What do you do when the TV signal goes to static? Do you keep watching, hoping that it comes back on soon or do you turn it off since white noise is not pleasing to you? Some people need to have that background noise on all the time, it does not matter what it is as long as it is there. Admittedly, I am one of those people that need to have the noise in the background, but usually it is some sort of show and when the TV signal goes out, I just suffer in silence.

Lewis and Mya Denton are in a tough time when it comes to their marriage as Mya is looking for something more. Finding it in the arms of another man, she is afraid of what Lewis might do if he ever finds out about her affair. Returning home after a night cut short with her new man, she manifests a lie to tell her husband who knows that there is something going but is not able to pinpoint it right then and there.

When Mya is being confronted by her husband, she notices that the TV set is on but there is not a show playing, just some sort of static coming across. Getting in a fight, Mya puts on her headphones and tries to leave the apartment, only to find that there is something wrong with everyone on the street. Returning home, she finds that her husband is tied up and has a crazed look in his eye. Not knowing what to do, she runs out and bumps into one of his friends that seems to understand what is going on in the outside world.

​A signal is being transmitted through regular media outlets that is turning people crazy but there seems to be a rationale behind it. As friends turn on friends, loved ones turn on their significant others, and strangers are just killing to stay safe, Mya finds that she needs to leave town before she is targeted. Staying safe from the signal that seems to be changing everyone’s perspective, she is content just listening to her music and working her way towards the train station to leave town, but she is being sought after by Lewis and her new lover to make sure she is okay.

The Signal follows a group of friends on New Year’s Eve that have to battle with their own inner demons all while dealing with a signal that is broadcasting that brings out the worst in the people that hear it. As long time friends turn against one another resulting in someone’s death, there does not seem to be a way to make the infected person right once again. Trying to find another person that has not been infected with the urge to kill seems to be next to impossible, but a group of friends find a way to co-exist while others are going crazy right outside of their door. With so much death on the streets outside, there seems to be only one way to escape the new found blood lust and that is to leave town.

A great and disturbing movie to say the least. With so much going on and a group of friends trying to keep their wits together while everyone is killing everyone else, it shows how people can continue to trust in the worst times. There are plenty of scenes to make you cringe and wonder why it is happening, but there is also enough levity for you to wonder if this is just all in their heads. This has been added to my list of movies to watch over again 

​Finding that one thing that you have always longed for can be the greatest feeling of all. It is something that is usually a once in a lifetime occurrence, but what if it could happen more than once? Would you know how to react, would you be able to contain yourself and your emotions, or would it be just too much for you to handle?

Greg Ross is sitting on the top of the world. He has the perfect job, a photographer, and the perfect wife, Amanda. He could not ask for anything else, but one day on a shoot he finds that there is more that he wants out of life, for the young model Yumi that has captured his heart. Not wanting to disappoint either of the two women in his life, he says what they want to hear, but cannot fulfill what they both want from him.

When his wife is away, Greg invites Yumi to his home and the two express their love for each other and while he is promising to leave his wife for her, he has no plans of getting a divorce. When Amanda arrives home however, she knows that Greg has been fooling around again and knows that it is with another model. The two get into a fight and Greg pleads for forgiveness, but when it is not given, and although he is in the wrong, he pushes Amanda out of the way so he can leave. Hitting her head on a table, Amanda winds up dead and now Greg has a decision to make about what to do next.

Calling Yumi several times, Greg loads the body of his wife into his car and heads to what was her favorite spot in the world, the lake where they got married. Not being able to reach Yumi on the phone, Greg starts to hear Yumi's voice in the car while making the drive. Not knowing what is happening to him, he starts to encounter strange people standing along the highway looking for help. Not wanting to stop, he continues his trek up to the lake, but not knowing what is real and what is in his imagination is hampering his progress.

This is more of a psychological thriller than a horror movie in my book, but it does not make it any less scary. I loved the storyline that was put in place and although it had some down moments, it still delivered. Being put into a hard situation, Greg has to do everything in his power to make it right in his own mind, but when it starts to play tricks on him is where the movie really takes off. I liked watching how Greg was able to grow, then regress, then try to get back to his old self. This is one of those ‘what if’ movies that keep people thinking about it long after it has ended. Stay Scared.

