Psycho (1960) vs. Halloween (1978): Which Do You Prefer?

[Timothy Hunter]

Psycho is seen by many as the first slasher, and the original Halloween was directly responsible for jumpstarting the slasher craze of the 80s.

[Riv86672]

I can def. rewatch Psycho, it still holds up for me.

That said I prefer Halloween if only because it’s the faster paced more action-y of the two. I’ve got to be in a certain mood to watch a Hitchcock movie, but Halloween I can come across while channel surfing and enjoy from whatever point it’s at.

[C_Miller]

I love Psycho. It was one of the first "horror" movies I ever got to see as a kid and it had a certain mystique to it. But Halloween is one of my favorite all time movies. Psycho to me, while good, has not held up as well as Halloween. Though some of that might be due to doing a deep dive into Hitchcock over the last five years or so. I don't think Psycho stacks up to some of his other films.

[ed2962]

I picked Halloween just on a pure visceral level. In the right mood I can still get caught up in the story. With Psycho I find myself thinking about history and film techniques etc.

[Kirby101]

Psycho. Never cared for Halloween. All shock with no substance.

[Riv86672]

…Halloween. All shock with no substance.

^^^That’s what the franchise turned into, that’s for sure.

Haven’t seen the latest installment but hopefully they just have a definitive ending and let it go.

[Kirby101]

^^^That’s what the franchise turned into, that’s for sure.

Haven’t seen the latest installment but hopefully they just have a definitive ending and let it go.

To me it was just another splatter film. Yes Carpenter is a better director than most splatter films have, but I would say Wes Craven is better. Nightmare and Scream are better than Halloween IMHO.
I remember the seen when spoilers:

Michael sticks a scalpel in the back of a nurse and uses it to picks her off the ground. A scalpel! Pure eyes roll for me.

end of spoilers It just isn't in the same ballpark as Psycho for me.

[Vegeta]

I remember the seen when spoilers:

Michael sticks a scalpel in the back of a nurse and uses it to picks her off the ground. A scalpel! Pure eyes roll for me.

end of spoilers It just isn't in the same ballpark as Psycho for me.

That was Halloween 2. It took place in the hospital, the 1978 original takes place in the suburbs.

[Riv86672]

To me it was just another splatter film. Yes Carpenter is a better director than most splatter films have, but I would say Wes Craven is better. Nightmare and Scream are better than Halloween IMHO.
I remember the seen when spoilers:

Michael sticks a scalpel in the back of a nurse and uses it to picks her off the ground. A scalpel! Pure eyes roll for me.

end of spoilers It just isn't in the same ballpark as Psycho for me.

That was Halloween 2. It took place in the hospital, the 1978 original takes place in the suburbs.

That was def. the sequel yeah. But I get where Kirby101‘s coming from.

[Kirby101]

That was Halloween 2. It took place in the hospital, the 1978 original takes place in the suburbs.

Thanks, I am obviously not immersed in the Halloween ovre. But my opinion stays the same.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Psycho. This was the sort of film that didn’t need blood or gore to shock and terrify.

[Riv86672]

Thanks, I am obviously not immersed in the Halloween ovre. But my opinion stays the same.

Sounds like me whenever Hellraiser is discussed.

[Kirby101]

Sounds like me whenever Hellraiser is discussed.

I think I saw one of those. And I won't watch any Saw or Purge movies.

[Riv86672]

I think I saw one of those. And I won't watch any Saw or Purge movies.

Never got into Saw either. Hellraiser is it’s own level of sucky, though.
The Purge movies interest me.

[Timothy Hunter]

I want to love Halloween but Laurie Strode is such a lackluster protagonist that I can never get too invested in the movie.

Of course it's a slasher flick so you shouldn't expect amazing characterization, but most exceptional horror films give a few flourishes to their leads that make them the least bit captivating.

Halloween tries to do this by contrasting the mild mannered Laurie with her pot smoking, crass friends, but Jamie Lee Curtis is so bad in the role that her performance sucks the air out of the movie. They should've centered the movie around Donald Pleasence.

The 70s were John Carpenter's weakest decade in my opinion. Even his 90s movies aren't as bad as Dark Star and parts of Halloween.