Still Amazing After All These Years

Rating: 10/10 (17 October 2005)

Being an avid movie fan, I have seen too many motion pictures to even bother trying to count. I love all types: drama, comedy, action, sci-fi, foreign and horror. But I would have to say that my favorite genre is suspense. Something about thrilling audiences without the use of special effects, and creating realistic settings which cause a sense of dread for the audience. And nobody, in my opinion, accomplished this with a greater sense of style, polish, and dignity than Alfred Hitchcock. His films are full of great dialog, well-rounded characters, and genuine and original shocks.
Of all of his films, my favorite would have to be "Psycho". This masterpiece uses amazing black and white cinematography and a very low bodycount (yes, that's correct, a very low bodycount) to weave a fascinating story of a woman caught in a criminal web of her own doing who stops off at the wrong motel on a wet and rainy night. She meets the inn-keeper, a fragile and soft spoken young man who is emotionally and verbally pushed around by his overbearing mother.
What follows is a tension filled and horrifying tale of psychological suspense. I have heard others comment that this film is not really "scary", and I beg to differ. Nothing to me could be more terrifying than the reality that people like some of those presented in this film truly exist in our world. It takes a lot more than fake blood and overly-gory special effects to impress me, and the sad thing is that today's "horror" films and even some claiming to be suspense films rely too much on the supernatural or just plain disgusting to achieve their affect. None of that for me thanks.
One of my true pleasures is to see someone view this film for the first time. Moments in the film tend to shock or surprise people who think they've seen it all. Those who have seen enough knock-offs (and there are a TON of them) may figure out some of the story's plot before it is revealed, but only because so many films have shamelessly ripped this one off. See it for the first time (and even a tenth) and enjoy a master director at the peak of his craft.