Everybody loves a classic. I really miss Jack Nicholson being in movies. Stanley Kubrick, too. If you agree with me on at least two out of those three, well then buckle up, kids, because I’ve got some great news for you: The Shining is making a big comeback this year! No, I’m not just talking about Mike Flanagan’s upcoming sequel, Doctor Sleep; nah, those wonderful folks over at Warner Brothers have commissioned a gorgeous 4K restoration of Kubrick’s revolutionary horror film.
The restoration was taken from an original 35mm negative of the movie, which means it’s as pure as it can get. Plus, Leon Vitali, Stanley’s personal assistant of many years, gave some vital input to the people restoring the pic. I just hope they’re keen enough to keep in the wide shot of the helicopter’s shadow during the opening tracking shot. Even a perfectionist can still goof sometimes, which adds a little humanity to Kubrick, a notorious grump.
This re-release is such a big deal that Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón, who made the best Harry Potter movie (a hill I am proud to die on), is going to be the one leading the presentation during the debut at the Cannes Film Festival later this year, during the special “Cannes Classic” line up.
I’m assuming that the prolific director will have a thing or two to say about Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece. I bet Cuarón will also have a thing or two to say about how messed up it was that early critics hated The Shining. I’m still baffled, but people also hated The Thing, so I guess critics are dumb.
While not exactly confirmed, it would make sense that Warner Brothers will eventually be allowing this to head to home video, so keep your eyes peeled for your very own 4K copy of The Shining at some point in the future. Just don’t get lost in a hedge maze before then.
