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Of all the overrated, so-called Hollywood "classics," Psycho is one of the most overhyped films of all time. It is ponderously slow, taking forever to get to the "money shot" -- that is, the shower sequence, where a shadowy figure slashes at Janet Leigh's obvious body double -- which was pretty shocking in 1960. This one thrill was apparently enough to make the less informed audiences of that era to overlook the tedious pacing of the film. Of course, they were compelled to overlook the movies many flaws, because they had been brainwashed into believing Hitchcock was a master of suspense, despite all cinematic evidence to the contrary (Vertigo had apparently taught them nothing). Hitchock, especially in his later years, had contempt for audiences, and people in general, and it shows in this film. (Or maybe he really disliked Americans, and wanted to pay us back for the way the Revolution went.) He was like a little boy who wanted to do something nasty to get on people's nerves, but it just came out dumb and somewhat sickening in an inept sort of way.
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