Steven Spielberg's Favorite Horror Movie Of All Time Was Directed By Alfred Hitchcock

Steven Spielberg has directed some exceptional horror hits over the decades, whether it's the deep-sea terror of "Jaws" or dinosaurs on the loose with "Jurassic Park." But what keeps the prolific filmmaker up at night? 

Steven Spielberg's favorite horror movie shouldn't come as a surprise, as it's one that set the template for numerous slasher films that followed. The director listed his 20 favorite movies of all time, and the top-ranking horror flick is Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." The story of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) going missing and the clearly disturbed Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) continues to resonate with horror aficionados to this day. And it's somewhat impressive Spielberg still holds the film's director, Alfred Hitchcock, in high regard after he the way he treated a younger Spielberg.

The famous anecdote involves Spielberg trying to meet Hitchcock in 1976 on the set of the latter's film, "Family Plot." Spielberg was there after the success of "Jaws," but when Hitchcock became aware of his presence, he had an assistant director escort him off the set. While promoting "Disclosure Day" with Vanity Fair, Spielberg still insists Hitchcock is the one director he'd like to meet: "He's a genius. I want to ask him ... I had nothing but questions for him," while stressing he felt no animosity for being asked to leave.

Many people, not just hardcore cinephiles, put Alfred Hitchcock on a pedestal. But with Steven Spielberg, you can honestly see the influences of "Psycho" across his filmography, most notably with "Jaws." During the famous shower killing in "Psycho," the killer's face is hidden, amplifying the terror because we, as the audience, don't know who's responsible for this atrocity. 

An untold truth of "Jaws" is that the mechanical shark prop constantly malfunctioned. It also looked a little fake on camera, so Spielberg seemingly took a cue from Hitchcock and chose to obstruct the audience's view of the shark early on in the film. In "Psycho," the killer could come from anywhere. In "Jaws," no one in the water was safe because, oftentimes, what you don't see is what's scariest of all.

But just because you can't see the killer doesn't mean you don't hear them coming. Both "Psycho" and "Jaws" are notable for their use of music during terrifying moments. Violins pierce through the screen as Marion gets stabbed in the shower, and there's a haunting string accompaniment anytime the shark approaches its next victim. 

Hitchcock and Spielberg both rank among the greatest directors of all time. Maybe if Spielberg had something more than "Duel" and "Jaws" under his belt when trying to meet him, Hitchcock would've been a bit more gracious. But maybe not.