If and when the polar ice caps melt, it will be amazing to see what has been hidden in them for so many millennia. As since, while scientists keep an eye on what it will do to our environment, they are also able to find secrets that have been trapped in the ice. Their discoveries may be great, but what it will bring us as a species may not be as beneficial as it seems.

Towing an iceberg down to the warming region of Egypt, two crew members are astonished to see it break apart before making their delivery. Not knowing what could possibly be frozen in the ice, they find that a Megalodon shark has been lying dormant in their tow. As the shark comes back to life, it begins to wreak havoc off the coast as it is hungry from all of its years being stuck in the ice.

Scientists Jack Turner and wife Rosie are testing out a new technology to battle the ancient beast and have almost completed their test trials. They are called in on the hunt for the Megalodon and the military has created a more suitable hunting machine than they have ever used before. Knowing that the operating system is the key behind making the updated tech work properly, Jack fights to get it installed in this new mechanical shark.  

Without full testing being completed on the military’s model of the metal shark, Rosie has to work all of her magic with the new systems to track down and kill the Megalodon. With glitches happening all around and the massive shark fighting back, Nero, the operating system, is forced to work on his own without help from his creators as they are not as durable as he is. With unknown firewalls being put into the system, Nero has to fight the military’s control, along with the Megalodon.

Just another one of the many entertaining movies that the SyFy network has blessed us with over the years. With a mega shark running havoc across the land and sea, and the friendly skies, it is next to impossible to keep everyone safe from the impending threat. Dealing more with the politics of the situation put in front of them, rather than the true impact that the shark could cause makes this almost feel like a real-life situation that would never get resolved. With a mechanical shark that is also being used to save the seas from the massive threat, I really enjoyed when it has to deal with the same problems that all of us have to on a daily basis, because all computers have issues. Stay Scared!

When visiting The Stanley Hotel, it is difficult to leave without seeing The Shining once or twice. Knowing that this is where Stephen King got the inspiration for his great story, it is fun to try and find what might have happened to spark his imagination. But the story goes that King came up to the hotel for one night, as the hotel was closing for the season. With only three people left in the hotel, including himself, King was able to sit at a vacant bar and talk with the bartender Lloyd Grady for hours on end about all of the reports about ghosts. Returning to his room, he found that his bag was unpacked, and everything was put away for him. This was not his doing or anyone else’s doing, but the ghost that has been known to haunt his room.

It seems like a different idea to bring a hotel to life, even in a book, but The Overlook Hotel has become a name that many people have come to know and fear. Changing the history of the hotel to meet with his readers standards, King was able to bring this old building to life and make it haunt the dreams of people for years to come. The Overlook Hotel was the most happening spot back in the 1950’s, being the prized location for everyone that was anyone.

Bringing in the highest-class members of society, it also brought in gangsters that were trying to escape their wars. The hotel is full of people that have died while staying, whether it was from suicide, murder or dying by normal causes, the hotel is full of ghosts and has the power to bring them to life. With none of the guests ever wanting to leave this lavish estate, the party continues in The Overlook Hotel and everyone is always invited. Now could it just be the winter time when the hotel is empty that brings the hotel to life, or would it do things when guests are present as well?

Dick Hallorann knows what the hotel is capable of, but since he stays away from the hot spots of activity, he and the hotel seem to be on good terms with one another. Although he has seen things, bad things, he is able to put that aside to do his job and take care of his guests. The year before this story takes place, Delbert Grady was the caretaker of the hotel and snapped killing his wife and kids for no reason. The hotel management has tried to push this under the rug, saying that it was the isolation of the hotel, but Dick knows that it could happen again, it only takes the right person to show up.

When the Torrance family arrives, it is seems to be a match made in heaven for all of the parties. Jack will have time to do minimal work and complete his writing. Wendy will have all kinds of together time with her family and young Danny will be able to run amuck and be a kid for the winter. The only concern that the family has is that Jack will not be able to make it to his AA meetings when the roads close, and young Danny will not be able to see a doctor if he starts having his seizures again. You are left asking yourself why a family with so many problems would be chosen to take over the winter duties of the hotel. Did the hotel have a say with who was hired to take care of it for the season?

