As the countdown to the film adaption of Stephen King’s It draws to an end, stores have begun to stock Pops based on the classic film The Shining from King’s eponymous novel. A chilling two hours of a man played by Jack Nicholson terrorizing his family by acting like real-life Jack Nicholson, this movie is considered one of the horror genre’s greatest hits, and therefore required an awesomely eerie Pop lineup to match.
This Pop is based on the movie’s villain Jack Torrance, and perfectly captures the terrifying lunatic that plagued the dreams of children upon the film’s 1980 release. The most effective aspect of this figure is the sunken shading effect around the eyes, and while it’s not as conspicuous as the bloodstains or axe, it does a great job of emulating the psychotic expressions and mannerisms that made the character so memorable. The sculpt on the hair is also great, looking perfectly disheveled for Torrance’s jittery personality. The outfit is very accurate to the film, right down to the boots. For in-box collectors, the “Redrum” design printed on the plastic window is a unique touch which I’ve never seen on other Pops before.
Overall, this figure completely captures the distinguishing features of the character while remaining pleasingly simple, and is a must-have for any horror fan.
Matt Norris