Uploaded December 2009 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This was my first, short response to 'The Shining - Something in the River of Blood'. When scrubbing the frames back and forth like this, it became quite apparent to me that Mr Ager's mysterious 'body' is nothing other than reflections of all the rear features of the set which can be clearly distinguished in position, shape and color. Any dark glossy surface like the blood is naturally highly reflective (like a glossy monitor when turned off). The more brightly illuminated the object, the more apparent is it's reflection. The contrast is exagerrated here to bring out the detail.
The light 'object' within the lower left of the drawn outline (seen near the end) corresponds exactly as a reflection of the white wall to the left of the elevator. Following this white reflection upward, it appropriately turns sharply to the right as it is a continuation of the reflection of the white wall as it crosses right horizontally above the elevator. This light streak or 'arm' then appears to curve upward where the reflection angle curves away from the POV, around the conical shaped liquid.
Viewable within the smaller outline on the lower right, an object is clearly RED or 'fleshy' as Ager describes the 'upper torso', because it is naturally a reflection of the RED door. Immediately to the right of the red door reflection we see an area which appears dark because it is reflecting the dark brown panel between the doors which is effectively invisible as it blends into the dark shade of the dense blood. Then a little further right you see another red reflection of the red door on the right. This all forms a picture of parts corresponding exactly with the walls, frame and doors as a reflection in a curved surface.
As you watch the clip scrubbing back and forth, notice how the door opens wider toward the end, as it slides left to right. Now observe the corresponding dark reflection of this open door area below (dark area between the left white wall and red door reflections) and you see it is also getting wider, precisely in synch with the motion of the door opening. See? Reflections.
And if this is all reflection, then the floor dial must also be reflected in the light horizontal area, directly above the red door reflection, which it is. The low resolution of the dvd and the uneven blood surface viewed from this distance make it impossible to see the dial reflection, EXCEPT in the final shot of the blood viewed from Wendy's POV where the camera is at the closest angle (not shown here). It is more apparent in HD, but it's definitely there, right where it should be reflected in the white wall reflection, above the red door reflection. All mysterious shapes viewable within the blood happen to correspond with distinct reflections of the differently colored parts of the elevator set, as they would naturally occur. Get it?
This was my first, short response to 'The Shining - Something in the River of Blood'. When scrubbing the frames back and forth like this, it became quite apparent to me that Mr Ager's mysterious 'body' is nothing other than reflections of all the rear features of the set which can be clearly distinguished in position, shape and color. Any dark glossy surface like the blood is naturally highly reflective (like a glossy monitor when turned off). The more brightly illuminated the object, the more apparent is it's reflection. The contrast is exagerrated here to bring out the detail.
The light 'object' within the lower left of the drawn outline (seen near the end) corresponds exactly as a reflection of the white wall to the left of the elevator. Following this white reflection upward, it appropriately turns sharply to the right as it is a continuation of the reflection of the white wall as it crosses right horizontally above the elevator. This light streak or 'arm' then appears to curve upward where the reflection angle curves away from the POV, around the conical shaped liquid.
Viewable within the smaller outline on the lower right, an object is clearly RED or 'fleshy' as Ager describes the 'upper torso', because it is naturally a reflection of the RED door. Immediately to the right of the red door reflection we see an area which appears dark because it is reflecting the dark brown panel between the doors which is effectively invisible as it blends into the dark shade of the dense blood. Then a little further right you see another red reflection of the red door on the right. This all forms a picture of parts corresponding exactly with the walls, frame and doors as a reflection in a curved surface.
As you watch the clip scrubbing back and forth, notice how the door opens wider toward the end, as it slides left to right. Now observe the corresponding dark reflection of this open door area below (dark area between the left white wall and red door reflections) and you see it is also getting wider, precisely in synch with the motion of the door opening. See? Reflections.
And if this is all reflection, then the floor dial must also be reflected in the light horizontal area, directly above the red door reflection, which it is. The low resolution of the dvd and the uneven blood surface viewed from this distance make it impossible to see the dial reflection, EXCEPT in the final shot of the blood viewed from Wendy's POV where the camera is at the closest angle (not shown here). It is more apparent in HD, but it's definitely there, right where it should be reflected in the white wall reflection, above the red door reflection. All mysterious shapes viewable within the blood happen to correspond with distinct reflections of the differently colored parts of the elevator set, as they would naturally occur. Get it?