​My opinion on this, is yes. I believe that the hotel has the power to manipulate the decisions that are made about its future. Although not everyone believes in the power that it wields, since not everyone is privy to seeing what is happening behind the scenes, it knows what it wants and will stop at nothing to get it. With so much power, The Overlook is hungry for more and with the gift that young Danny has, he would be a great addition to the always growing population and make the building in a sense, unstoppable.  

Wanting more powerful spirits inside of it seems to be what makes the hotel happy, but is there an endgame for it? With the focus in all three renditions of the story being about the hotel's lust for Danny and his gift of shine, it is not openly said what it would do with the power. My thought, The Overlook is a spirit collector and always looking for new guests that will never leave again. With the extra power of the shine being added to its collection, the hotel might be able to manifest more easily and take control of its own fate.  

Every living thing wants to have control over its destiny and The Overlook Hotel is no different. Being able to show some people certain things, while lying dormant for others, it is trying to become a living, breathing entity that everyone will have to answer to. Having the power to manipulate what its caretakers are seeing or doing is one thing but becoming powerful enough to not even need the living to look after it seems to be what it wants the most.  

It is just my opinion of what the stories have shown me over the years of enjoyment. The Overlook Hotel should have been the main character listed in the credits for the movies as it plays more of a role of what is happening than anyone else. The Shining is a great story and I would highly recommend every version out there to anybody that has never read it or seen the movies based on the book. It is easy to fall in love with the Stanley Kubrick version of the story, but it does not follow everything that the book covers, so the TV mini-series would be the one to watch to get more of the story, or start with the book since it is where this journey began. As always, Stay Scared! 

There are many different teaching methods that our instructors have used to ensure that we are learning to the fullest. Although some of these methods may not have been conventional, they have stuck with us later in life and looking back, we ask ourselves why every teacher did not teach us that way. With so many different learning curves, it is good to have a variety of teaching methods to keep our minds working to reach the ultimate goal of knowledge.

Professor Babish has his teaching method down cold. Taking his students on a boat trip rather than keeping them locked up in a classroom works wonders for their motivation. Although most of the students think that he is teaching a throwaway class, he still takes it seriously and will do anything to make sure they take some knowledge away when it is all over. With a couple students genuinely interested in learning, most are just happy to be exploring their fellow student bodies.

As the group is nearing their final destination, the boat hits a dead shark that ends up killing its propellers, right before something else attacks the hull. Being dead in the water, the group sees an atoll (island) that they can lay anchor to get the students off of the boat while it is being repaired. Not feeling completely comfortable with this decision, Mrs. Babish says aboard the boat while waiting to hear if her husband’s students can find anything worthwhile on the atoll that could help their current situation. 

​As the day passes and the students discover the remains of an old fishing village on the atoll, they are no closer to finding a way to help repair their boat. With no one else around, the group spits up to cover more ground, but when three coeds notice that they are no longer being supervised, they go out to the water to have some adult fun. While they are focused on each other and not what is lurking in the water around them, they are attacked by what appears to be two sharks. Not knowing what is happening back on the boat, Mrs. Babish keeps an eye on the atoll and wonders what is taking the group so long. But when she loses the only person on the boat that can repair it, she starts to believe that there is something much worse happening to her and the students.

2-Headed Shark Attack follows a group of classmates that are on the adventure of a life time. With Professor Babish at the helm, everyone is out to have a good time, but when their boat gets disabled, they have to find a way to get it fixed, and quickly. Being stranded in shark infested waters, the group finds an atoll and plans to make way for it as they are running low on supplies. As they make landfall, they notice that it is deserted and does not have enough supplies to help with the repairs on their boat. Getting back on track is their main priority, but when they notice that they are being stalked by a large creature, they decide that they might be safer waiting it out. The mutated shark has a different plan however as it targets everything in the water that is moving, along with the reef that is holding the atoll above water. It becomes a game of chess with the shark and it is not willing to wait too long before its next meal and starts to challenge the integrity of the atoll and the students on it.

