Review of Peeping Tom (1960) by Josh M — 24 Jan 2009
For the longest time, I put off watching this thanks to, of all things, my horror film class in college. We covered this class a bit in discussion, and it always sounded a bit dry and academic to me. How incredibly wrong I was.
It's no wonder that Peeping Tom bombed when it came out - even today, the way it turns the blame back on the audience makes for an uncomfortable viewing experience, to say nothing of the disturbing and twisted psyche at the core of the tale.
Add into that the cameo by the director and his family - more specifically, the role that he chooses for himself - and you have a dense, complex tale that may lend itself well to academic analysis, but is never dry - in fact, as visceral horror films go, it's a classic of the genre.
(A sacrilegious thought - I think this is actually a more interesting and complex tale than Psycho, which came out the same year - the only advantage I give to the Hitchcock film is Perkins' indelible performance.
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This review of Peeping Tom (1960) was written by Josh M on 24 Jan 2009.
Peeping Tom has generally received very positive reviews.
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