08/08/2026
"It's just that, you know, some places are like people. Some 'shine' and some don't. I guess you could say the Overlook Hotel here has somethin' almost like 'shining'." - Mr. Dick Hallorann
Current Horror Movie: The Shining (1980) Director: Stanley Kubrick
Basic Plot: Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic takes a job as the winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado. He moves there with his wife Wendy and son Danny, who possesses a psychic ability called "the shining". As winter storms trap the family, the hotel's malevolent supernatural forces drive Jack into a homicidal madness.
My Take: Based on the novel by Stephen King (who famously hated the movie adaptation) said what inspired him to write this novel was coming home to see that his very young son had messed with a manuscript he had been working on. He said in that moment he felt such a burst of anger and aggression for his child, that in that moment, he hated him and could have k****ed him for it. It's also worth noting that King was struggling with severe alcoholism though he did not fully admit or realize the extent of his addiction at the time.
For me this story is about how cycles of generational abuse, violence and trauma will repeat themselves if left unacknowledged. Within the story universe, we all have evil residing in all of us and if those impulses are left unchecked, the ghosts or trauma that already existed in the hotel, amplify feelings and actions and create an evil reincarnation cycle. When Jack arrives at the hotel he mentions having a déjà vu, feels right at home and this cycle is confirmed by the final shot of the movie showing Jack present in an old photograph from a 4th of July Ball from 1921. For me this implies that Jack is now part of the malevolent forces inside the hotel and will continue to haunt men with evil and weakness in their hearts.
Film Talk: I really enjoy Kubrick's work, I'm a big fan of his strict one-point perspective symmetry, ultra-wide lenses, natural low-light filming and smooth tracking shots. His signature style intensifies the feeling of isolation and presents the hotel in a maze like trap that feels suffocating. He also puts the supernatural dread in wide-open brightly lit spaces instead of hiding the monsters in the dark. I won't go into detail about all the conspiracy theories surrounding the movie, you can look those up yourself. (The Moon Landing Confession, The Native American Genocide Metaphor, Wendy as an unreliable Narrator) I will say that Kubrick is considered one of the greatest and influential film directors of all time and with most creative geniuses, he was an as***le. I see a lot of criticism that the actors were overacting, but Kubrick literally made them film between 30 to 60 takes PER scene! The scene where Mr. Hallorann and Danny have the first conversation about the shining holds the Guinness World Record for a dialogue scene. (148 takes) So the actors started doing wild s**t and Kubrick would often use the later takes. Poor Shelley Duvall suffered a mental breakdown during shooting as Kubrick often singled her out and pushed her to the edge. I adore Duvall in this movie and love everything she brings to the scenes.
About the cross stitches: There were many many ideas I had for this film but I wanted to narrow it down to 3. REDRUM and the famous carpet design was at the top of my list. While I was stitching I realized this would be a great opportunity to show off the back of my stitch so I framed it in a double side glass frame so when the viewer turned the frame, MURDER could be seen on the other side. Also I just wanted to show off my neat stitching on the back lol. I'm a big believer that your cross stitch back should mirror the front.
I knew instantly I also wanted to do the hedge maze. My design is a replica of the map you see in the movie and I cheated a bit and added a quote from the book.
The bookmark was a new concept all together. I've never made a cross stitched bookmark before, but thought the "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" repeated would be pretty cool as one. I did struggle a bit to make it looked finished. I ended up using fabric markers to frame the edge and added some red felt to the back. I'm not 100% satisfied with how it came out, but I gave it my best and I think it's good for a first attempt.
Total Stitch Counts
REDRUM: 6,736 stitches - 8x10"
Maze: 1,868 stitches - 6x6"
Bookmark: 708 stitches - 7.25 x 2.75"
What's your take on The Shining? Do you love the film, hate it or think it's only ok? Did you think the final product justifies Kubrick's brutal directing style? What film do you want me to stitch next?