Some people may ask why. I would answer why not? One of the fiercest predators of the ocean is given an extra advantage, another head. What could be more frightening than that…right? Without knowing what they are really up against, the students have to put their faith in each other to survive, but for a situation where you could die any minute, it does not seem to be the best plan of action. Watching as several students’ regress, rather than grow is probably my favorite part of this movie. I cannot lie, I love seeing the stupid kids being eaten first so that we are left with only a couple of characters you should care about, and we even get to see them get chomped as well. It’s a great shark movie and even though the title says it all, it is still worth giving a view. Stay Scared!

You know that a television series has done something worthwhile, when you simply cannot wait to tune in. Because it means that the story is flowing, incredible things are happening within the plot, and you’re simply dying to know where the story is going to go next and that’s precisely where I am at when it comes to A Discovery of Witches. Because last week’s episode moved the plot forward in magnificent and thrilling fashion, meaning that I could not wait to settle in to watch ‘Episode 5’, because I knew that this magnificent story was only going to continue to gather steam and wow us with more twists and turns, and this episode did not disappoint in the slightest.   
​
Because this one started out in chaotic fashion, with the Congregation scrambling to figure out how to resolve the matters now before them and while they endlessly debated as to how to draw Diana away from Sept-Tours, Matthew arrived back in London to check on the health of his lab, only to discover that someone had stood within its walls after all. And with the help of his powerful senses, he came to the conclusion that Gillian was the one who snuck into the place to steal samples and that led to quite the stunning showdown between vampire and witch, wherein the latter won when Matthew sunk his teeth into Gillian. But this act was not done out of revenge, instead, he did it to gather evidence since he was able to use her blood to outright see that she broke into the lab and it was quite incredible to see this kind of power on display because I am hard pressed to think of another vampire story that’s shown the children of the night to have the ability to live vicariously through their victim’s blood.

But while Matthew dealt with that mess, and his research, Diana was dealing with her own hardships in France. For Ysabeau was determined to keep her and Matthew apart, which prompted her to show Diana what their species is all about, and that included taking her along on a hunt so that she could see the savagery of the vampire and understand what they become when it is time to feed. Yet, while this was an impressive effort on dear old mother’s part, it didn’t deter Diana in the slightest. If anything it made her all the more curious and once Ysabeau came to realize she was fighting a losing battle, she opened up to Diana, and taught her plenty about Matthew before and after he was sired, and well, this entire segment was a welcome respite from the intensity that the story opened up with, but it simply didn’t last, even though the episode tried to keep the calm going.

For eventually, Matthew returned to Sept-Tours after completing the tests on Diana’s DNA. But before he was ready to reveal the results of what he discovered in her genetic code, he finally acquiesced to his feelings toward Diana, and declared his love for her, allowing for these two to be together at last, regardless of the covenant and that’s…when the wild stuff came back our way. Because we came to learn that Diana’s core genetic code has every single marker imaginable within it, meaning she can achieve all kinds of wonders, the kind that clearly have everyone afraid. For backdoor deals and discussions were happening all throughout this tale while these star crossed lovers dealt with their respective journeys, and the culmination of every double cross and dastardly deal came to fruition in the final moments of this episode, when someone flew into Sept-Tours and pulled Diana out of there by force and no good can come from this.

If anything, I have a sneaking suspicion the Superman-like kidnapper was Satu, who despite being aware of the danger that Knox poses is still happy to serve his madness and with Diana now in her possession, she will likely harm her and to make matters worse, Matthew will likely be furious at this act, and that will spell trouble for Satu and whomever gave her the order to kidnap his love, meaning things are about to get extremely ugly in the weeks to come. Either way, this was quite the fun episode, one that definitely kept my attention since it was packed to the brim with big time moments and curiosities abound and once more, my excitement for this series is only growing, simply because I have to know what comes next, and I’m quite curious to see if next week’s tale is going to feature the moment we’ve all been waiting for, wherein Diana finally harnesses her power in order to get herself out of quite the jam. Until next time.   

