by legendary film-maker Stanley Kubrick will forever be a cult masterpiece at the heart of the horror genre. Starring Jack Nicholson in the iconic role of Jack Torrance, the initial release of the film in the United States garnered less than favorable reviews and box office sales. The result was a re-edited European version and a legacy that will forever shadow the trials and tribulations faced by everyone who lent their brilliance to what is one of the most celebrated and inspiring moments in cinematic history.
“Have you ever had a SINGLE MOMENT'S THOUGHT about my responsibilities? Have you ever thought, for a single solitary moment about my responsibilities to my employers? Has it ever occurred to you that I have agreed to look after the OVERLOOK Hotel until May the FIRST. Does it MATTER TO YOU AT ALL that the OWNERS have placed their COMPLETE CONFIDENCE and TRUST in me, and that I have signed a letter of agreement, a CONTRACT, in which I have accepted that RESPONSIBILITY? Do you have the SLIGHTEST IDEA, what a MORAL AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLE IS, DO YOU? Has it ever occurred to you what would happen to my future, if I were to fail to live up to my responsibilities? Has it ever occurred to you? HAS IT?” –Jack Torrance
