The Shining

The Shining is coming to AFS Cinema for three screenings this October, part of the Austin Film Society's Big Screen Classics series. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's novel is a movie that works differently on a big screen than it does at home, and these are the dates: Thursday, Oct 1 at 8 PM; Thursday, Oct 8 at 7:45 PM; and Saturday, Oct 10 at 7:30 PM.

If you've seen it a dozen times, it's still worth catching in a theater. The New York Times called it "gloriously diabolical," and director Ti West said it was the first film that made him uncomfortable with the idea of ever watching it again. Guillermo del Toro described it as a "symphony of terror" that proves great horror can be both shocking and a highly artistic endeavor. Much of that comes from Kubrick's absolute control over the medium—the rock-solid framing and tense timing he uses like weapons against the audience, and the performances of Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall.

Senses of Cinema argues it's more than just a horror movie: a dark comedy, a family drama, and an early example of the "mind game" film. Stephen King himself always resented it for its less sentimental take on patriarch Jack Torrance, which is one of the things that keeps it worth talking about. Seeing it in a theater lets you sit with those long, slow pans and the way the Overlook Hotel seems to expand around you.

Tickets are $15 for evening shows, with $12 matinees available Monday through Friday for screenings before 5 PM. AFS MAKE & WATCH members get $4 off, and it's free for LOVE & Impact Circle members. There are also discounts for AISD educators and local high school and college students at the box office with a valid school ID. All three screenings are at AFS Cinema, 6406 N I-35 Suite 3100, Austin, TX 78752.