I saw The Shining last night at the independent theatre on the big highway that connects my town to civilization. Midnight showing. The theatre was half empty and people were smoking by the time Jack had the job. The seats are covered w/stickers for shitty local bands and radio stations. The bathrooms always smell like banana and the tickets are always $5. OK, $5 for the shows *I* want to see.

I love that theatre.

Back to The Shining.

I have seen The Shining many times, both on video and the silver screen. Despite the number of times I have seen it, I still get scared in that wide-eyed 'I'm 10 again' feeling. Well, I try, anyway...there's no worse state of being than a skeptic who likes to be scared. The Shining is one of the few movies w/a timeless fear factor. Two words: naked granny.

Anyway, despite the timelessness of the movie, I have to admit that it doesn't have as much of an affect on me as it used to. Ever since The Simpsons episode w/The Shinning sketch, The Shining as been a bit more amusing than scary. Plus the irony factor: "I'd never hurt you or Mommy", from having previously seen it.

But there's one thing that always manages to freak the piss out of me.

That goddamned bear giving a blow job.

What. The. Fuck.

Every time, every single fucking time, that shot catches me offguard. I can't even explain it. Was Kubrick aware that there would be former acid heads watching his movie? Flashback-o-rama.

After the show, my friends and I were talking about that and none of us could remember if that was in the book. It doesn't fit the storyline at all and honestly, the only people who would find it frightening would be former hallucingen (spelling) users and people currently on hallucingens. That's fucking wrong, man. Just throwing something like that in the movie. No warning at all.

Kubrick was a jerk.

Goddamn.

16 days. I think.

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