Psycho vs. North by Northwest

8 comments

3 comments

on 3/2/2010

No comments about action/adventure Hitchcock vs. scary Hitchcock? A very close call for me; both good movies, not exactly great. I know Psycho has the reputation, but let's face it; for someone who came up in a generation where so many of the devices used in Psycho were ripped off and used in the service of much more explicit fare, it seems tame. North by Northwest, while the special effects are a bit clunky by today's standards, is a fun ride, constructed of strong setpieces, with fun banter and a great star turn from Cary Grant. I give it the slight edge.

on 5/20/2010

"When I was just a little baby boy my Mama use to tell me these crazy things/ She used to tell me my Daddy was an evil man, she used to tell me he hated me/ But then I got a little bit older and I realised she was the crazy one/ And there was nothin' I could do or say to try to change it cause that's just the way she was." Psycho by a knife-edge.

on 7/19/2010

Going with Psycho. So many iconic scenes.

on 11/5/2010

I decided to rerank Psycho and it had to come up against NXNW. Ugh, tough choice.

on 3/21/2011

Hitchcock's second adn third best movies. I'll go with NxNW.

on 2/13/2012

GOing with Psycho, much more entertaining

on 3/26/2012

Anthony Perkins' great performance alone makes Psycho the easy winner here. North by Northwest is really dragged down by its running time. The movie is simply way too long.

on 7/23/2012

North by Northwest is great. Psycho is better.

on 8/24/2012

Well, seeing that NxNW is the best movie ever, it wins this battle and any other. Cary Grant's best and wittiest performance, Hermann's exhilirating score, memorable scene after memorable scene, and perfect pacing and loads of twists and turns makes this an amazing viewing experience.

on 1/13/2013

Psycho is the better movie, but I can admit that NBN is more entertaining

on 3/19/2013

Both are great, but I personally prefer North by Northwest, which remains my favorite Hitchcock film.

on 3/19/2013

Psycho is much better in my opinion.

on 3/19/2013

Somehow I have a harder time buying "fun" Hitchcock than suspenseful dark Hitchcock. Psycho is absolutely joyless so there you go.