User reviews

Yeah, that's right. I said comedy, and this isn't a review for the wrong film. Like most people, I went into ROOM 237 expecting a documentary on Kubrick's THE SHINING, containing various theories exploring the movie's subtext and the like. What I got was an increasingly deranged collection of ramblings and outlandish conspiracy theories from a team of crackpots and wackos.

Because ROOM 237 isn't about THE SHINING at all. Instead, it's a documentary about obsession, and how ANYTHING can be interpreted as ANYTHING given the right frame of mind. So in the course of this documentary we learn that Kubrick faked the Moon landings, that a poster of skier is in fact a minotaur, and plenty more besides.

It's all complete hogwash, of course. Yes, Kubrick added in subtle, almost subliminal things to mess with the viewer's mind; changing the carpet pattern or removing a sticker from a door. But he did that to further unsettle the viewer in what after all is a horror film. There's no more to it than that. However, the nonsense spouted in this film is actually very funny, hence my comment that this makes a great comedy indeed.

This film is essentially people who are obsessed with Stanley Kubrick's The Shining spinning out their theories about what the film means. It reveals little about Kubrick's vision or intent and everything about their specific and sometimes downright crazy views about the world as expressed through their interpretations of Kubrick's movie. Room 237 demonstrates the deep impact a film can have when something about it resonates with the particular psychology or beliefs of members of its audience. The real brilliance of The Shining is that it created an almost palpable atmosphere of dread while remaining enigmatic and opaque. It's a Rorschach test to be freely interpreted by its audience.

There is a lot of anger about this film on this page and, while I was considering whether to watch it or not, it was this passionate hate that made me interested to see it myself. It isn't across the board though, but whenever someone dislikes this film they seem to really dislike it. The problem seems to be that it appears to be a documentary about The Shining but it really isn't any such thing – but to watch it as one must be frustrating because you sit to watch that and have to listen to loopy theories about the film presented as (in your head) facts. I didn't have this approach because I had heard it was all about the theories rather than the film and as such I found it quite fascinating even if it is a little too long.

The whole film is people talking over clips from the film or other clips illustrating their point; the theories range from the film being about the Holocaust through to the Native Americans through to the Kubrick making it about his own involvement in faking the moon landings. It is all pretty nutty in terms of what it says, but it works because the contributors believe it and they speak with such passion and enthusiasm about their specific interpretations that it is hard not to get drawn in. There are plenty of moments where you find yourself starting to listen rather than mock – so specific things that are in the film that are attributed to meaning something and I started to wonder "well, why is that thing there – it was chosen to be in this shot or be worn by this character, so what was that decision taken for". Of course there are plenty of bits that do the opposite and are pretty laughable but generally I found myself quite drawn in by it. The length works against this in some ways because it does stretch things out more than it can bear but it was still engaging to me.

Part of the interest for me was seeing how it is possible to really find meaning in anything if you apply yourself. I was never a fan of school lessons where we had to tear works apart looking at each detail and talking about what it could possibly mean, rather than just enjoying the whole for what it does, and this is what happens here. The hunt for meaning and for symbols rewards those that are doing it, but ultimately they all have their point if their theory is true. The extent of their criticial analysis of each frame and second of the film is intense and it did make me wonder why they did it and whether they are still able to see the film for the great piece of entertainment that it is?

Room 237 is too long and lacks a clear point – it would have benefited from something topping and tailing it, but as it is I still found it engaging thanks to the passion and detail in the delivery; it doesn't mock these people it just gives them a platform and leaves the rest to us and them. I found it interesting even if ultimately it is quite empty as a film – ultimately if you dig in every corner looking for your agenda, you'll find enough to back you up – which isn't the same as you being correct. This is the message that I took from it and I found that message to be entertaining, but it is ironic that Room 237 is about lots of people seeking meaning in one film, all while it really doesn't do a good job of presenting its own meaning.

This movie was worth while, it was interesting, entertaining and made you think. For a fan of the shining, or Kubrick or conspiracy theories this was a great film. Junk science came to mind a few times, to me the most interesting parts of the film were the details which were brought to the attention of the viewer which Kubrick definitely had a hand in, the conspiracy theories, ideas about the holocaust, extermination of the native Americans and faking of the lunar landing were a bit more out there but intriguing and I wouldn't put anything past Kubrick. The most interesting point of the film to me was the discussion of post modern works of art and the claim that irregardless of the authors intent, themes can be found which might have been or have not been consciously intended. Overall, the mind of Kubrick, his eye for detail, his humor and overall brilliance is what is most evident when watching this film. If one looks for themes and ways to make connections they can be found in many different places, overall this can lead to seeing reality though higher levels of awareness and if one is lucky enough glimpses of enlightenment, that was the broader and most important theme in this movie.

