This is a thought-provoking documentary that is structured and honest about one of the greatest directors of our time, Stanley Kubrick. Room 237 is engrossing, original, and twisted. The film will make fans want to take a closer look at Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) to see all of the technical elements Kubrick utilized in the film to make it so attention-grabbing. This documentary’s director is Rodney Ascher. Ascher has directed a few short films. Room 237 is his breakout documentary created on a very low budget, but that went on to win at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. It is not just the film’s subject matter that is enticing, but its tagline that reads, “Some movies stay with you forever…and ever…and ever,” fans will not help but wonder what kind of adventure they are in for with Room 237.

The film stars many unrecognized film historians, writers, directors, and producers who all explore the creative world of The Shining. They deeply examine The Shining and the mind and work of Kubrick. With many of these narrators who have viewed The Shining numerous times, the plot of the documentary involves them recognizing twists, and puzzles that are dazzling and spectacle. The clues that these narrators find behind The Shining hold viewers attention. Their unique and insightful realizations are unexpected, yet captivating.

Kubrick believed in playing with his audiences in The Shining. Therefore, he had unusual clues that can be recognized throughout the film. He did this to make viewers be curious and to challenge their minds. Examples of clues in Room 237 are a TV without a cord, luggage that is the size of a car, and a chair being somewhere at one moment and then later that chair vanishes. Room 237 elaborates on this aspect of Kubrick’s style as the documentary freezes at various moments with arrows pointing at objects, so viewers can have an understanding of what is trying to be explained in regards to Kubrick’s directing techniques.

Another aspect that was attention-grabbing, but off topic was the film’s connection to the Holocaust. In The Shining, the boy Danny wears a baseball shirt with Number 42, and the father in the movie has an Adler German Typewriter and apparently that leads to the Holocaust as quoted in the movie, “If you put number 42 and a German Typewriter together, you get the Holocaust.” I feel that once this quote was stated, the documentary should have continued, but instead it went into talking about the history of the Holocaust for almost ten minutes. Kubrick’s film, The Shining, is the purpose of this documentary, not going off topic with historical facts that do not relate to Kubrick or his work at all.

In Room 237, I learned that Kubrick used puzzles in important scenes to create suspense. He used calumet cans and placed them on shelves behind characters in The Shining. Although not in frequent scenes, but in scenes where there were two people talking and when it’s a moment of truth. Kubrick wanted that object as a clue to his viewers that they are in for something suspenseful to happen. Room 237 does a good job elaborating when we see the calumet cans and the specific moments of action they are in. This particular technique is quite fascinating and engrossing.

Finally, the most critical reason why Room 237 is an important documentary is because they explain the research Kubrick did before directing The Shining. Kubrick always did a tremendous amount of research on how to immerse viewers and get them to feel like they are in a dream. In The Shining, he does this by incorporating past events before the present events. To elaborate on this, it starts with a murder that has happened years before the Torrance family becomes the caretakers for the Overlook Hotel. Not many of the crimes that have happened in the past are explained, but the minds of the characters get twisted based on those current events that cause them to demented and evil. Kubrick made the past events play a negative role on the lives of the characters in The Shining in order for his audiences to feel immersed into the wondrous and odd world of his directing style.

Room 237 is a masterpiece documentary. It is a documentary that will make viewers appreciate what makes a movie captivating and how much dedication is involved in making a movie that brilliant. The documentary may also make you wonder about other film directors that have styles of directing that they are intrigued by or attached to. Overall, this documentary is worth your time if you want something that will leave you thinking.

“Whiplash” is an intense movie on the subject of music. The film is riveting, vulgar, electrifying, I could not turn away. It stars Miles Teller as Andrew, a young drummer at a competitive music conservatory, and JK Simmons as Fletcher, an abusive and negligent instructor that will be as mean as he can to his students to test them to achieve. Only question is…is it really worth all of the trouble to be so mean to students?

“Whiplash” contains many heavy moments of competition and demand. Director and writer Damien Chazelle (Director of “Grand Piano”, 2013). Does a great job at making the relationship between Andrew and Fletcher seem like a boxing match for success. Also, JK Simmons is at his best, he deserves to win for best supporting actor at the Oscars (I hope he wins). The setup of this movie is captivating, and the film is completely engrossing from beginning to end.

Here is the plot of the film. Andrew is a drummer. He is recognized by Fletcher. Fletcher comes off at first as laid-back and this leaves Andrew to assume he is in for a positive treat to success with his music career being in the hands of this professor. Once he enters the class with him though, he realizes that Fletcher is not as easy-going as he expected. He throws objects at students, calls them names, pushes them to the extreme, and is just very outspoken and unpredictable. Andrew tests Fletcher though, he does not want to quit what he loves doing, he wants to succeed. But can he do it without being abused by Fletcher?

One of the best elements of this movie is its editing. The editor is Tom Cross and he did the editing for “Crazy Heart” (2009). The repetitive intensity of Andrew practicing his music is just mind-blowing. Cross has it transition multiple times where we wonder if Andrew will be one of the best drummers at his conservatory. I see this as something that is also oscar-worthy, since it is attention-grabbing and adds intensity to its plot and the movie’s goal. That goal being a daring movie to viewers.

Overall, “Whiplash” is not for everyone. It contains many moments where it may get intense. But it is a good movie. Not great, but good. Three stars.

With tons of Oscar buzz, numerous sold-out screenings, and a big moneymaker at the box office, I saw “American Sniper” in IMAX. I found the movie quite compelling. “American Sniper” is the true story of the Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper). The movie is attention-grabbing, but is quite dramatic.

The film is directed by Clint Eastwood and is nominated for six academy awards. These awards include best picture, best actor, best writing, best editing, best sound mixing, and best sound editing. First, when I experienced “American Sniper in IMAX I was dazzled by the sound effects and the editing, so I think it is worthy of an award on those two technical aspects. Finally, Bradley Cooper knocks his performance out of the ballpark as he plays the brave Chris Kyle. The technical aspects and Cooper’s acting are both mesmerizing.

The plot of the film is Kyle’s life. a man from Texas who thought at first he wanted to become a cowboy, but all of a sudden, he decides he wants to be more involved in his life somehow. This makes him become interested in joining the Navy and becoming a sniper. He goes on numerous tours with the Navy, he gets married and has kids, but his tours are impacting him. Impacting him where he cannot find ways to be a father he can be and also not being able to function in his urban life.

The one thing I liked about this movie was how Cooper played the part. His seriousness, his intelligence, and his ego keeps you guessing and you do not want the movie to end. And I see that to bleed into the audience. It leaves you to ask yourself how much can this guy take? He can take quite a lot, and the intensity does not end.

Overall, this is a good movie, not great, but is definitely worthy of some awards. More on the technical and acting aspects, but definitely not for best picture. I see “Birdman” or “Boyhood” a bit more worthy of the best picture award.

Three stars.