In a way that only Alfred Hitchcock can...he rocked my world

Rating: 9/10 (17 November 2003)

It was a little weird when I sat down to watch Psycho for the first time a few hours ago. Being a fan of horror films, I've been told by everyone that this was the one I have to see. Talk about a reputation to live up to, I didn't honestly see how it could be as good as it was supposed to be. I recently had been hearing great things about A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum', and was disappointed in that, so my solely-based-on-reputation expectations were a little shot, plus I'd heard so much about the shower scene I figured that was the big payoff. Well, in a way that only Alfred Hitchcock can do it, any expectations I had were not only met but shattered. I cannot imagine the impact this movie must have had on audiences in 1960, even watching it forty years later on my DVD player with the volume turned down he rocked my world. If you're someone who hates top 200 lists because they're usually all the same, ignore the fact that this on every one and give it a chance, it honestly deserves any attention it's got over the years. All of the acting is solid, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is believable in his difficult role and Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) gets scared with the best of em. The soundtrack is perfect, and there's some great cinematography in a few of the more dramatic moments, making Psycho' close to a perfect horror film. I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and say that if you haven't seen this movie yet, stop what you're doing and go rent it/buy it/steal it, whatever you need to do to watch it. Rating: 34/40