Of all the holidays celebrated worldwide, no one day is more loved by the UTG staff than Halloween. With the arrival of October, the time has finally come to begin rolling out a plethora of features and special announcements we have prepared in celebration of our favorite day, including the one you’re about to read.

31 Days Of Halloween is a recurring daily feature that will run throughout the month of October. The hope and goal of this column is to supply every UTG reader with a daily horror movie recommendation that is guaranteed to amplify your Halloween festivities. We’ll be watching every film the day it’s featured, and we hope you’ll follow along at home. If you have a suggestion, contact us and we may include your favorite scarefest in an upcoming column!

DAY 11: The Shining (1980)

A staple film for those who are fans of the sick and twisted, The Shining is a classic psychological horror flick starring a young Jack Nicholson. Directed by Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket), this 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s popular novel shows Nicholson as Jack Torrance, a recently rehabilitated alcoholic writer attempting to right the wrongs of his past.

In the movie, Torrance is offered a winter maintenance position at the Overlook Hotel, a secluded hotel in Colorado where a man, Charles Grady, killed his wife and two daughters. Torrance takes the job, viewing it as an opportunity to put his family on the right track as well as work on his play. However, a supernatural being feeds on Torrance’s weaknesses, eventually leading him to murder his wife and son, as well as the hotel’s former cook, with an ax.

The Shining is timeless. Nicholson’s grinning face as he yell’s “Here’s Johnny!” while attacking his wife will remain one of the most memorable horror scenes of all time. Plus, as a film with many on-screen intricacies such as Grady’s two creepy daughters, room 237 and REDRUM, it’s also interesting to take a look at the horrors behind the camera. As a writer and former alcoholic himself, many believe that Jack Torrance’s character may have been inspired by aspects of King’s own life, bringing the story to a more tangible reality. Perhaps all work and no play makes King a dull boy too.

To get into the spirit of the season, check out this fan-made trailer for The Shining below.

You can purchase The Shining on Amazon.

Editorial written by: Anthony Galasso

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Anthony Galasso

A native of New Brunswick, NJ, Anthony graduated from Rutgers University majoring in Journalism & Media Studies. He loves music, design, social networking and 'Rocky' movies. He also owns and operates his own clothing line, Breathe Atlantic.

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