Just got done watching it. My initial reaction: "Wow. These people are nuts."

Don't get me wrong - this is a fun watch as long as you don't take any of it too seriously. I know the film pretty well, but these "analysts" go out of their way to ignore the obvious in order to drive on to their wacky conclusions.

Thanks to the infinite paranoia pool that we call the Internet, the mythology about The Shining is outstripping the history of the film itself. This is less about the movie but more about people who look for conspiracies in every corner. Faked moon landings? Set geometry? Minotaurs? Absurd, sure, but how different are they from those people that deny birth certificates or imagine black UN helicopters or, most recently, those who say Sandy Hook was faked. These Deniers create their own logic, disallow any reality that doesn't fit and then warp the facts to fit their conclusions. I think this film really does a great job showing these people for what they are - delusional and and self-obsessed.

We can let them be entertaining, but we can never take any of what they say seriously.

First of all, let me tell you that I've always found hidden messages, conspiracies, occult themes etc extremely interesting and it's something I love discussing about. I'm always very open minded when it comes to this kind of stuff and when i saw the trailer for this movie i just could not wait to watch it. The Shining is a masterpiece and just the thought of that it could have a much bigger meaning was just too good to be true.

Last night i finally watched it, and man was i ever disappointed. Like i said, I'm always opened minded when it comes to this kind of stuff, but the theories the creators of this film has come up with are so far- fetched it's almost embarrassing. They find a hidden meaning in every little thing and they never really seem to stop to question their own theories. Everything is taken for granted, and in my opinion, most of the claims are ridiculous; it holds no water.

To give you an example of just how ridiculous some of the theories are: If you watched Finding Nemo right now in the same state of mind as the creators of this movie watched The Shining, you too would find subliminal messages about everything from The Holocaust to the faked moon landing. It's just insane.

Also, all the different theories just turn into one big mess because there's so many of them, so it's hard to understand what they are actually trying to say.

However, big ups for making this type of movie. I just wish there were way more solid arguments and not all these extremely far-fetched ideas that don't really make sense. The creators might have some things correct (we'll never know) but for me it's just way too over ambitious and messy.

There's only so much you can say when talking about a documentary, particularly one that is about film itself, but the sheer range of emotions one experiences while watching Room 237 is as wild as many of the theories being espoused on the screen.

This is a delightfully mad view into the world of just some obsessive nerds (three out of the five who contribute to this have identical voices) who feel they have unlocked an elusive film by an even more elusive filmmaker.

It makes sense given Kubrick's own obsessive level of detail in his films that there can feasibly exist a sub-cult of obsessive pouring over the meaning of these details, and here we really get the full range of interpretation.

Some of the claims (the holocaust or fake moon landings apologies for instance) are downright bizarre and at times infuriating (something about faces in clouds) but never to a point where you stop being interested in what these misfits have to say.

Other theories are actually a lot more self-evident than their orators claim.

Of course the hotel is as just a disorientating maze as the literal hedge one outside, the film is supposed to be disorientating and of course this film is about the past and highlights the white-man's burden, the bloodshed of the native Americans haunts the film, and Colorado, throughout.

But some fascinating results still come from the experiments these interpretations require to give any kind of legitimacy.

The particular highlight is the idea of the film being played forwards and backwards simultaneously, which creates some incredible coincidences.

So in the end, this is a particularly enjoyable exercise in how interpretations can shape-shift, in any great art form, once boiled down to the sum of its parts, something Vladimir Nabokov (whose classic Lolita was directed by Kubrick) takes much pleasure beyond the grave in letting people get lost in the labyrinth references he created within his art.

This film provides the idea that Kubrick is probably up there laughing with him. www.ravechild.co.uk

Being an avid Kubrick fan, I could not wait to see this film even though The Shining is one of my least favorite of his movies. I did enjoy Room 237; it's a fun movie. Like Kubrick himself you never know whether it's being serious or poking fun at the viewer. Some of the "hidden messages" that Kubrich is supposed to have put into The Shining are patently ridiculous but some others will make you want to go & watch The Shining again, and again! The masterstroke here is when someone states that Kubrick was meticulous about arranging every frame in his movies (which every Kubrick fan knows to be true) and no object appears in any frame by accident. Of course the film makers then take this to an extreme but it does make for a quite funny and entertaining time.

