Possibly my favorite Hitchcock movie

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2002)

I've seen "Psycho" about 10 times in the past, but I just recently watched it again for the first time in about two years. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the film was even better than I'd remembered. It may be my favorite film from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock.

Given the fact that horror films have become increasingly macabre and disturbing over the years, "Psycho" does seem to have lost much of it's ability to frighten the viewer. Just imagine how this movie must have effected audiences in 1960. They'd never seen anything remotely close to this. I wish I could have been there.
Sadly, I'm a member of the younger generation, who has had the plot twists and famous moments spoiled for me. I can't appreciate the shower scene as much as most people because I probably saw dozens of rip-offs and spoofs of it before seeing the real thing. I was immune to being truly shocked by "Psycho", but it's an amazing experience, nonetheless.
Besides Hitchcock's ingenious direction, the key reason for the film's greatness is Anthony Perkins. He totally masters the psychotic Norman Bates with understated nervousness and desperation. Bates is the true main character of the film, and we can identify with him more than we can with any of the other characters.
I don't find "Psycho" to be terrifying; it's more thrilling and fun than scary. There are a few ominous moments to be found, though. My favorite is the final scene, with Bates in the asylum. It is genuinely uncomfortable to look at as the camera slowly zooms in closer to Bates' facial expressions, leaving the viewer in a state of claustrophobia. His final grin at the camera is truly spine tingling and unforgettable. It's one of the many images in "Psycho" that is imbedded in my mind.
There is only one set of scenes in the movie which I find to be a bit tedious, and that would be Norman's clean-up of the bathroom. Not that it isn't necessary, it just seems as if we see him doing more cleaning than we really need to. But this is a small fault in a nearly perfect film, which is as exciting and mesmerizing as it ever was. In other words, "Psycho" hasn't aged a day.