The Shining and Other Terrifying Movies Explored

Let me tell you how I got to today's topic. Paul and I were discussing the new Godzilla and King Kong movie that's coming out soon. Google tells me that there are currently 39 different Godzilla movies available, and that didn't count "Kong: Skull Island", which didn't have Godzilla in it (and was actually pretty good).

That made me think about scary movies. This is generally not my favorite genre of movies. "Nightmare On Elm Street" didn't scare me, nor did the 27 "Jason Movies", while all three "Jeepers Creepers" movies did a little bit.

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One that always got me was "The Shining". Part of why I like it is that I like how Stephen King writes. It's not just mindless tricks trying to scare you; it's a deeper plot, more of a psychological thriller.

I've seen several pictures of the hotel where the story takes place, but I couldn't remember where it was, so I looked it up. It's the Timberline Lodge located at Mt. Hood, Oregon. But that's not really where the movie was filmed; all the interior shots were filmed in England. BUT, I ran across an interesting tidbit.

In the opening sequences when Jack Nicholson is supposedly driving through Colorado on his way to the job interview to be the hotel's caretaker, he's actually driving through Glacier National Park.

I thought the movie was scary enough that if I ever get to Mt. Hood, I will not be setting foot in the Timberline Lodge.