Room 237

Subtitled “Being an Inquiry Into The Shining in 9 Parts,” Rodney Ascher's fascinating, critically acclaimed documentary brings intense scrutiny to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror classic—based on Stephen King's 1977 novel—that ranges from critically astute to far-fetched absurdity. The title is taken from the haunted setting of King's novel and Kubrick's film: the Overlook Hotel, a forbidden place where unspeakable horrors occurred, including in Room 237—the locale of one of several mysteries that leave Kubrick's film so enticingly open to interpretation. Ascher invited five obsessive viewers to share their divergent observations; heard but never seen, the interviewees' thoughts are accompanied by extensive clips from The Shining and dozens of other films. At a time when analytical film essays are abundant on YouTube, Room 237 acknowledges (to paraphrase one participant) that movies can yield interpretations far beyond the filmmaker's artistic intentions. Kubrick encouraged such interpretive latitude (especially with regards to 2001: A Space Odyssey), so he might well have been pleased with Room 237, which views The Shining through the prisms of Native American genocide, the Holocaust, architectural oddities, and numerology, while also offering the ludicrous suggestion that Kubrick faked the Apollo moon landing on film. Sure to appeal to film buffs, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by The Shining expert Kevin McLeod, a panel discussion from the first annual Stanley Film Festival at Colorado's historic Stanley Hotel (50 min.), deleted scenes (24 min.), a music featurette (4 min.), a “Mondo Poster Design Discussion” with artist Aled Lewis (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a strange documentary aimed at Kubrick film buffs.] (J. Shannon)