The Shining 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Shining 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Warner Brothers and Best Buy have collaborated on a store exclusive SteelBook release for Director Stanley Kubrick's classic 1980 film 'The Shining,' based on the acclaimed novel penned by Stephen King. The disc and digital content is identical to that found in the wide release. See the 'Special Features and Extras' section of the review below for more on the SteelBook's look and feel.

The Shining 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For a full UHD video review, please click here.

The Shining 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a full UHD audio review, please click here.

The Shining 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Shining's SteelBook shouldn't ever be too difficult to find on the shelf. It's of a predominately bright yellow color that is maintained across both the front and rear panels. Both sides also feature the words "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," the same text that Jack Torrance famously writes over and over again on his typewriter as he's driven mad by the extended, isolated stay in the Overlook Hotel. In a twist, literally, the words bend around in the shape of a maze, which is of course one of the film's major set pieces and vital to the film's climax. The pattern folds over from front to back and wraps around all sides save for the spine, which is of the same yellow color. The film's title appears above the center line. A Warner Brothers Shield appears at the bottom. The front and rear panels are smooth but the SteelBook is not overly slick or glossy; it will not readily show fingerprints.

Inside, the digital copy code is tucked underneath the left-hand-side tabs. The two discs, one UHD and one Blu-ray, are situated on the right in staggered-stacked formation. The inner print is a two-panel spread that features a black-and-white wide vista photograph depicting the hedge maze famously seen in the film's climax. Fog rises from its walkways and a hazy wooded area appears in the distant background. An unobtrusive billing block appears bottom left.

For a breakdown of what's included on the UHD disc, please click here.

The Shining 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is certainly an interestingly designed SteelBook. The yellow will never get lost on the shelf and the exterior panels blend together two of the film's most famous elements: Jack's repetitious text and the hedge maze. The interior panels maintain the focus on the maze in a tasteful black-and-white photograph. It's unexpected and fairly nice and, in this reviewer's opinion, far more interesting and appealing than the bland wide release artwork. The on-disc content is, of course, fantastic. Very highly recommended.