Room 237 (2012)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Room 237 (2012) -- R. Ascher

Although they are not conspiracy theorists (OK, mostly not conspiracy theorists -- one of them believes that Kubrick staged the moon landing), the 5 interviewees (Kubrick decoders) who provide the voice-overs that _are_ this film are a pretty obsessive bunch (John Fell Ryan from Excepter among them). Their sacred text is The Shining and they have found endlessly fascinating cryptic clues to its meanings lurking in each shot, or the differences between two shots, or the impossible topography of the Overlook Hotel, or the posters and pictures on the walls in the background, or missing chairs (and other faux continuity errors), suggesting mythological minotaurs in the labyrinth, Freudian dilemmas, the genocide of native Americans, the Holocaust, and yes, the faked moon landing footage. And these guys are the tip of the iceberg (I shit you not -- take a look around the internet). Rodney Ascher uses clips from The Shining and a million other movies to illustrate their points and perhaps poke a little fun at them. I had a great time watching this at the Melbourne International Film Festival.