A killer first review

Im going to begin my attack on "The Shining". You've all seen the poster with Jack Nicholson breaking through the wooden door with his maniacal eyes and smile, and we have all heard the line "Here's Johnny!" referenced one-thousand times. Has anyone born in the last 35 years actually watched this movie? Over the last couple years I have become more of a fan of the horror genre, not because of the rich and compelling plots, or the award-warranting performances- contrary to what most of you thought- but because of the thrill. The same reason we like to ride rollercoasters and running from the police. We enjoy the adrenaline and the terror. I'm not into the gore for gore's sake though I am guilty of sitting through some of the most disturbingly gruesome scenes put on film. I just like a movie to suck me in, suprise me and scare me. And, if im being totally honest, if you like to watch bad movies for the sake of picking them apart (like I do), then the horror genre is an overflowing well that never runs dry. While looking for suggestions for horror movies to watch I've stumbled across way too many "Top 10 Horror Movie" lists topped by "The Shining". Finally, after listening through a radio show where the host rambled on and on about how great a film it was I decided to watch it. This is not a great film. But I get it. It was made in 1980, so perhaps im desensitized by the newer concepts and the special effects of todays cinema. It was based on a book by Stephen King who is essentially the Godfather of Horror and directed by Stanley Kubrick who was fresh off of the set of highly-favored movies like "A Clockwork Orange" and "2001: A Space Odyssey" so I can see how people at the time were almost predisposed to love this movie. It's story is based around a writer, Jack (Jack Nicholson), and his family who agree to be caretakers of an empty hotel throughout the winter season. Cabin fever and writers-block drive Jack to insanity and his son, Danny keeps seeing disturbing images during their stay. Its simple and lacks any sustaining action. The movie isnt scary, infact, if anything its just weird and gross. A little boy with a forced "creepy" voice and a hotel hallway flooding with blood? This movie gets way more credit than it deserves. When boiled down its just a haunted house movie, except in this case, a closed-down hotel. I know that those of you who have seen it will argue that the hotel isnt actually haunted at all, but since 99% of the movie takes place on the hotel property it definitley has that feeling. Having said all that, Jack Nicholson does deliver a fantastic performance, and may be the biggest redeeming quality of the entire movie. Nobody does a better over-the-top, almost cartoon-character-esque axe-murderer. Unfortunately his work is negated by the woman playing his hysterical wife whose name im not even going to bother looking-up. If you really want to be scared, watch "The Strangers" from 2008. That movie scared the piss out of me. Its short, suspenseful and maybe most importantly- believable. It's the kind of movie that you follow by checking the locks on the windows and making sure you have a round chambered in every gun you own. P.S.- The title of this post IS, in reality, a sarcastic attempt at a clever title. Get it? A killer?... Because its a horror movie...? Ah, forget it...