In 1980, my father took me to the Illinois Theatre in Centralia, Illinois to see The Shining. At that time, the theater had become a twin cinema with a theater upstairs (possibly where the balcony had been). To my best recollection, it was smaller than the main theater, but still an excellent place to watch a film. I was probably 13 at the time.
What I remember is the sense of isolation the film created, the incredible soundtrack/score, the powerful scares, and the unforgettable bathroom scene. That scene alone was traumatizing, to say the least. The beginning of the film, shot from a helicopter, tracking the car driving through the mountains while the main title music played, is nothing less than iconic and one of the greatest moments in film to me. It sets the tone for the horrors to come.
To this day it remains my favorite film of all time, but back then, I had no idea of the impact it would have on me. It elevated my perception of what “horror” could really be in film, and at an impressionable age, impressed upon me what “horror” actually was versus the typical jump-scare laden slashers of the time period.
The score is a mixed bag of organic, Avant Garde classical compositions by composers such as:
- Krzysztof Penderecki: Known for his avant-garde, dissonant style, several of his works (like Utrenja, De Natura Sonoris) are used to create intense horror.
- György Ligeti: His atmospheric piece Lontano (meaning “far away”) contributes to the film’s unsettling mood.
- Béla Bartók: His Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta adds a chilling, rhythmic quality.
On the other side, in an electronic form, you have:
- Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind: Composed the main title theme and other electronic pieces, blending synthesizers with classical influences like the medieval “Dies Irae” chant.
There has been a lot written about the film already, but from a personal perspective, it was a game-changer to me. Everything else paled in comparison at the time. The music had the same impact for me. In the late 70s and early 80s, low-budget scores featured a lot of great, and often cheesy, synthesizer scores. While I love those schlocky soundtracks too, the music from The Shining revealed to me just how terrifying electronic music can be. It was only a few years later that I was introduced to the music of Mort Garson and his “Black Mass” album, which turned my electronic music world on its head yet again.
While the film may have permanently scarred me in some psychological way, I am forever grateful for the film and the music and how it helped shape my life as a musician.
The Visual Language of Fear
Beyond the soundscape, the visual production of The Shining is legendary. The film was one of the first to extensively use the Steadicam, a stabilizing mount invented by Garrett Brown. This technology allowed Kubrick to float the camera through the corridors of the Overlook Hotel, tracking Danny’s tricycle at floor level or following Jack through the hedge maze with an eerie, fluid smoothness that hand-held cameras could never achieve.
The production was notoriously arduous. Principal photography took over a year, with Kubrick’s perfectionism leading to a record-breaking number of takes. The scene where Wendy backs up the stairs swinging a baseball bat was rumored to have been shot 127 times, pushing Shelley Duvall to the brink of exhaustion. Jack Nicholson, on the other hand, often improvised, including the now-iconic line “Heeeere’s Johnny!”, which he borrowed from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
The King Controversy
It is no secret that Stephen King has famously been a detractor of the film. He felt that Jack Nicholson’s portrayal made the character seem crazy from the very beginning, undermining the tragedy of a sane man slowly losing his mind to the hotel’s influence. In the novel, the hotel eventually explodes due to a faulty boiler; in the film, the hotel is left standing, a frozen tomb for Jack Torrance.
Despite King’s misgivings, the film has undergone a massive critical reappraisal over the last 40 years. While it opened to mixed reviews in 1980, even earning Razzie nominations that were later rescinded, it is now widely considered one of the greatest horror films ever made. It is a masterclass in atmosphere, ambiguity, and dread.
Venue Spotlight: The Illinois Theatre
Photo by Norman Plant
Illinois Theatre
126 S. Locust Street, Centralia, IL 62801
Closed, Renovating, 2 screens, 1071 seats
The Illinois Theatre, located on Locust Street, was opened on January 16, 1922. By the 1940s it was operated by Fox Midwest Theatres. From the late-1970s until the early-1990s it was operated by BAC Theatres. Kerasotes Theatres then took over. After Kerasotes Theatres opened the Plaza 5 Theatres in Centralia they closed the Illinois Theatre in December 2001.
In the fall of 2004, Kerasotes donated the Illinois Theatre to the city of Centralia for future use as a live venue. Renovations to date include the relighting of the marquee and the interior of the entrance lobby.
Historical Facts:
- First opened in 1922 as a Vaudeville Theatre.
- First movie house in town to show “Talkies” in 1925.
- In 1976 BAC renovated the building in blue and silver at a cost of $250,000. It was also at this time the Illinois became a twin.
- In 1980 Kerasotes bought the building and operated it as a movie theatre until December 2001.
Stream the Score
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