​Knowing who or what your attacker is can save your life more often than not. If you have an overall idea of what you are up against and know a way to combat it, you will fare much better in the long run. Now, that is not always possible. Since there are so many different directions attacks can come from, it may seem impossible to be prepared, but even if you have a minimal amount of knowledge about it, you will still stand a much better chance than someone who has no idea.

A group of strangers are kidnapped and all brought together to face their fate. Not knowing why they have all been brought in, they try to ask for their freedom from the madman that seems to be in charge, but he has a different plan for them as he is going to feed them to the sharks. Being a sporting man, he gives the members of the group a chance to win the deadly game he has laid in front of them, if they survive seven different shark attacks, they can gain their freedom once again.

With a list of challenges laid in front of them, the group has to know what has brought them together at the request of the madman Tiburon. Coming clean about their pasts, they all find out that they played a role in the madman’s son’s death. Even though only one person pulled the trigger to kill the boy, Tiburon blames them all and will make them pay for his loss. Putting the group on a remote island, Tiburon has the entire place wired so he can watch them succeed or fail at every turn, along with keeping them on schedule for each of his sharkly challenges. The survivors will win the game, but with so many sharks, Tiburon does not believe that anyone will be able to complete the game, alive.

Shark Week follows a group of strangers as they have been put into harm’s way. Being kidnapped by a madman, they find out that they all played a role in his son’s death and he is looking for revenge. Giving his victims a fighting chance, Tiburon has laid out a set of challenges for the group to face, all having to deal with sharks. With the fiercest predators at his disposal, Tiburon wants to make the group suffer, the same way he has and he will do anything to avenge his late son. Without knowing too much about his victim’s backgrounds, he is amazed with how long they are able to survive his game, but he still has the big guns to pull out to make sure that his quest for revenge reaches completion.

A down and dirty look into a madman’s mind as the movie plays out. Being able to see and hear everything that his victims are doing and saying, he gets more invested into making them pay for the loss of his son. Trying to exact revenge on those responsible for his son’s death could be a novel idea but giving them a way to gain their freedom does not seem to follow the character's make up. Not a disappointing movie in the least with all of the sharks coming into play, but the madman was not mad enough to my liking. Stay Scared!

When you come up to The Stanley Hotel, it is difficult to not catch yourself watching The Shining once, twice, or a dozen times. Where did Stephen King come up with these ideas is what you may be asking yourself. I have been coming to my conclusions outside of his interviews, for what other reason? I love staying at the Stanley Hotel and would like to find the reasons on my own.

Richard Hallorann, or Dick, as he prefers, is my third favorite character out of The Shining franchise. He has a good feeling for his gift and is willing to share it with others. Dick is not comfortable in the Overlook Hotel and there is good reason as to why, it has found his weakness. Although Dick does not work inside the hotel, he is in charge of the kitchen and is trying his best to make sure that the hotel does not go under for its food service.  

Dick is one of the people that takes pride in his work and will not let it slide for any reason. Dick goes about his day to day process and makes sure that no one is given any lack of quality. With the hotel looming over him, Dick knows that he cannot hurt it, nor it can hurt him as he is far from where the action happened in the past. Learning that there is another individual that has the power of the Shine makes him happy, but once he feels the power that the young Torrance brings with him, he has a reason for concern.

Dick wants everyone that stays in the hotel to be safe…even if he is reluctant to say what is happening behind the scenes. Dick knows that the hotel is not for everyone and if he is able to detect that if a person has the special gift of the Shine, he will try to keep them from staying there. Even though young Danny Torrance does not have a choice, Dick tries to give him pointers to staying safe and sane while in the energy filled hotel. Dick knows that Danny is young but has a feeling that he has the power to fight off the fear that will find him over the winter.

Testing Danny’s power, Dick finds that the boy is much more powerful than he expected. Danny is able to shatter taillights on cars with his gift and Dick has never seen this before. Talking with his grandmother years ago without saying a word, Dick understands that there are other people out there with the gift but has yet to find someone that brings so much to the table. With the gift of Shine however, Dick understands that there is a curse behind it, especially when it comes to the Overlook Hotel.

