The Overlook Hotel

When I think of things that scare me at Halloween,
it's not werewolves or masked psychos under the high school bleachers
or even the freakishly calm Norman Bates wielding a knife in the shower.

It's Jack I think of.  Jack and The Overlook Hotel.

The Overlook....also known as the hotel in The Shining.

The book by Stephen King that scared the #*;% out of me when I was in high school.

I loved scary books and horror movies back then.

Not so much anymore.

BUT....

I can tell you that the memories of those books and movies have stuck with me

and still elicit a few chills down my spine when they come to mind.

Who wasn't terrified by Jack Nicholson?

He was the King of Bat Sh*t Crazy as Jack Torrance.

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

Do you remember that scene?

When Wendy looks at his typewriter and manuscript?

The stark way it was filmed was so creepy...and annoying.  Like fluorescent lights annoying.

The sequel, Doctor Sleep, was recently released.  

Now that weird little Danny Torrance has grown up, we get to read about what's been happening in his life.

Do we want to know?

Did Wendy ever recover from that experience?

Does Danny still do that creepy talking thing with his finger?

Are the twins coming back?

Does Danny still have the shining?

Do I want to know?

The Shining is the scariest book I've ever read.

Stephen King books have a way of lingering way back in your mind...in those dark places that you unlock 

when you are all alone in the house and your heart is racing so hard that you can hear it in your ears.

Yes, those nights.

I think about Misery, Thinner and Christine.

I think about Pet Cemetary.

Those words have staying power far stronger than the visual images of the movies.

My imagination ran wild with terrifying images that I'd created in my own mind.

I can still remember the moment that I read the bathroom scene in Room 237.

I was scared...really, really scared.

I bolted from my bed and jumped in with my mom.

I think I was about 15.

Are you going to read it???

Looks like Jack has answered that for me.

Here's a final look at crazy pants.
Will you think of Jack, too?
Will you be bundled up with a big bowl of popcorn watching a favorite scary movie?
Do tell.

Happy Halloween.
I'll be dumping Milk Duds into my popcorn.