Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick directed the full-length horror film, which starred Jack Nicholson in the lead role. This year, The Shining topped the film The Exorcist in the first position on a survey taken by HMV.
Nearly 5000 people took part in the poll. Director John Carpenter occupied the third position with his film Halloween, which was in the same spot on last year’s survey. Mark Frampton, HMV’s DVD Catalog Manager, explained, "In recent years we’ve seen a significant upsurge of interest in this genre of films, which has broadened considerably from the old Hammer horror days and is now regarded as being very cool, particularly with a younger audience."
Filmmakers John Carpenter and Wes Craven each had five films in the top 50 list. Alfred Hitchcock and George A. Romero each had two.