I was really excited to see this documentary. I had always been sure that The Shining had to have some hidden message(s). It was either one grand secret theme or lots of little gems. I hoped Room 237 would have some insider information to help shed light on my suspicions. This is NOT the case. I have never heard so many discussions about such meaningless crap in my life. The various commentors were so far removed from the production that they could not possibly have any relevant information. They have no business creating as much as a grade school book report let alone a documentary for public viewing. Unless there's a joke that I'm not in on, these people are complete morons. Don't bother watching their pathetic ramblings. Instead, use that time to watch The Shining again. Form your own opinions (and keep them to yourselves).

There are some movies that have more to them than what's shown on-screen. Some movies are laden with symbols, messages, and images that attach to the subconscious and invoke stronger feelings or thoughts that may not even have anything to do with the actual film. Over the thirty years that it has existed, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining has staggered people's senses and imaginations so much, they have developed some rather unique theories regarding what the film really means.

The premise of Room 237 is that Stanley Kubrick purposefully littered his film with symbols and images to subliminally suggest different ideas. Among the supposed subliminal messages, Kubrick supposedly littered his film with various numbers (mostly 42, and multiples of 7, which specifically alludes to the year 1942), as a reference to the years of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaigns of Nazi Germany. There are numerous patterns and images of Native American design, alluding to the massacre of the Indians throughout America's history. There are supposedly references in the film's images and the actual story that reveals Kubrick's own involvement in faking the Apollo moon landings, leading many to believe that The Shining is really a reflection on his own experiences. The film analyzes key scenes, discussing how some of the imagery doesn't make sense, or has been purposefully crafted to tie into these ideas. These hypothesis tend to be pretty outlandish, and it's hard to tell if the interviewees are reading too much into the film or not. Chances are that they're spotting inconsistencies or mistakes more than actual clues. However, the film does reveal a lot of fine details that I never saw or considered before, and some of the interpretations (especially, the notion that The Shining reflects on the horror and violence of humanity overall) I actually find agreeable.

This movie moves at a pretty decent rate. It's pretty odd that the film never actually shows its interviewees, so it's hard to know who's really narrating. The film does use footage throughout The Shining to specifically illustrate what's being discussed. The film even goes on to include a ton of other footage from other movies (including most other Kubrick films) to get its point across. The filmmakers even went through the trouble of mapping out the Overlook Hotel as best as they could, to illustrate how whacked out its architecture really is.

The film is pretty well-built and edited, and the movie shows good structure. Most of the narration is not bad, but some of the interviewees tend to ramble, and one guy had a kid in the background that he had to take care of. The film uses a very effective and interesting music score.

Fans of The Shining should give this documentary a look, for it might unearth some fascinating topics and themes that they may have not considered yet. Even though some of these ideas are pretty out-there, the film did open my eyes to certain nuances of The Shining, and it may have enhanced my appreciation of Kubrick's classic film.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Content: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good)

This film is an elaborate joke, a satire on those oh-so-earnest analyses of films one sometimes comes across. Tins of baking powder which show it is a movie about the American Indian? A German typewriter (a make which I also used to use), plus a supposed Hitler moustache in the final shot, shows it is a holocaust movie? Kubrick's face in a cloud formation? Significance in running the film backwards superimposed on running it forwards? A minor character played by an actor who also played Pontius Pilate? I would go so far as to say that The Shining itself is an elaborate joke. An enjoyable one all the same. As is Room 237. But don't take it seriously!

To me this is like watching a movie made by those crazy people on internet forums who say, "How can you be so blind? this is all about ________!" Obviously there was a message about Native Americans in the film, because they outright state that it was built on an ancient Indian Burial Ground, and there is Native American art everywhere in the hotel, but beyond that there is very little to go on besides continuity errors for most of the other theories.

The worse part of the whole documentary was when they decided to play the film backwards and forwards at the same time, and were amazed that the ending and the beginning will appear the same way... well that's because you play both the ending and the beginning at the same time, and it eventually gets to the beginning and the ending by the end of this little experiment. What else would happen? They use this little experiment to justify why characters are really behaving the way they are.

Another commentator gives her kid credit for explaining a moment in the movie, a movie he never even watched and wasn't even commenting on.

There were a couple interesting things like the significance of showing a Red VW Beetle being smashed up and the apparent lie used to change the Room 217 to 237, but once again, beyond that it's mostly just ramblings by people who have no connection to the film saying a chair missing in a shot is note worthy instead of a error. These people think Stanley Kubrick and everyone he worked with to create all his films never make mistakes. I for one, don't think Kubrick is a perfect God with full control of every tiny little thing on his sets.

