Why was 1960's Psycho a turning point, and what did critics think?

"Although Alfred Hitchcock ‘s “ Psycho ” was the biggest hit of his career with an adjusted gross of $400 million, it didn’t set records."

"Psycho broke box-office records in Japan and the rest of Asia, France, Britain, South America, the United States, and Canada, and was a moderate success in Australia for a brief period."

"Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978) and The Shining (1980) are seminal films that have been instrumental in both shaping the horror genre and eliciting the emotional response of fear in the viewer."

"It went on to become the second highest-grossing film of 1960 , behind Spartacus"

"With an $800,000 budget ($7 million today), it was the lowest-cost film in his Hollywood career. He used his TV crew, not his usual collaborators, shot in secrecy under a false title. He also agreed to defer his salary for a 60 percent share in the film’s profits, which gave him by far the biggest payday in his career."

"which are the prototypes of the slasher/serial killer subgenre and natural horror respectively"

"the primary technique for inducing fear is the employment of the subjective camera."

"On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 97 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim"."

"No junkets, no press screenings, and not even exhibitors could see it before booking. Critics had to see it with the paying audiences, which meant waiting in line"

"Both Carpenter and Kubrick built on Hitchcock as well as developed new techniques, with the aid of new technology, in order to keep up with changing audience perceptions and expectations."

"Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn't just create modern horror, he validated it"

"the growth of Hitchcock’s reputation as an artistic director, not a mere entertainer, in the 1960s coincided with the release of Psycho and The Birds, which helped to wrap the horror genre in the veil of respectability."

"What makes Psycho immortal, when so many films are already half-forgotten as we leave the theater, is that it connects directly with our fears"

"In addition to withholding the release of any stills from the movie's key scenes, Hitchcock refused to let film critics see the movie ahead of time, which may have accounted for some of the movie's less-than-stellar opening weekend reviews."

"Psycho was Alfred Hitchcock's most successful film, financially speaking. It made $32 million at the North American box office during it first theatrical release, off of a production budget of approximately $807,000."

"Paramount had all sorts of cold feet regarding the project, which prompted Hitchcock to both pay for the film out of his own pocket and forgo his (rather substantial) director's fee in exchange for 60 percent ownership of the film."

"he also instructed theaters to not allow anyone in once the film had started."

"Although critical reception was decidedly mixed and often downright hostile, the movie was a box office sensation."

"cinema historians consider Psycho to be the genesis of the “slasher” horror genre"

"Produced for only about $800,000, it earned more than ten times that on its initial release ($14 million by many accounts)"

"At the time of its release, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) was truly ground-breaking in its approach to horror in everyday life."

"which also noted that the original production was the “second-best grossing film” of 1960, after Ben-Hur (see entry)"

"It was the highest grossing film for Paramount - which initially wanted nothing to do with it - and the second-highest box office champion for 1960 behind Ben-Hur ."

"The film was marketed with a highly successful campaign prohibiting anyone from entering the theater once the picture started and an audience plea not to reveal the ending to anyone who hadn't seen it."

"the chapter examines how Hitchock's low-budget film changed the face of horror forever."

"she claims that he was shocked to learn of its far-reaching impact upon his return"

""More miserable than the most miserable peep show I have ever seen." "