​Young Danny has been warned and hopefully he will be able to control his gift while staying in the hotel, but Dick knows that there is trouble around the corner. Dick tells young Danny to call him whenever he feels that he cannot battle off the hotel’s evil. Danny does not understand this at first but has to give credence to the old man that has only been kind to him since his arrival. Danny is able to contact Dick when he feels overwhelmed by the hotel, but it comes much too late.

Dick is on the other side of the country while enjoying his winter off in Florida, while young Danny is stuck in Colorado. Dick tries his best to keep the boy safe and knows what can happen to others that stay in the hotel, but being so far away, he has to fall back to his generic response, nothing in the hotel can hurt you, when he knows otherwise.  

Although Dick Hallorann is not a key feature to the story, he should be. Dick knows the ins and outs of living with his gift and in the novel was able to show Danny Torrance how to control it, if even just a little bit. Dick is only worried about the safety of the Torrance family, since he understands what the Overlook can bring to the table. With his primary focus being placed on Danny, who has the gift, Dick tries to make sure that his parents understand what can happen in the hotel as well. But like most adults, they do not believe the warning that has been put in front of them. Dick Hallorann is by far my favorite character of the story that does not receive enough screen or writing time. He knows and understands what is coming at all the key moments of the story, and even if he is not on the premises, he is still able to try to help, although it be from a large distance.  

Once again, I hope that everyone that loves the story of The Shining is able to watch and read the different stories, and able to come up and visit The Stanley Hotel. It is my favorite place in the country, and I have visited 45 of the 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. With a fantastic venue and with enough time to be on your own without nobody bugging you, this is a great place to visit when you need to reflect. As always, Stay Scared!

Growing up, I have always felt bad for people that were born in a leap year. February 29th does not exist on the calendar ever year and as a kid, if you did not have a birthday, you didn’t get presents. In some ways I think it means you age slower as well, I mean hey, you're only adding one year every four. But my friend that was a leap year baby grew up the same way I did, and even though he graduated college at an age younger than me in my mind, he was still, really the same age as I was.  

Jack and his friends are up on a camping trip just to enjoy themselves. Trying to keep off of the grid, everything is shut off while they are having a great time, but Jack finds out that there is something else happening. Waking up in his tent, he finds that his watch has been changed, and the time 13:13 is showing up. Not working on military time anymore, Jack wants to know who is playing a joke on him and messing with his things.

Nobody admits to the crime and the group heads back down the mountain so Jack can pick up his daughter. Jack has been divorced for a short time and not by his choice. After retiring from the force, Jack is not the same man he used to be, and it has been noticed by everyone. When traveling back down the hill, Jack notices that the clock in the car has the same time, 13:13 and he is quickly getting upset with the joke that is being played on him.

Arriving at his old house, he finds his ex-wife washing the dishes, and hears her muttering the same thing over and over again. When he approaches her, he sees that she is pulling the skin off of her arm. Being alarmed to the situation, Jack takes her to the hospital to get her treatment and find out what is wrong, but on arrival, he finds that everyone working has the worst of attitudes. After getting her into a room, he is attacked by her and after she jumps out of the window, he finds that everyone around him is out of their minds. Trying to escape from the hospital, Candace pulls him into her hiding spot, and he has to face what is happening around the world.  

13/13/13 follows Jack as he is trying to get home to pick up his daughter after a painful divorce. When his ex-wife is found trying to pull all of the skin off of his arm, he finds that the people that are taking care of her are losing their minds. When everything in the hospital goes bad, Jack is stopped by Candace and slowly starts to understand what has just happened. With the only other sane person he knows being born on a leap year, he has to come to terms that there is something out of the ordinary happening right in front of his eyes. Not believing what he is seeing, he convinces Candace to go with him to find his daughter before something bad happens to her. With his friends being held up and defending his house, Jack sees that there is something more dangerous at hand than he could ever expect.

Talk about an original idea coming to light on the screen. This movie shows the quick change that everyone experiences on one certain date that does not exist on our calendars. It is explained in the film that with an extra day quietly being added to the calendar that an extra month has been created for evil to thrive within and for leap year babies, they may be the only ones that will be safe. A different thought that I have not given much credence to, but now I will be watching my calendar to see when the event featured in the movie may occur and see if anything might actually take place. Stay Scared!

