Room 237 (2012) - September 24, 2013

[Member-167298]

Originally Posted by English Patient

I agree - Room 237 was extremely disappointing. Irritating and silly, too. It would have been more interesting to see a serious documentary on The Shining, a documentary that talked about its importance as a horror film, its use of mythological/fairy tale elements (the maze, Jack as the big bad wolf/minotaur, etc.) and its other qualities. Sort of a much more in-depth version of the "A View From the Overlook" feature on the The Shining's blu-ray, in which directors like William Friedkin and Sydney Pollack weighed in on the movie.

The theories in Room 237 seem to hinge on the notion that Kubrick was such a genius that every single object and image in The Shining was meaningful and deliberately preplanned. But if you watch Vivian Kubrick's documentary on the movie, you see how Kubrick was constantly rewriting and changing things on the set, right up to the moment of filming. There even seemed to be a whiff of sloppiness and chaos about the set, at least in regards to the script. You get the sense that for as gifted a filmmaker as Kubrick was, the final film was still probably vulnerable to the occasional continuity error, gaffe or something else that was unintentional. And unfortunately, the theorists in Room 237 are using these accidents as "evidence" of their claims.

I had the same feeling as you when I started watching the movie, but after a while I came to realize that the movie was NOT really about The Shining. While it was not explicitly stated as such, the documentary was more of an attempt to showcase how people inevitably project their own thoughts onto film. The Shining was just the example.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by English Patient

I agree - Room 237 was extremely disappointing. Irritating and silly, too. It would have been more interesting to see a serious documentary on The Shining, a documentary that talked about its importance as a horror film, its use of mythological/fairy tale elements (the maze, Jack as the big bad wolf/minotaur, etc.) and its other qualities. Sort of a much more in-depth version of the "A View From the Overlook" feature on the The Shining's blu-ray, in which directors like William Friedkin and Sydney Pollack weighed in on the movie.

The theories in Room 237 seem to hinge on the notion that Kubrick was such a genius that every single object and image in The Shining was meaningful and deliberately preplanned. But if you watch Vivian Kubrick's documentary on the movie, you see how Kubrick was constantly rewriting and changing things on the set, right up to the moment of filming. There even seemed to be a whiff of sloppiness and chaos about the set, at least in regards to the script. You get the sense that for as gifted a filmmaker as Kubrick was, the final film was still probably vulnerable to the occasional continuity error, gaffe or something else that was unintentional. And unfortunately, the theorists in Room 237 are using these accidents as "evidence" of their claims.

It really is an awful documentary. It could have been so much more and could have gone way more into the making of the movie since we don't really have a huge doc on the film's production. Almost all of the theories were ridiculous and had me constantly rolling my eyes. The interviewers kept stuttering as if even they didn't believe what they were saying and most of the time they never even got to the point.

[redrunner97]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

It really is an awful documentary. It could have been so much more and could have gone way more into the making of the movie since we don't really have a huge doc on the film's production. Almost all of the theories were ridiculous and had me constantly rolling my eyes. The interviewers kept stuttering as if even they didn't believe what they were saying and most of the time they never even got to the point.

It was documenting the conspiracy theories, not the film or its making.

You were suppossed to roll your eyes. They were insane, the film didn't make them up, just documented them.

[TylerDurden389]

Interesting thoughts from someone close to Kubrick:

http://www.uproxx.com/filmdrunk/2014...m-327-idiotic/

[eiknarf]

Originally Posted by Farid

Awful. Just awful.

"Look! They airbrushed Kubrick's head in the clouds! If you pause it, you'll see it."

"When they shake hands. Exactly when their hands meet, he's got a boner."

"Oh! My baby is crying. You can hear my baby crying in the back. Let me just go check on her." (goes off)

I turned it off after 25-30 minutes. Waste of time.

But did you see Kubrick's head in the clouds?
I couldn't/didn't see it.
I thought I'd find it online.
Nothing!
I know the guy said it was only visible in one frame, but I didn't see it.
The guy also said he'd show it, among other subliminal things, in his documentary about it.

[slasherdisc]

Originally Posted by eiknarf

But did you see Kubrick's head in the clouds?
I couldn't/didn't see it.
I thought I'd find it online.
Nothing!
I know the guy said it was only visible in one frame, but I didn't see it.
The guy also said he'd show it, among other subliminal things, in his documentary about it.

I loved Room 237! I was able to see what looked like Kubrick's eyes and hair

[eiknarf]

Originally Posted by visualsynth

I loved Room 237! I was able to see what looked like Kubrick's eyes and hair

Wait. Did you see it in Room 237 where the guy was discussing it, or, did you find it on your blu-ray of The Shining?

[slasherdisc]

Originally Posted by eiknarf

Wait. Did you see it in Room 237 where the guy was discussing it, or, did you find it on your blu-ray of The Shining?

Both. After i saw Room 237 i had immediately put in my copy of The Shining to see if i could see the same thing and to my surprise the eyes and hair were there.

