I haven't come across much in the way of commentary or reviews of the region B Blu-ray disc of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, although there is definitely something about this disc worth highlighting, especially for region B (Australia, UK) readers.
Stanley Kubrick trimmed one scene from The Shining after the premiere screening - a brief epilogue featuring Wendy and Danny safe (not sure of it's exact nature - it may have been a scene of them fishing, as in the book). When the film was met with befuddled reviews and unspectacular box office, Kubrick and Warner Bros made further trims for the international market, removing some 15 or so minutes of footage (around 30, according to the DVD and Blu-ray packaging but I don't often trust them and can't be arsed putting the discs in to get the exact number). Presumably one of their main goals with the new cut was to shorten the film by 1 reel for international distribution.
It is this shorter version which has been the only version available on home video formats in Australia, including the DVD. Until this new Blu-ray disc, which contains the original domestic (US) theatrical version.
It is not a radical transformation of the film - it remains magnificent, hilarious, and terrifying - but some sequences are imbued by certain moods as a result of information we know about the characters in inserted scenes. But you know this already, don't you? If you've already found this blog, that means you're the kind of person who already has the Blu-ray disc.
If so, I suggest you check out the short documentary on Wendy Carlos and her music for The Shining. A ten minute look into the world of this extraordinary lady.