Mark Walker at 2013-07-15 15:50:44:

Inspired by "Here's Johnny" here is one of my favourite scenes from one of my favourite Horrors, The Shining....not sure if it is technically a "horror" scene, but it is a scene from a horror film and, in the broader sense of the term, it is a pretty horrifying conversation that goes from simply "chit-chat" following an accident with Advocat, to a stunning revelation from Brady. While the earlier scenes at the bar with Lloyd suggest that Jack is losing his mind, I think the scene with Brady is the point at which his mind has gone and the hotel has him completely....he is the caretaker. The Shining is one of a handful of films that has genuinely "shit me up" - see also Ringu - and I will never tire of Nicholson's performance. The book was a fantastic read as well, but I think Kubrick took it and made it something special. Video - (Apologies for the sound) http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+shining+toilet+scene And the text.... INT. MEN'S TOILET - M.L.S. Men's toilet. JACK moves in from cam.L.b.g. He holds door open. JACK hold this for you there, Jeevesy. GRADY enters cam.L. GRADY Thank you, sir. Thank you. GRADY walks forward and puts his tray down on basins cam.R. JACK walks forward. GRADY Now let's see if we can improve this with a little water, sir. GRADY soaks his serviette under tap. JACK puts glass down cam.L and turns to GRADY cam.R. JACK Right, I'll just set my bourbon and advocaat down right there. JACK laughs. GRADY starts to sponge JACK with serviette. GRADY Won't keep you a moment, sir. JACK Fine. GRADY sponges JACK. JACK What do they call you around here, Jeevesy? 92. GRADY Grady, sir. Delbert Grady. CUT TO: M.S. JACK over GRADY. GRADY sponging JACK's jacket. JACK Grady? GRADY Yes, sir. JACK Delbert Grady. GRADY That's right, sir. GRADY sponges JACK's trousers. JACK Eh, Mr. Grady... JACK clears his throat. JACK (CONT'D) haven't I seen you somewhere before? GRADY Why no, sir. I don't believe so. GRADY turns cam.L to basins to rinse serviette under tap. He turns back to JACK and sponges his jacket. GRADY Ah ha, it's coming off now, sir. JACK Eh... Mr. Grady... weren't you once the caretaker here? GRADY Why no, sir. I don't believe so. GRADY sponges JACK's trousers. JACK You er a married man, are you, Mr. Grady? GRADY sponges JACK's jacket sleeve. 93. GRADY Yes, sir. I have a wife and eh two daughters, sir. JACK And, er... where are they now? GRADY Oh, they're somewhere around. I'm not quite sure at the moment, sir. JACK takes serviette away from GRADY and wipes his hand with it. JACK Mr. Grady, you were the caretaker here. I recognize you. I saw your picture in the newspapers. You eh... chopped your wife and daughters up into little bits, and eh... and you blew your brains out. JACK throws serviette into basin cam.L. CUT TO: M.L.S. GRADY over JACK. GRADY That's strange, sir. I don't have any recollection of that at all. JACK Mr. Grady, you were the caretaker here. CUT TO: M.S. JACK over GRADY. GRADY I'm sorry to differ with you, sir, but you are the caretaker. You have always been the caretaker, I should know, sir. I've always been here. ---------------------------------------------------------- Screenwriting-wise it is a great example of the 3-Things "rule" (sorry Scott....tools, not rules!) where we start a conversational scene with something innocuous and only get to the nitty gritty on the third-thing. Actually I haven't counted, but it does start off pretty normal and slowly we are drawn into the dawning horror that this isn't just some waiter....as Jack's questioning brings us around to the idea that this is the caretaker who went mad, and things aren't quite what they seem....creeping horror, rather than skeletons jumping out of closets. Bit of trivia from IMDB Stanley Kubrick considered both Robert De Niro and Robin Williams for the role of Jack Torrance but decided against both of them. Kubrick didn't think De Niro would suit the part after watching his performance in Taxi Driver, as he deemed De Niro not psychotic enough for the role. He didn't think Williams would suit the part after watching his performance in Mork & Mindy, as he deemed him too psychotic for the role. According to Stephen King, Kubrick also briefly considered Harrison Ford. Stephen King tried to talk Stanley Kubrick out of casting Jack Nicholson in the lead suggesting, instead, either Michael Moriarty or Jon Voight. King had felt that watching either of these normal-looking men gradually descend into madness, would have immensely improved the dramatic thrust of the storyline. We all know King and Kubrick didn't see eye to eye on the adaptation, but how do you think it would have turned out without Nicholson on board? Would it have been the same film with one of the others? Can you even think of anyone else playing that role? I can't