Movie Review: ROOM 237

This one will be of interest to fans of Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING only. (And if you’re not a fan of Kubrick’s THE SHINING, I’ve honestly got nothing for ya; Stephen King gets a pass, as he has a right to not appreciate it, since Kubrick kinda highjacked King’s story and made it his own. Anybody else, not so much.) And it won’t even appeal to every fan of THE SHINING, only those who enjoy taking the deep dives. Film students, and marks for conspiracy theories, and your basic cinephiles. ROOM 237 explores all the hidden meaning, supposed hidden meaning, and conspiracy theories associated with Kubrick’s film. That Kubrick infused this movie, as he did with all his works, with tons of subtext and symbolism is not a question up for debate. Rather, just how much subtext, and what does the symbolism actually represent. (Is it a commentary on the Holocaust? On the treatment of the American Indian by European colonialists? Both?)

I do think some of these folks who mine the movie for meaning are making more out of some things than is actually there, and in some cases they’re interpreting what was just a joke of Kubrick’s part as something a lot more profound. I also think all the stuff about Kubrick filming the moon landing, with THE SHINING being his secret confession, is a bit of a stretch. But it’s a fun bit of conjecture, even if you don’t take it seriously.

By TheCheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS, specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced, and directed (and occasionally acted in) over two dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and True Crime genres. He obtained a doctorate in Occult Studies from Miskatonic University and is an active paranormal investigator. Is frequently told he resembles Anton Lavey. And Ming the Merciless. Denn die totden reiten schnell!

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