Just in time for Halloween . . .

It’s been 51 years since one of the scariest movies ever made was released. Hard to believe that Alfred Hithcock’s masterpiece Psycho is that old, yet it still holds up after all these years.

Back then, advertising in Hollywood was done a little differently. Trailers didn’t give away every detail of the plot like they do nowadays. Hitch liked to make appearances in his own trailers, as he did in the first trailer for Psycho.

Take a look at it here. It’s a little lengthy, but definitely worth a watch.

"And this is the house where lots of people are hacked to a bloody pulp! What fun!"

I love this trailer because it’s so carefree and seemingly harmless. It even comes across as corny at many points.

To be honest, it doesn’t sell me. But it sold people in 1960 when it counted, so that’s all that matters. Back then, word of mouth drew audiences to the film due to the big twist ending. There was even a frame at the end of the film that told the audience not to reveal what the twist was to anyone. These days, twists are on the web months before a film gets released. (Thanks, yuppie bloggers!)

But he looks so nice!

Psycho is my favorite horror movie of all time. I know a lot of people refuse to call it a horror film; they prefer to call it a “thriller” or a “suspense” movie. But honestly, three people get hacked into bloody bits during the running time, plus the killer is a gender-confused maniac who is obsessed with stuffed birds, so I don’t see how you can’t call it a horror movie.

Truth be told, I locked my bathroom door for about two weeks after I first saw the film when I was 12 or so. It frightened me that much. My grandma used to tell me that she made my grandpa sit outside the bathroom door to thwart off any killers after she saw it for the first time way back in the 60s.

Cue the creepy string music

If you haven’t seen Psycho yet, I don’t know what your problem is but you MUST. It is just one of the greatest films of all time, and even though this trailer might not impress you, I can almost guarantee the film will stick with you.

And who knows. After watching it, you may never want to take a shower again. Fun!