The Shining Conspiracy Theory That Will Change How You See Kubrick's Masterpiece Forever
The craziest moon landing conspiracy theory, which could compete with the Twin Towers theory in Back to the Future, has been driving Kubrick fans crazy for decades.
Stanley Kubrick is one of the most enigmatic and mysterious directors of our time, and his films are also shrouded in mystery. The director's work is full of hints and allusions, and where there is room for conjecture, crazy fan theories tend to emerge.
One fan theory you've probably heard about, because it's one of the most popular conspiracy theories in pop culture, is that The Shining is Kubrick's coded message that the 1969 moon landing was a fake. Although many people have heard of this theory, few know the details and the arguments, so let's take a closer look at this theory.
Let's get started. The pattern on the carpets in the Overlook Hotel looks suspiciously like an image of the Apollo launch pads.
You might ask, what's the big deal? But, as you know, Kubrick is an extremely pedantic director who works out every little detail in his movies. It’s all about context, friends! So, could it have been a coded message hidden in the drawing of the carpet?
Want more? Here you go. One of the changes Kubrick made in his adaptation of Stephen King 's book is the room number. In the original, it's 217, but in the movie it's 237. And the trick is that the distance from the Earth to the Moon is 237,000 miles. Another coded hint?
Oh, and you thought that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is just an odd phrase? Not at all! According to the fan theory, "all" is obviously an abbreviation for Apollo 11 and presumably refers to the director's deteriorating mental state while preparing one of the greatest hoaxes in history.
So how likely is it that one of the greatest psychological horror films in history is just a front for a fake government project? Are all the ethereal facts just coincidences or figments of someone's sick mind? Actually, none of this matters; everyone chooses what to believe.
The undeniable fact is that after more than 40 years, The Shining still sparks discussions that force viewers to scrutinize every detail and get lost in the labyrinths of the Overlook Hotel.