Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a timeless (and aesthetically pleasing) horror classic that showcases the director’s signature use of timing in sounds to ramp up fear and escalate emotions. No matter the scene, a sense of space can be detected, and with the carefully planned sound timings as well as the little ambient details present before the growing dominant sound travels from the surround speakers to the frontal array. You will find yourself biting into your nails, as you come face to face with the Grady Twins, stand before the blood elevator, or even the frightening Room 237. Its dramatic shift from ambient to frontal not only accelerates menacing situations but keeps you glued no matter how much you try to look away.
The Shining (R)