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Duke Nukem finally figures out what's wrong in The Shining's Overlook Hotel

by Jessica Conditt on Jul 24th 2011 6:30PM

It's difficult to imagine The Shining being any more terrifying than its original release, but Duke Nukem has never cared much about impossible odds, and it's taken on the challenge like a champ. Film fanatic and analyst Rob Ager has compiled a video dissecting the spatial anomalies in The Shining's Overlook Hotel, as discovered through a Duke Nukem 3D mod attempting to recreate the building. Ager describes the impossible hallways, windows, apartments and stairways littering the Overlook that lend Kubrick's movie a subconsciously eerie, something's not quite right vibe.

Ager's detailed analysis borders on crazed obsession, but it provides thrilling insight into a classic film -- we just think he should take a vacation after this one. After all, all work and no play...

Via: SerialConsign
Source: Collative Learning

Tags: Duke-Nukem, Duke-Nukem-3D, mac, microsoft, mod, pc, spatial-impossibility, stanley-kubrick, the-shining, xbox

Reader Comments (41)

dunno why i just watched this whole thing

@HedonisticKai Probably because you're a huge nerd! ;-P

inb4 "the Shining wasn't scary, my balls are bigger than yours"

Stay out of room 237!

I'm enjoying this far too much.

This would be a much better Portal 2 mod. Seriously. Throw in Left 4 Dead monsters, use the portal tech to create the spacial anomalies. And I could see a fantastic user map being made.

@Arsenic13
You know, Left 4 Dead would be pretty cool if each and every zombie came equipped with a portal gun.

@Arsenic13 idiot idiot idiot idiot

@Arsenic13 This is why more games need Prey-style seamless portals.

@Once known as Shadsy Even Prey 2

Stuff like this makes a person go crazy. hehe j/k.

Con: Had very little to do with video games

Pro: Was a fascinating dissection of the use set design and camera tricks in order to subtly create an unsettling atmosphere.

@Onomah

Really fascinatingly directed on Kubrick's part. The cinematography was really ahead of it's time for a film released in 1980.

@Onomah
Kubrick was a master of visual design; in that regard his work is practically without equal. A Clockwork Orange also provides a much more visceral demonstration of his mastery of images and music, and is one of my all-time favorite films.

@Onomah

This. It was really interesting though.

@Onomah

Was this stuff intentional or was it just the way the sets happened to be built?

Do you picture Kubriak saying to his set designer "Hey make some hallways and windows that are impossible?"

@FriedConsole Given what we know of Stanley Kubrick (as he mentions in the second half of the video), Yes. Kubrick was famous for being meticulous about details and specifics elements. Kubrick was a very smart director, whatever faults he may have had. Some of the design elements could only be intentional.

this guy has too much free time.

@CArchie The Baker

And yet here we are commenting on a blog about a man with "too much free time."

@CArchie The Baker

He isn't wasting his time pointing out movie "flaws."

He is detailing the GENIUS of Stanley Kubrick. The PURE GENIUS of his work.

@CArchie The Baker

Well the Shining is such as slow movie that you have nothing better to do while watching it than think of crap like this.

Isnt it obvious?

They were thinking with portals!

Heeeeeeeeeere's Dukey!

...No, that doesn't work.

@Shadowbender

If that line isn't in the next Duke Nukem game I will not buy it

@Shadowbender
"Always bet on Duke" doesn't work, either,,,

id like to see this done to an episode on Star Trek lol

Thanks Joystiq, I spent the last hour or so watching his videos. Really interesting stuff.

i.e. This movie is only truly terrifying to those who can see reality as it is (those who suffer from Schizophrenia)

Only those considered "broken" or "not normal" can see flaws in sensory perception.

http://youtu.be/XiAyQ-p9HrQ

Here is a good visual example of the normal mind. If you see a face on both the inside and outside you are normal. Your brain is recognizing patterns. That a nose curving inside a face cannot possibly exist and therefore you see a normal protruding face where one does not exist. This is the function of a "normal" mind. Normal minds are able to overlook abnormalities in sensory perception based on experience.

This is why I find the Shining so terrifying, because frankly I'm not "normal."

Lololololol

@Anticrawl

Or check this one out. More obvious.

http://youtu.be/PKeuhXQj3MM

If you see dragons following you then... you're normal.

If you don't see them following you then you'll find The Shining absolutely terrifying. Do not watch said film if you don't see the dragon following you or you'll end up in a padded room.

@Anticrawl

Here is another fun illusion.

http://youtu.be/skotd6g7etU

All modding and no play make Duke a dull boy.

@Lucky48

Yeah only those who suffer from schizophrenia, poor perception of depth or experimented/are experimenting with mind altering drugs can truly notice said things.

I would warn you from attempting to remove pattern perception from the visual process though, it can disturb you.

That was amazing. Any time there's a dry spell in gaming news, we need more stuff like this (the hell with anyone who complains that it didn't have enough to do with Duke Nukem).

I never noticed how terrible this movie was.

@Shinobi13

*triggers troll trap*

HEY JOHNNY! DO YOU WANT TO PLAY?

Are we reasonably confident that the flaws are intentional and not limits of Director wanting one visual (needs doors, too boring) and Carpenter caring more about paycheck than building a realistic set?

@NathanAllen

That is exactly what I was thinking. isn't some of this just set design and stuff that was done on purpose? They added a few impossible doors and hallways to make sure they placed look roomy and lively. None of it was done to confuse the viewer? Why does any of this matter?

@NathanAllen If it was any other director I'd say maybe or even probably. Kubric is very VERY meticulous about every aspect of his productions to the point of being considered insufferable at times.

Wow that was really interesting, I still remember the first time I saw The Shining. I had a friend who's mom was an artist, she worked doing aging of children who were kidnapped or disappeared. She watched a lot of horror movies, I used to come over and play at his house as a kid and she was watching this. Scared the bejezus out of me. Just the entire thing seemed "uneasy" and messed with my head. Really interesting stuff!

"No TV and no beer make Homer something, something...."

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Duke Nukem finally figures out what's wrong in The Shining's Overlook Hotel

Reader Comments (41)

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 6:39PM HedonisticKai said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 7:11PM MrGreen said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 6:45PM wunwunx said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 6:47PM SEGA Scream said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 6:51PM Rocket Raccoon said

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Posted: Jul 24th 2011 7:20PM ORTHROK said

Posted: Jul 25th 2011 12:06AM Once known as Shadsy said

Posted: Jul 25th 2011 12:20AM Arsenic13 said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 7:08PM isotrex said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 7:08PM Onomah said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 7:50PM Shadowbender said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 9:14PM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 11:56PM NukeAssault said

Posted: Jul 25th 2011 11:17AM FriedConsole said

Posted: Jul 25th 2011 2:04PM WizarDru said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 7:10PM CArchie The Baker said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 7:20PM Kimchi Kommando said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 9:48PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Jul 25th 2011 11:20AM FriedConsole said

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Posted: Jul 24th 2011 7:48PM Shadowbender said

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Posted: Jul 24th 2011 8:09PM MercShame said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 9:16PM SitriStahl said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 9:44PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 10:00PM Anticrawl said

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Posted: Jul 25th 2011 4:56AM Shinobi13 said

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