Maria Butler, community relations coordinator at the Lawrence Public Library, speaks to the group of attendants at the library's showing of Psycho.

Visitors at the Lawrence Public Library watch Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho on Friday night.

It’s ironic: some of the best movies about psycho killers just won’t die.

That was the attitude of about 30 Lawrence residents who watched Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” at the Lawrence Public Library auditorium on Friday night. Many in attendance said that they preferred an aged thriller to that of a modern gimmicky horror flick.

Maria Butler, community relations coordinator at Lawrence Public Library, said the library had shown free films for about ten years. Film showings like this one helped bring the community together, she said.

“Psycho” was the final movie in the October film series, which was composed entirely of Hitchcock films.

“It’s one of the classics. Hitchcock’s become a revered figure – a groundbreaker,” she said. “The movies stand the test of time.”

She classifies movies such as “Psycho” as “scary slumber-party-like” movies. People don’t come to be scared, she said. They come to be entertained.

“These movies are fun to watch,” she said. “They’re just not that scary, but they’re interesting.”

Lawrence resident Anita Sotomayor said she brought her two children to the movie in the spirit of the Halloween season. Jules, 9; Chloe, 11; and their mother watched “The Birds” a few days ago and had anticipated the library’s showing of “Psycho.”

“Movies now aren’t believable,” Anita said. “These can be a reality. That’s what can make them scary.”

Her daughter Chloe, however, disagreed. “I don’t really get scared,” she said.

Dorian Logan, Lawrence resident, said she’d seen “Psycho” before and could only classify it as terrifying, despite the fact that Hitchcock directed the film 48 years ago.

“Movies nowadays have cheap tactics,” she said. “It’s all gore and slasher films.”

Stephen Eschmann, a Washburn resident who was visiting Lawrence for the evening, said he could see ups and downs to older thriller movies. Hitchcock was more about suspense and drama than violence, he said.

“It’s the same as with Jaws. At the time, it’s groundbreaking, but now some people say it’s lame.”

Bill Mitchell and his wife, Jean, self-proclaimed regulars at Lawrence Public Library movie screenings, said they enjoyed coming to the library for a good read, a bag of popcorn and a free flick.

“If we watch movies at home, it’s on a 9-inch TV. This is better,” he said. “There’s a certain amount of community here.”