5. Psycho (1960)
We are a society obsessed with celebrity, but even more specifically, we are obsessed with the lives of others. (Coincidentally, the 2008 film The Lives of Others would fit perfectly on this list if it fit the criterion, that is, being a classic from before 1990.) Reality TV is amazingly popular and unashamedly so. Duck Dynasty, Keeping Up With the Kardashians and its many spin-offs, The Real Housewives of Voyeurism Lane, etc. Whatever it is, if it involves getting to creep in to the lives of some other schmuck, we're on board. Thus, Psycho. What is it about? Well, the first 40 minutes are a criminal on the run story. Then it becomes horror, but what remains pertinent throughout, is the theme of voyeurism. Norman Bates is a dirty disgusting peeping tom. The scene where he spies on Marion while she disrobes for a shower is so iconic and to the viewer who only half-heartedly watches it, they see a pervert spying on a woman. The rest of us know what Norman was up to; that is, masturbating, but Hitchcock is more subtle than that and the Production Code wasn't so dead yet. But he was masturbating sure enough and do you think he'd have been doing it if Marion had invited him into her room and presently performed a strip tease? Absolutely not! He was getting his jimmies through the act of spying. The mystery and risk was what got him off, not the half naked woman on the other side of the wall. It's such a blatant criticism of society's obsession with spying on other people, but replace Norman with the average consumer and replace physical masturbating with mental masturbating. We get our minds off by feeding it voyeuristic kitsch because, let's face it, our lives are drab in comparison. Well, their lives are drab and uninteresting too, but they're being filmed so somewhere along the way it becomes interesting? I think I actually confused myself there. Wait, no, I didn't confuse myself; I just don't get the need to live vicariously through some half-witted duck call maker when I can go out and live my own life. Anyway, Psycho is relevant today. I think I argued that in that rant somewhere. If not, well, moving on...