A lot of film-goers believe that Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho was the first stab (no pun intended) at the genre of slasher films-- they are mistaken. While Psycho is undoubtedly one of the most influential horror films of all time, the British cult favorite Peeping Tom, directed by Michael Powell, is actually considered to be by most cinephiles the first slasher flick. The premise is sick and creepy enough, especially by early 1960's standards-- Mark Lewis is a sexually repressed, sociopathic photographer who, due to trauma by his scientist father, becomes obsessed with killing women and catching their expressions on his camera. Not only does he record the act, but he actually kills with his camera-- he puts a blade on the edge. Strange, eh? It only gets stranger when Mark befriends Helen, a young woman who brings out a warmer side of his personality. However, as Helen and her mother, who happens to be blind, come closer to discovering his true nature, he begins reverting back to his old ways....
Grab Peeping Tom from Amazon, or watch it instantly on Netflix (what a great deal!). Also, check out the following campy trailer:
P.S. Director Michael Powell, who was famous for directing hits such as The Red Shoes, is said to have "ruined his career" when this film was released. Oh, what a small price to pay for starting a huge horror movie movement, eh?
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