Save your money for something good and enjoyable

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Making 'The Shining' (1980) **** (out of 4) Most of the time when you see "making" in the title you immediately skip over it because you expect it to be some sort of weak promo piece but if you skipped over this film then you'd be missing one of the greatest documentaries ever made. I'm certainly not going to sit here and say this contains the greatest filmmaking ever but considering what we get to see here this thing is a real masterpiece. The greatest thing it has going for it is that it gives us a behind the scenes look at Kubrick, how he made movies and what it could be like when he wasn't happy with you. If you know anything about Kubrick then you know how demanding he could be with multiple takes that would put the actors through Hell. Here Shelley Duvall is the victim in a couple terrific sequences where she doesn't do what she's suppose to and it sets the director off. Another great sequence is some of the scenes where we see Kubrick on the set not only directing but in one terrific sequence Nicholson and Duvall are practicing their lines with the legendary director just sitting at his typewriter coming up with new dialogue. The film gets off to a terrific start as Vivian Kubrick crashes in on Nicholson and then he begins playing with her and the camera. Fans of Nicholson are going to love this look at him off the camera and it's a lot of fun seeing him here. The film itself is extremely raw but I think this is what makes the thing so special. It's as if you're a fly on the wall just picking up all of this stuff and I think it adds to the entertainment value. Nicholson, Duvall, Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers are all interviewed as well. Fans of THE SHINING are really going to love this film because you get to see how it's made. Fans of Kubrick are going to love it because you get to see the master work. Even those unfamiliar with the film or the director will find themselves having a great time simply because of the footage we get to see and how it gives you a great idea of what goes into making a movie.

*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.

"The Shining" is clearly a film that grows on you the more you see it. And it's probably one of my favorite films not just because it has the best actor of all time the legendary Jack, also because of the way Kubrick shot it with haunting visuals and excellent camera work. So it's probably a given if you own a DVD or video copy you've seen the short documentary done by Stanley's daughter Vivian called simply "Making "The Shining". From the start it's interesting for it's memorable scenes and famous quotes like seeing Jack from the beginning order rice and noodles, and it was neat seeing Nicholson brush his teeth before filming scenes. As expected Jack always shows off in front of the camera letting the viewers know that he likes to be out of control as an actor as not being the norm is fun. Plus his very memorable quote of stating that in the average year a celebrity meets more people than the average person does in a lifetime. And too you get to see the master himself hard at work gearing up and getting himself fired up to do the famous ax scene by showing us he uses Boris Karloff as an inspiration by checking off his lines before doing a scene just like Karloff did.Also memorable is the short interviews of Scatman Crothers and Danny Lloyd, especially an emotional one of Scatman crying thanking god that he got to work with such beautiful people. And Danny Lloyd who would later disappear from the movie world laughing about his good time being so young wondering what his parents will do with all of his money! And it was revealing and also interesting showing Shelley Duvall coping with the stress of the role as at one point she even passes out on set. It was clear Stanley pushed her to the fullest, in which she would later thank him for.As we see Kubrick who gives such rare glimpses it was so clear he was such a perfectionist as it was shown during this doc he was such a master artist of the camera. From the memorable angles and fabulous shots shown of him running with the hand-held camera during filming. Overall consider this short doc a good mini meal that you must digest along with the main course as it has some unforgettable scenes and interviews with memorable quotes that will stick with you forever and it will make you respect the film even more.

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!