[thompsonjohn]

Originally Posted by visualsynth

Both. After i saw Room 237 i had immediately put in my copy of The Shining to see if i could see the same thing and to my surprise the eyes and hair were there.

Wanna screen cap that and outline it or something, because I really could not find it either.

[eiknarf]

Originally Posted by visualsynth

Both. After i saw Room 237 i had immediately put in my copy of The Shining to see if i could see the same thing and to my surprise the eyes and hair were there.

Would you be able to tell me the ABS TIME where that occurs? I'll be able to grab it and enhance the face in the clouds with Photoshop so it pops

[Monroville]

Originally Posted by visualsynth

Both. After i saw Room 237 i had immediately put in my copy of The Shining to see if i could see the same thing and to my surprise the eyes and hair were there.

Do you have the time code as to when it happens?

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by Monroville

Do you have the time code as to when it happens?

It starts around 1:48 into

this all too spot on review

this all too spot on review of it, and is then enhanced for those who keep missing it (probably cuz it's not really there!) around 3:00. I want to burn every copy of this doc so no one else has to suffer like I did. BTW, clip NSFW (language).

[slasherdisc]

Originally Posted by thompsonjohn

Wanna screen cap that and outline it or something, because I really could not find it either.

Notice the eye there? Now above that could be the hair, but the beard i don't see.

[eiknarf]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyhorse

It starts around 1:48 into this all too spot on review this all too spot on review of it, and is then enhanced for those who keep missing it (probably cuz it's not really there!) around 3:00. I want to burn every copy of this doc so no one else has to suffer like I did. BTW, clip NSFW (language).

Oh OK. 1:48 on that YouTube clip.

I was wondering where on the blu-ray of The Shining? But that's cool. I can clearly see there is no head of Kubrick in the clouds.

.

[Kryptonic]

The documentary is fun to watch at how preposterous most of the ideas are. The clouds theory was especially funny. I'm sure Kubrick time traveled to 2008 to photoshop his face into clouds, but not so clearly that it's obvious to everyone, only those who can "shine."

[rickah88]

I enjoy conspiracy theories as much as the next person, and I enjoyed watching this...but for the life of me I don't see jack squat in those clouds!

[eiknarf]

Originally Posted by Farid

If he meant the clouds on the upper left corner of the frame, then I want to know what he's smoking

The guy explained it as - it appears in one frame. Ok. So not only is one frame subtle enough (think of the Brad Pitt flashes in Fight Club), but its also obviously supposed to be a barely formed white puffy likeness of Kubrick's face, I assume?

Later, I'll composite a Photoshop rendering of how I was expecting it to look in that one frame.

But so far, I don't think there really is a "face in the clouds".

.

[eiknarf]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

The documentary is fun to watch at how preposterous most of the ideas are. The clouds theory was especially funny. I'm sure Kubrick time traveled to 2008 to photoshop his face into clouds, but not so clearly that it's obvious to everyone, only those who can "shine."

I half expected the image of "Kubrick's-face-in-the-clouds-for-one-frame" to look like this:



I made it look somewhat "clear" for now, but if that was only visible for one single frame, like the guy said, it still would be almost impossible to see in slow motion. The only way we'd be able to see that is frame-be-frame. Which ironically, is what he does for us in the film, Room 231, yet, we STILL don't see it.


.

[Martoto]

I enjoyed this a lot more on second viewing. It felt like a bit of a waste first time around since, as many people have said, if they were going to make a doc and fill it with theories about stuff that was unintentional or not even in the Shining at all, most people and their mum could come up with stuff at least as good as the things in Room 237.

But watching it again I figured they had to put something in and the people providing their insights do so from a good place.

Except the Kubrick faked moon landing footage guy. The fact that Kubrick said stuff about the making of the Shining that turned out not to be true is not a clue. If that were the case, then you could claim that just about every director makes stuff up about the production of their movies.

As for the Kubrick face in the clouds. Come on. If one single frame had been airbrushed it would stick out a mile and you'd be able to see it in the documentary. It is not there.

I have a question for The Shining fans though. Does the helicopter shadow appear in the 1.85:1 version? Or only in the "correct" 1.33:1 version.

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by Martoto

I enjoyed this a lot more on second viewing. It felt like a bit of a waste first time around since, as many people have said, if they were going to make a doc and fill it with theories about stuff that was unintentional or not even in the Shining at all, most people and their mum could come up with stuff at least as good as the things in Room 237.

But watching it again I figured they had to put something in and the people providing their insights do so from a good place.

Except the Kubrick faked moon landing footage guy. The fact that Kubrick said stuff about the making of the Shining that turned out not to be true is not a clue. If that were the case, then you could claim that just about every director makes stuff up about the production of their movies.

As for the Kubrick face in the clouds. Come on. If one single frame had been airbrushed it would stick out a mile and you'd be able to see it in the documentary. It is not there.

I have a question for The Shining fans though. Does the helicopter shadow appear in the 1.85:1 version? Or only in the "correct" 1.33:1 version.

As far as I know the helicopter is only in the 1.33:1 version.