by Sam Juliano
“PSYCHO” VOTED FAVORITE HORROR FILM OF ALL-TIME
Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic horror film “Psycho” was voted the favorite horror film in movie history in a vote decided by 30 voters over the past days on my Facebook page to commemorate Halloween. The 1960 black and white shocker has no doubt been the subject of more analysis than any film in the genre, and it is regularly chosen by many critics and buffs as the greatest horror film. Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh and Martin Balsam, the film was written by the Outer Limits’ Joseph Stefano from a novel by Robert Bloch, and shot by Hitch’s television crew during the time he was producing Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The shower scene is probably the most famous and endlessly analyzed scene ever filmed, but the scene on the stairs when Balsam’s private detective was slashed to death as well as the gruesome conclusion in the wine cellar are right behind. No other horror film has been more emulated, and no other boasts as electrifying a score as the one written for it by Bernard Herrmann. PSYCHO was following very closely in the voting by Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING (1980). Here are the Top Dozen as voted on by the voters, all of whom were asked to choose their Top Five. Tabulation was conducted by utilizing the 1 to 5 weighted system (an even 30 people cast ballots):
1) Psycho 56
2) The Shining 51
3) The Exorcist 33
4) Halloween 28
5) Dawn of the Dead 18
6) Texas Chainsaw Massacre 17
7) Night of the Living Dead 17
8) Rosemary’s Baby 16
9) The Silence of the Lambs 16
10) Nosferatu (1922) 15
11) The Bride of Frankenstein 14
12) Invasion of the Body Snatchers 13
Click on names for archives
Writers/Founders
I love Cat People, The Bride of Frankenstein, Nosferatu and, of course, The Shining is an undisputed masterpiece, but you’ve got to admit, Psycho is something special.
Duane, thank you! I love all of those as well, but will admit PSYCHO has always been for most in a class by itself. And no film has been more emulated for sure.
Why isn’t “The Innocents” on this list?
Hello, how long will my comment be awaiting moderation?? It was posted on Nov.1.
Sonia—my apologies for the late response here. Your comment was accidentally unseen. Like you I absolutely adore THE INNOCENTS. The problem here is that there was fierce competition. THE INNOCENTS did received some votes, and had we listed more than twelve it would have placed at Number 14. Thank you so much!