Finding the right "voice" for Jack Torrance was key to The Shining's success

To find the right voice, you had to watch a bunch of other Nicholson films and study his various techniques. "In some he played a 'low', measured, slow person," Johnson explained. "We decided he was more interesting 'up' - as an active, talkative person, like the role he played in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', rather than as a contemplative and brooding person."

It's a technique that led to some of the best moments in the entire movie, like the little monologue Jack gives Wendy when she asks him about his writing. Nicholson is manic in the scene, speaking fast and exaggeratedly as he repeatedly punches himself on the head. The scene where he asks Wendy to give him the bat is another winner, as the tone he uses straddles the line between funny and creepy. "I won't hurt you, I'll just break your brains out," is a nonsensical line, but one that comes with perfect meter.

Of course, Nicholson's delivery isn't the only thing that sells him like crazy. "The Shining" also takes advantage of the famous Kubrick Stare, where it has the character staring at the camera which is positioned slightly above his eye line. There's also the haunting score and Shelley Duvall's performance as Jack's increasingly terrified wife. It's not Nicholson's only portrayal of an unhinged maniac, but his portrayal of Jack Torrance is certainly one of his best.