Considered by many to be among the greatest horror films ever made, The Shining‘s significance in horror and pop culture can’t be overstated.  Upon its release in May of 1980 however, critics weren’t very kind to it.

For many, they simply didn’t get what Kubrick was trying to do, and judged it by conventional film standards (and there’s absolutely nothing conventional about that movie).

So, in honor of its 40th Anniversary, we thought it would be fun to look at some of those old reviews, and see how they hold up today.  Enjoy!

What do you think?  Were the critics too harsh, or did they have some merit to their criticisms?  Let us know in the comments!

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