If I were to ask you to tell me the name of a horror film, there are a few classics that might come to mind. Psycho, Friday the 13th, Alien, and Nightmare on Elm Street are just a few of the biggest names in the genre. For many, though, “The Shining” is an experience that sits on a pedestal above even these beloved films. So why (as a self-proclaimed film fan) has it taken me this long to watch it?

As soon as the film starts, you can tell it doesn’t play by the same rules as horror flicks today. You are simultaneously elevated and submerged, with a long overhead shot of the Overlook Hotel’s surroundings accompanied by an eerily synthetic soundtrack that combine to create a perfect sense of unease, while all we’ve seen are some mountains.

The film then explains it’s premise with Jack Nicholson’s character in an interview scenario for a hotel caretaker role that will involve five months of complete isolation for him and his family. He is well mannered, friendly, and off-putting all at once, with his non-interest in the news that his predecessor lost his mind and killed his family being particularly worrying.

From here on out, the Overlook Hotel becomes as much of a character as Jack. I got to know the feel of its winding halls and empty rooms as the film churned on, and it’s hard to think of a more iconic location in horror film history.

We time jump over the course of a number of months, and each time we cut back to Jack, you can see another part of him slightly more unhinged. The little looks he gives his wife Wendy when she so much as mentions leaving his work for a minute. The pounding of a tennis ball against the walls of his make-do office as the camera lingers on his empty typewriter. The promise he makes to his son that he would never hurt a hair on his head, pursued by shrieks as he is tormented by dreams of murdering him.

By never leaving the hotel (aside from a couple of minutes of screen-time following Dick as he rushes to the Overlook) the film creates a fantastic sense of claustrophobia. It’s not just Wendy and Danny stuck in the hotel with Jack and whatever presence is driving him mad, you are too.

The fact that the evil presence in the film is never fully explained only adds to this fear of the unknown. Is it because the hotel was built on an American-Indian burial ground? Or because the last caretaker killed his family with an axe? Was Jack the previous caretaker? Why does a vision he has tell him that he was? Is there some kind of presence at all?

All these questions were flying through my head as Jack chased his family throughout the hotel and into a hedge maze until finally, he collapses in the cold, and freezes to death.

The hotel leaves us with one last gift however. A lingering shot of a photograph of Jack hosting a party at the Overlook, dated July 4th 1921, 50 years before he arrived.

One of entertainment’s most iconic characters had their 35th anniversary recently, and it looks like Nintendo are planning something big to celebrate.

Mario has been a staple of the video game world ever since his introduction in 1981’s ‘Donkey Kong’ (where he was creatively dubbed ‘Jumpman’) and has featured in dozens of critically acclaimed games across four (!!!!) decades.

Featuring on every Nintendo console since the character’s introduction, Mario games have played a colossal role in the development of the medium as a whole, with Mario 64 being what many believe to be the first ‘true’ 3D game to hit the mainstream market back in 1996.

Now, in celebration of the character’s stellar history, reports are indicating that Nintendo are intending to re-release some of Mario’s most acclaimed 3D games for the Nintendo Switch.

According to leaks, Nintendo plans to re-release three of Mario’s most-loved 3D games, the previously mentioned Super Mario 64 from the Nintendo 64, Super Mario Sunshine from the Gamecube, and Super Mario Galaxy, which featured on the Wii, still the second best selling console of all time.

It goes without saying that this has generated gigantic levels of excitement across the entertainment world, and with all three classic games receiving Metacritic scores of over 90, it is easy to see why.

Not only will this be a great way for long term fans to be able to experience some of their favourite games again, it will also be a fantastic opportunity for younger players to try them for the first time.

With the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has it’s most successful console since the Wii, and it’s easy to see why. Despite being relatively under-powered compared to it’s competitors, the Switch has taken the market by storm since it’s introduction in early 2017, thanks to it’s ability to be both a portable and home console, and it’s killer line up.

With games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of  the Wild, Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash bros. Ultimate, Nintendo have made the console an easy sell to millions of players around the globe, and these re-releases look to only enhance this pull-factor.

Not only are Nintendo looking to re-release some classics, but the same leaks hinting at these remasters has also stated that the beloved developer has plans to announce several other titles in the Mario franchise, including one from the long ignored Paper Mario series.

As well as this, 2013’s Super Mario 3D World will be re-released as well, but in a ‘deluxe’ version; similar to Mario Kart 8’s Switch version, which will include a small graphical upgrade and some minor gameplay additions.

The official announcement for these releases is expected to be made by Nintendo alongside details of their new deal with Universal, which will bring with it news of a Super Nintendo World theme park, and a fully animated Super Mario Movie (which will hopefully not be a repeat of the disastrous live action film from 1993).

The official reveal for the celebration was reportedly intended to be revealed at E3 (the games industry’s largest annual convention) this year, but with the show being cancelled due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic they have been forced to rethink their original plans.

Many believe these reports to be true not only due to the reliability of the sources, but also how Nintendo treated Mario’s last milestone in 2015, where the character celebrated his 30th anniversary.

The franchise was licensed for many popular brands such as Hot Wheels and Trump cards, along with a release of the hit game Super Mario Maker in September of that year, exactly 30 years on from the original game’s release in Japan.

When asked to comment on these reports, Nintendo said that it “does not comment on rumour and speculation.”

This behaviour also aligns with what the company’s director Shigeru Miyamoto said in a recent interview, where he said that “[Nintendo] will be collaborating with various other companies. If we’re able to accomplish that, we can create more opportunities for people to make contact with our characters on a much larger scale than usual.”