It’s almost Halloween, which means that the spooky season is in full swing! What better way to celebrate than dimming the lights, making popcorn and curling up with a movie that may keep you up at night?

This year, the world commemorates 125 years since iconic film director Alfred Hitchcock’s birth. His movies like “Psycho,” “Rear Window,” “Vertigo” and “The Birds” are still considered some of the best films ever made. And although he died in 1980, his work continues to influence filmmakers to this day.

But is Hitchcock a master of horror? John Fawell, professor emeritus at Boston University, doesn’t think so.

“When I ask my students what they’ve seen, quite often they’ve seen ‘Psycho’ and ‘The Birds,’ and those are the two that would come closest to qualifying as horror films,” Fawell said. “He really specialized in suspense films and thrillers. But even by today’s standards, not all the films are that suspenseful. I often tell my students, ‘Don’t look for suspense, look for cleverness.’ But it’s a different kind of suspense, too. And that’s why it’s not easily imitated.”

Fawell offered the example of “Rear Window,” which skews more toward psychological thriller than what modern audiences and critics would consider horror.

Still, there are plenty of moments in Hitchcock’s movies that make audiences jump, particularly when the filmmaker has his characters look directly into the camera. He used that technique often to mimic voyeurism and “peeping,” and to unsettle viewers.

As Hitchcock developed his craft through the silent era and by learning from the German expressionists, he learned to lean more on visuals and scenes rather than dialogue, which is why many of his movies tend to have a dreamy, implausible essence. Fawell says that rejection of “normalcy” is a motif through many of Hitchcock’s films.

“There’s always this notion — whether it’s with buildings or with people — that the facade is not the reality, that there are hidden things of interest,” Fawell said. “His camera is always trying to get into windows or into people’s interior worlds to find out what’s really going on.”

While his films are highly regarded, Hitchcock’s legacy is a complicated one, particularly in his later years. Actress Tippi Hedren said she endured stalking and abuse while on set of “The Birds” and “Marnie.” Other actresses, like Doris Day and Kim Novac, who starred in “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and “Vertigo,” respectively, found Hitchcock to be cold but still respected his work, and what he could do for their careers.

“He’s as complex as any human being,” Fawell said.

Guest:

  • John Fawell, professor emeritus of humanities at Boston University specializing in studio-era Hollywood, author of “The Essence of Chaplin: The Style, The Rhythm and the Grace of a Master” and “Hitchcock’s Rear Window: The Well-Made Film.”