I don't suggest this to anyone, because you can find out the significance of any "clue" online easily, and you don't need to waste your time hearing all these conspiracy theories, some of which are so ridiculous, it's infuriating.

Room 237 is quite unlike any documentary I've seen before, and while that is absolutely an earnest compliment, it's also to a degree a good thing that this film's personality is a singularly unique one. To have its narrative style and aesthetic common place among non-fiction works would frankly be maddening, but if I suppose if you're as die hard a fan of Stanley Kubrick's seminal horror masterwork The Shining as those interviewed, such a feeling is quite fitting.

That said, I was, ironically, possessed – forced to mull (obsessively so) – over how to critique this film; how to approach each ideal, the linkage between themes, the overarching nuances explored and most importantly how to fairly approach the passionate ramblings of some serious cinephiles. To judge each contributor on the validity of their personal perspectives is a pointless endeavour, not only because these obsessive fans are unwavering when it comes to their angle, but because the film approaches them in a way that if debunking were considered, it would quash the entire soul of the film.

But I immediately digress, what is Room 237 even about, you may ask. I've already mentioned Kubrick's The Shining and at its heart, this film is really about only that. Director Rodney Ascher collects five or so rabid admirers of the famed Stephen King adaptation and simply lets them loose to explain their various theories of the hidden themes behind the original film. The Holocaust, the massacre of the American Indians, the moon landing, repressed sexuality – it's all there naked for you to interpret as you will.

The moon landing theory in particular – that Kubrick directed the famed footage and used hidden themes in The Shining to orchestrate his confession –is utterly ludicrous in more ways than one, the smallest of which isn't that originally that whole theory stemmed from a 2002 mockumentary. And the fact that this individual repeatedly claims to have "proved" his ideal is grating to say the least. However in a way it's all a fascinating examination into the mind of a conspiracy nut, so in that way the film succeeds, but as to something greater hidden behind the façade of The Shining it's, well, still engrossingly asinine.

For me, it was the broader, uniting themes that proved the most provocative such as a segment which focuses on how to approach the past and that, in fact, the past doesn't exist, only the present. Similarly when more than one of these interviewees latch on to something of importance (even though they believe the hidden meaning to be different, such as the number 237) it certainly makes you think. Kubrick was absolutely the type of director to include certain thematic elements towards a greater end. So when we hear one person who believes baking powder with the face of a Native American holds bearing and one who believes it's the Tang containers, it all comes off as deliciously absurd.

In spite of the utter uniqueness of Room 237 and its tweaking of the documentary format, the shortcomings are numerous and unavoidable. The most egregious of these stems from the mere stylistic choices by director Ascher. In addition to what become monotonous repeats of scenes from The Shining, the various hypotheses are visually represented with a genuinely odd collection of footage from other cinematic works. The editing is all very impressive but the choices made do the film very little service.

Ascher also makes the perplexing decision to never show his subject's faces. Now, this may have been a subversive way of complimenting the supposed enigma that is The Shining but simply presenting these folks would have gone a long way to further establishing their unique identites. Not to mention that until they relapse into specifics of their individual doctrine, and not just gushing over the film, it was very difficult to distinguish between who was presenting which point at any given time. The favouring of specific arguments from a screen time perspective also seemed at odds with what Room 237 is trying to achieve.

The purest geek-out moment for any fan of The Shining has to be near the climax where it's revealed an exclusive screening of the film was held which played both the regular version and one in reverse. Both of these versions where then superimposed and the resulting coincidences are just damn cool. From a "Hitler moustache" fade (bear with me) to mouths lining up with a television screen, it's a very pure example of finding further entertainment in a film that has already provided so much. For fans as avid as those featured in this documentary (or even for those with a strong admiration or general interest in cinema) Room 237 is required viewing and best viewed for that matter bookended by the masterpiece itself.

An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, "The Shining" (1980).

What this film is not: a reveal of any deeper symbolism in "The Shining". The theories here rely on personal interpretations, and in some cases they are not relying on very much fact to build such opinions. The minotaur section in particular is a bit nutty, because it has us build a vision off of a minotaur that is not even there.

What this film is: a look at the theories of some very brilliant but clearly eccentric people. Despite the connections these people see in random numbers and images, Kubrick was not making a statement about American Indians, the Holocaust or the Apollo program, nor was he using "minotaur imagery".

So, if you are looking to find out more about the deeper meaning of the now-classic film, this might not be the place for that. Ask Jack Nicholson, or Vivian Kubrick, or someone who was actually on the set.

And that's what it is, it's an intellectual analysis of a film, so if that doesn't sound interesting to you then you wont like it.

