search

Room 237

Room 237
See Room 237 tonight; see Stephen King tomorrow at Chautauqua Auditorium.

I think we can all agree that the famous "Here's Johnny" moment in "The Shining" refers to talk-show host Johnny Carson's nightly introduction. But based on the evidence in "Room 237," that may be the only thing we can agree about when it comes to Stanley Kubrick's classic horror film.

"Room 237," named for a frightening room in the hotel where the film is set, is a documentary about "The Shining" that is really a documentary about obsession.

Director Rodney Ascher gives a handful of the movie's fans free rein to weigh in with in-depth theories of "The Shining." They include the standard interpretation that it's an indictment of the treatment of American Indians, the nuttier one that it accuses NASA of faking the Apollo moon landing, the almost insupportable one that it has something to do with the Holocaust and the inevitable claim that it's only possible to find out what the movie is about if you -- yup --- play it backwards.

You don't need to believe any of the theories to be entertained by how thoroughly "237" dives into the minutiae. It points out for us a box of Calumet baking soda that is the basis of one argument in favor of the American Indian interpretation, and it shows a skiing poster in the background of a scene that lays the foundation for an especially wayward hypothesis.

We never see the people who are spouting these theories, which makes them come off even nuttier (they're like voices in our heads), and Ascher frequently offers clips from "The Shining" that directly contradict what the voices are telling us.

It's a playful film, jam-packed with illustrative clips from "The Shining" and other movies. Watching it makes you feel like you're attending a really entertaining film class where your classmates confidently let their freak flags fly. Disagreeing with your "classmates" is part of the fun here, as is the reminder that sometimes a movie can affect you so much that you wish you could move into and learn everything there is

— Chris Hewitt, twincities.com

Room 237

Tue September 24, 2013, 7:00 & 9:15, Muenzinger Auditorium

USA, 2012, English, Color/B&W, 102, DP, 1.85:1, NR • official site

recommend

Tickets

10 films for $60 with punch card
$9 general admission. $7 w/UCB student ID, $7 for senior citizens
$1 discount to anyone with a bike helmet
Free on your birthday! CU Cinema Studies students get in free.

Parking

Pay lot 360 (now only $1/hour!), across from the buffalo statue and next to the Duane Physics tower, is closest to Muenzinger. Free parking can be found after 5pm at the meters along Colorado Ave east of Folsom stadium and along University Ave west of Macky.

RTD Bus

Park elsewhere and catch the HOP to campus

International Film Series

(Originally called The University Film Commission)
Established 1941 by James Sandoe.

First Person Cinema

(Originally called The Experimental Cinema Group)
Established 1955 by Carla Selby, Gladney Oakley, Bruce Conner and Stan Brakhage.

C.U. Film Program

(AKA The Rocky Mountain Film Center)
First offered degrees in filmmaking and critical studies in 1989 under the guidance of Virgil Grillo.

Celebrating Stan

Created by Suranjan Ganguly in 2003.

C.U. Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts

Established 2017 by Chair Ernesto Acevedo-Muñoz.

Thank you, sponsors!
Boulder International Film Festival
Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts

Looking for a gift for a friend?
Buy a Frequent Patron Punch Card for $60 at any IFS show. With the punch card you can see ten films (a value of $90).

We Want Your Feedback

Cox & Kjølseth
: Filmmaker Alex Cox & Pablo Kjølseth discuss film topics from their own unique perspectives.

Z-briefs
: Pablo and Ana share Zoom-based briefs on what's currently playing at IFS

Search IFS schedules

Index of visiting artists

Mon Apr 1, 2024

Hot Shots! Part Deux

At Muenzinger Auditorium

Sat Apr 20, 2024

Super Mario Bros.

At Muenzinger Auditorium

more on 35mm...