This New Book on 'The Shining' is Blowing My Mind

I am a massive film and TV nerd, and my wife knows it. That's why, for our third anniversary, she found this wonderful leatherbound book on The Shining that I have not been able to put down since.

If you know anything about these Taschen books, you know they're pretty in-depth and special.

Today, I wanted to go over some of the stuff I've learned reading the book and what makes it such a cool thing for any collector to own.

Let's dive in.

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The Must-Have Book for Lovers of The Shining

What I Learned From This Book on The Shining

I've always been kind of a Kubrick nut, so opening what feels like a historical document to just read over and over again was exciting. I could never summarize the whole book, but these are the cool things I learned, and there's just so much more for you in there as well.

The Scrapbook

So in the book, you learn that the scrapbook Jack finds was a much larger plot point. There were scenes of him discovering it, becoming obsessed with it, and even showing it to Wendy.

Frozen Jack

Unkrich found footage of the large maze model from the lobby, but it had been completely redressed with snow, and a tiny "frozen Jack" figure was placed in the center. He speculates this was for a "God's eye view" shot of Jack frozen in the maze, possibly intended to transition to the hospital epilogue.

Primary Sources That Debunk Myths

The thing I appreciate the most is that the book uses primary sources, like the script supervisor's detailed notes, to debunk long-standing myths. So, for example, it clarifies the actual number of takes for famous scenes and debunks the rumor that Kubrick tortured Jack Nicholson with cheese sandwiches (a story that arose from a single day of shooting).

You can read these actual notes on the pages, even memos from studio presidents and handwritten notes passed to Kubrick and from Kubrick, which were all in the archives.

Shelley Duvall

Unkrich spent a full day interviewing Shelley Duvall and got all the info on her role on set. He even clarified that while the shoot was undeniably difficult and taxing, he does not believe she was "abused." He notes that Duvall herself remembers Kubrick warmly, understood the intense demands of the role when she accepted it, and remains very proud of her performance.

The Bathtub Scene

Here's a fun thing I learned from an interview, which might be in the book, but I haven't gotten there yet. It's the bathtub from the infamous Room 237 set that is now installed in the guest bathroom of Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law.

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Summing It All Up

I am aware that a $125 book on The Shining is expensive, but for nerds, this is the thing to own. I haven't finished reading it yet, but every day I am opening up new facts and ideas that I had no clue about before, and I feel like I'm really tapping into the creative mind that is Stanley Kubrick.

I can't emphasize enough how much fun it has been to read, so check it out and let me know what you think in the comments.