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Tag: Rodney Ascher

  • ‘Room 237’ Is Now Available On Netflix

    Room 237, the much talked-about documentary exploring theories about Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (loosely based on the Stephen King novel of the same name), has now become available on Netflix (both streaming and DVD).

    While the film is listed as a 2012 release, it only saw its limited theatrical run beginning in March before making its way to DVD this month.

    While reviews are very mixed among Netflix users so far, Room 237 has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes (61% audience score). The film, directed by Rodney Ascher, explores some pretty interesting (albeit highly debated) ideas about The Shining, which have drawn significant interest on the Internet from hard core Kubrick fans for years.

    Here’s the Netflix description for Room 237:

    Room 237

    If your’e interested in the possible subtexts of Kubrick’s film, I’d also highly recommend checking out a collection of videos on the topic from Rob Ager and Collative Learning. They will give you plenty more to think about while watching The Shining the next time (and probably every other time after that).

  • Room 237 Director Loses His Voice On Opening Weekend

    The much talked about Room 237 opens this weekend, and Rodney Ascher, who directed the documentary about Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and the theories about hidden contexts within, has lost his voice. How’s that for timing?

    Ascher tweeted this afternoon:

    Reviews of the film have been quite positive for the most part .There has been some criticism (including from Kubrick’s assistant) about some of the themes discussed in the film, but people seem to find them quite interesting anyway. Here’s a snippet from a New York Times review:

    That makes the theories fair game for a sober assessment. And who better to provide one than Leon Vitali, who is listed in the closing credits of “The Shining” as personal assistant to the director? Mr. Vitali had an acting role in Kubrick’s 1975 movie “Barry Lyndon,” went to work for him soon after and remained on his payroll for decades. Mr. Vitali’s first task as an assistant was to fly to the United States to cast the role of Danny, the child of Jack (Jack Nicholson) and Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall). He was present during the 13-month filming at sound stages near London, and throughout postproduction.

    Mr. Vitali, 64, is a Briton who now lives in Los Angeles, where he works on his own and other film projects. He was recently sent an advance copy of “Room 237,” and not surprisingly it elicited a strong response.

    “I was falling about laughing most of the time,” he said by telephone. “There are ideas espoused in the movie that I know to be total balderdash.”

    The film currently has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Shining itself only has a 90%.