Stanley Kubrick's adapation of The Shining was initially greeted with extreme disappointment by fans of the novel, but in the 30 years since its release, has become appreciated as a classic of the horror genre. Without the advantage of modern CGI technology, it was through camera and character that Kubrick created the isolation and claustrophobia that lead to the terror of Jack Torrance's descent into madness.
At this point, I think I've owned just about every home video version of The Shining that's been released and in all aspect ratios (4:3, 1.66:1, 1.85:1). I thought the Kubrick Collection DVD was extremely well done and, to be honest, didn't expect the Blu-ray release to be much of an improvement. Wrong. The visual presentation, while not quite reference quality, easily exceeds that of many current films. Kubrick's primary colour palette is brought to eye-popping life with remarkable detail throughout. Unfortunately, there's only so much you can do with a 30 year soundtrack. It's thin and weak but cranking the volume fills things out to acceptable levels. All things considered, this is an absolute must-own for fans of the film.
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