Indeed, it appears many reviewers have totally missed that point. The documentary doesn't spoon feed the audience clear-cut answers, or claim some kind of ultimate meaning, it's simply an observation on a great film which achieves two aims.

1. It opens up our minds to engaging symbolisms and metaphors which are thought provoking and penetrating.

2. It teaches us how to look at films. Literally, it's an exercise in Film Studies.

For these reasons this documentary was never going to be popular. It's just a shame that people have got so used to the fast-food documentary style that a visual seminar, intellectually rich as it is, is so lost on the majority.

That said, I'll give it to you, The Shining, the film to which this movie relates, was actually full of continuity errors and it seems likely that some of the views presented in this documentary make meaningful connections out of nothing. But that in itself is interesting as it shows the human minds need to create cohesion and meaning out of disorder.

The film does not claim objectivity, it's intended to make you think. But beyond this there are certainly some very intriguing views here and I think many of today's directors who churn out meaningless films for millions of dollars (here's looking at you Boone) would do well to learn from this documentary. Both in terms of what a good film is, and also in how to be brave and original in your style, despite the risk of not being popular, just like Rodney Ascher has done here.

If you like participating in your viewing then you may well enjoy this one.

I came into this documentary having only seen The Shining one time am hearing very little about what this film would cover. Room 237 looks at The Shining for multiple viewpoints by a number of people that see things differently than most of us.

The ideas put forth describing the possible hidden meanings in the film range from basic (albeit more thought out than by the average viewer) to whoa crazy crazy. The level to which you will enjoy this doc is likely related to how serious you take yourself and your cinema. If you are the type of person that hates when people are wrong, doesn't entertain the idea of a myth, or just think this doc is meant as a straightforward account of the mind of the director, maybe this movie isn't for you.

I had a lot of fun watching this doc, it brought up some questions, and made me wonder what was intentional in The Shining and what might have been accidental. That being said, I like a good conspiracy and would like to believe in some of the more unbelievable things in this world. I'm no tinfoil hat guy but I like to look at things with an open mind.

This doc accomplishes what it set out to do, provide you with a smattering of ideas to get your mind going on your own theories.

This review should be done in two parts: firstly, reviewing the theories presented and secondly, reviewing the documentary style itself.

First, most of the theories are just plain boring and are of a "so what?" nature and they lead nowhere. Example is the number 42 stuff. It's presented as an interesting point, but it doesn't lead anywhere. Same with the American Indian stuff. The movie itself plainly tells us that the hotel was on an Indian burial ground and there are Indian motifs in the hotel. It's not a grand conspiracy to think that Indian spirits could be involved here. And the whole minotaur part was 5 minutes of my life I wish I had back. Some of what these people are saying could have easily been edited down.

The Apollo 11 stuff was somewhat interesting, but it this seems to have been handled the least for some reason.

Overall the theories I don't think were presented well at all in most cases.

Now, as far as this film itself, it was pretty poor an amateurish. The interviewees' sound wasn't good at times, and one of them even has to say "hold on" because his child is making noise. This is what I would expect of my neighbor, not a produced film that is getting good reviews.

Also, the clips not of The Shining that occur during conversation to relate to what's being said is at times distracting and unnecessary. And there are more than one times where someone who might not know every second of The Shining don't know if they are watching a clip from it or some other movie or just some random thing that's trying to tie in to what's being said. Again, this isn't handled very well at all.

The film works in that if gets you thinking at times, but there are other times where you roll your eyes. This doesn't help the overall theme.

It could have been much better.

This starts with a rambling about how the cans of Calumet Baking Powder in the store room indicate something about the destruction of the environment and native people of America. And it goes on....

This is a movie about people who spend too much time examining every minutia of every frame of Stanley Kubrick's movie 'The Shining'. I can safely say that 75% of this movie is mind-numbingly unwatchable. There are some well worn observations of the overwhelming use of red. Then there is the constant examination of what would be goofs in other movie.

The fact is that Kubrick did a lot of inconsistency for the effect of disturbing the audience. The character in the movie is going crazy, and he's putting that process on the screen. So this deliberate inconsistency and the accidental goofs that is in every movie is driving these people to the brink of newspaper clipping conspiracy theories. In many cases, these theories really misses the point of the movie.

There are some fun insights like Kubrick deliberately giving the finger to Stephen King with the red Volkswagon crash. Who knows how true that part is, but it sounds really funny and cool.

In the end, this movie misses the elephant in the room. These are some very obsessed crazy people. Why not do a documentary about these people? What drives them to spend all this time and effort? What's missing in their lives?