When staying at The Stanley Hotel, it is hard to not find yourself watching The Shining once or a dozen times. Since this is the hotel where Stephen King got the inspiration for the classic story, why not try to get into his head for a couple of minutes and figure out where his inspiration came from? Okay, you read the Jack Torrance edition of this blog, so I do not have to go on with how the thought of seclusion would change a person, so let’s take a look at little Danny.

Danny Torrance is my second favorite character in the story and for what reason? Danny has the gift of the Shining. Although his parents don’t seem to understand why he has this gift, or even what it is, he is the character that has to grow the most. How exactly King came up with this idea, is what I am trying to get a handle on. Could Danny, or can Danny actually see things that happened in the past, along with the dangers that are surrounding him in the present?  

Either way, Danny has the ability to shine, and he also has a friend named Tony that is trying to point him in the direction of safety. Although his parents do not understand what this means for their child, they utilize this friend, along with his ability to figure out things before they actually happen. This is funny in a way, since they have taken him to doctors for several years to try to break him out of this ‘phase’. Danny can walk the walk of a normal child, but deep inside he knows that Tony is real, and like his father, will do anything to try to protect him.

Danny knows that the move to The Overlook is not the best choice for his family, as Tony tells him so, but will not voice his opinion to his parents about it. Tony knows exactly what will happen if they are all stuck in the middle of the mountains with no way out and he also knows the danger that lies within the hotel, but Danny is not ready to hear about this yet in his fragile state. Having his arm broken by his father in a drunken rage, Danny is doing everything in his power to accept that Jack is doing everything he can to change. His father is making an effort to become the man that his dad was not, but some of the old traits come back to haunt him.

Arriving at the hotel, Danny sees the warning signs right away and even though his parents are not too keen on his observations, Danny knows to steer clear of a couple of areas. After talking to Dick Hallorann and seeing that there is someone else with the power he possesses, Danny is slowly put at ease. But a long talk with Dick does not keep Danny from fearing the power inside of the hotel, as he has already seen too much. Dick comforts him once again and tells him the tricks of the trade when it comes to the Shining and even gives the young man permission to call him in time of need. Danny understands this and is ready to weather the storm with his parents, but not having anyone to fall back on, he is in a desperate place.

​As winter sets in and the snow continues to fall, Danny is comfortable with his mother but is slowly noticing a change in their surroundings. While roaming the halls, Danny finds that doors are left open, keys are misplaced, and special visitors are waiting to make an introduction. Dick had warned Danny that The Overlook learns and will feed upon his weaknesses if he lets it. Although Danny tries with all of his might, he cannot hide his fears from the old hotel, and it finds a way to take control. Having to fight the fact the everything that he sees is not real, the hotel focuses its attack on the boy and will not stop until he has been removed.

Looking between all three stories of The Shining, I have to come to the conclusion that the hotel is what was challenging the character of young Danny Torrance and nothing else. Knowing that his parents were having problems did not affect his abilities or Tony coming to talk to him. Knowing that his parents loved him with all of their hearts, Danny was forced to fall back on the guidance of Tony time and time again and for good reason, Tony would never lie or point him in the wrong direction. The Overlook housed power and evil that Danny had never witnessed in his life and although Dick Hallorann had worked for several years at the hotel, he did not have the power that young Danny brought with him.

Believing that and staying true to my review of Jack Torrance, here is what I see happened. I see that the hotel came to life and went after young Danny and that stands true for each of the version of the story. I see that the hotel saw his father losing it and took advantage of the situation. I am not saying that it took control of Jack by any means, but I will say it changed some things to make it easier for Jack to go insane by his own accord. Trying to discipline his son in an abusive manner was something from his own childhood that was passed down from his father before him and without having any control while on his own in the mountains, he became what he was meant to be, his father.

Danny had a target painted on his chest from the moment he walked into The Overlook and no matter what he did, it would not go away. The hotel houses some kind of power that could not be seen from anyone without the gift of shine. The more power a person has with the Shining, the more it gets amplified by the hotel. But if the hotel believes that this person can harm it in any way, it will use the power against the individual and try to destroy them, before it gets destroyed itself. Stay Scared!