I must have watched The Shining at least a dozen times over the years, it's a stunning horror film and something about it always draws me back, so I was very interested to see this documentary. I didn't expect much but I really enjoyed it (probably for all the wrong reasons though!). Some of the theories presented are intriguing, others are a little far-fetched or pointless, and one or two are definitely insane! But there's never a dull moment, it's all very entertaining to watch, and it's clear that the people who contributed to Room 237 are huge fans of Stanley Kubrick.
You can't help but be impressed by their dedication even if some of them are obsessively looking for explanations and subliminal messages in just about anything and reading too much into things. Can you see Kubrick's face in the clouds? I can't. Ever felt the urge to watch the whole film backwards? Well some guy did and unsurprisingly had little of interest to say about the experience. And so it goes on but the most bizarre is the idea that Kubrick faked the Moon landings on behalf of the US government. It's beyond ridiculous and claiming that Danny's Apollo 11 jumper in the film somehow proves it is just laughable. But that's conspiracy theorists for you!
Some minute details pointed out are admittedly things I'd never noticed before (the wallpaper, pattern on the carpet, continuity errors, etc.) so in that sense this will make future viewings of the film that much more interesting. Have you ever noticed the hotel manager's "hard-on" when he shakes Jack's hand? Me neither! Look out for it next time, though it's not what you might think! It's a shame no cast or crew who actually worked with Kubrick were interviewed for this documentary, their input certainly would have been useful. Even so, Room 237 is definitely worth watching, for entertainment value if nothing else.
UK release date: 26th October 2012
