Summary
- “All Work & No Play” is a creepy digital artwork inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic The Shining, featuring a blood-covered Jack Torrance surrounded by quotes from the movie.
- The piece references iconic scenes from the movie, like the word “Murder” on Jack’s forehead and the repetition of “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
- Despite not receiving critical recognition, The Shining continues to be a lasting influence on artists and remains a Halloween staple and cultural phenomenon.
A digital artist posted a scary art featuring a wide-eyed and leering Jack Torrance, inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Based on Stephen King’s 1977 horror novel of the same title, The Shining follows Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy, and his son Danny fracture and descend into distress at a spirit-infested hotel. The scene where Jack (played by Jack Nicholson) pushes his head through an ax-split door is perhaps one of the most famous images in horror movie.
Recently, artist Emi Boz posted a Shining-based piece titled “All Work & No Play.” Check it out below:
In the piece, Jack stares intently at the screen, blood dripping down the walls surrounding him and movie quotes sketched on his face. Almost appearing to smile, he bares his teeth at spectators.
The Shining Has A Strong Place As A Horror Classic & Influence
Several references to Kubrick’s movie can be seen in the artwork. For instance, the word “Murder,” reflected on Jack’s forehead, recalls Danny sketching the word backward in lipstick on a bathroom door. The title of the piece also alludes to the Shining scene where Wendy discovers that Jack’s manuscript consists entirely of the proverb “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” repeated thousands of times. Although The Shining cannot compete with the number of jump scares seen in today’s horror movies, moments of psychological discomfort like these build tension to such an extreme that it equally unsettles viewers.
Despite being one of horror’s most notable classics, The Shining did not receive a nomination for an Academy Award, which some commentators have cited as one of the most shocking Oscar movie snubs of all time. Of Kubrick’s last nine films, only The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut failed to receive a single nomination from the Oscars. Moreover, even though he has been nominated for Best Director four times, Kubrick has fallen short of winning the title.
Although The Shining has failed to receive critical recognition, artists still return to the horror even four decades after its release to inspire their own creations. A Halloween staple and enduring source for film homages, The Shining‘s place in popular culture likely will remain cemented.
