Psycho - Collector's Edition

Rating:
Summary: A Psychotic Thriller
Review: Known best for its shower scene, Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock is a horror classic. Most modern day horror films try to grasp the element of suspense that Hitchcock is able to portray, but few live up to this standard; other films often shock us only for a few seconds, illustrating surprise but never reaching that level of suspense.
Psycho tells the story of confusion, crime, and murder. Marion Crane (portrayed by Janet Leigh) is a young attractive woman who steals from a wealthy client. She looks at the money as a way to secure her future with her divorced boyfriend, Sam, who is unable to marry because he must make large alimony payments to his ex-wife. On the way to visit her boyfriend, Marion stops at the Bates Motel on the side of an old highway. She meets the owner, Norman Bates, (played by Anthony Perkins) who is obviously attracted to Marion. They talk with each other openly about their lives, but Marion is murdered in the shower minutes later.
When Lila Crane (played by Vera Miles) realizes her sister is missing she begins to search for Marion, and is followed by a private investigator, Mr. Arbogast. Arbogast develops a lead and tries to track Marion down at the Bates Motel. He makes an effort to learn more about Norman, and consequently becomes the next victim. Lila and Sam take matters into their own hands and just when they think they have the case figured out; Hitchcock delivers a major twist.
Alfred Hitchcock is also well known for his brilliant camera angles and unique filming techniques. He brings this black and white picture to life by using surprising perspectives. After talking with Norman in the parlor, Marion leaves to take a shower. We see her undress through the eyes of Norman as the camera peers through a hole in his parlor. Next, unexpectedly, the audience sees an extreme close up of Norman's eye staring into the next room. A further example is the next scene. The camera closes in on water spiraling down the drain, then fades to an opposite spiral of the eye of the recently murdered Marion. Throughout the movie the characters constantly watch one another which lets the audience see different perspectives.
Hitchcock forces the audience to sympathize with a psychotic killer by reeling us in during the conversation he has with Marion. We feel compassion for someone who has been suppressed his entire life. He was forced to take over ownership of the motel, and never had much contact with anyone except for his overpowering mother. He is unable to escape her control, and her beliefs have been forced on her son, who struggles to balance his opinions and those of his mother. We wouldn't want to be put in this position ourselves, so we are compelled to empathize with this character. Even as the car hiding Marion's corpse is sinking into the swamp, we hope it will be submerged so Norman will not get caught. Although I did not enjoy Norman as a character, Perkins did a wonderful job of convincing the audience of the lunatic he played.
Psycho is a must see for all, including those who do not particularly enjoy horror. The film showcases great acting, filming, and directing. Hitchcock added all the right ingredients to create a masterpiece. The film was purposely shot on a very low budget to showcase Hitchcock's filming techniques. The absence of special effects allows the audience to focus on the actors doing their best work. The simplicity of the set and the black and white film lends itself to suspense and drama. Psycho has been the subject of many film studies, and for good reason. As I watched the film, I knew I would find more detail if I were to see it again. The black and white may discourage some, but I believe it added an element of style that the movie would have otherwise been unable to capture.

Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock's classic mystery thriller,
Review: Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is, of course, the classic horror movie, maybe a precurser to the serial killer genre and the slasher movie. The story is that Marian Crane steals her boss's money, $40,000 in fact. She tries to drive to see her boyfriend, but ends up waylaid at the Bates Motel. There she meets the shy clerk Norman Bates. That is all I'll say. If by some miracle you haven't seen the movie, I do not want to ruin the suprise (asssuming you don't know it yet). The acting is all wooden, but it still is sufficent. The movie is all about shot compostition, contiversial subject matter, and pure shock value. This film inspired many future filmmakers, like Brian De Palma and Martin Scorcesse. By the way, if you want to see Hitchcock's signiture cameo, look out the window at the beggining in Marian's office out at the street, his back is turned most of it, but he's the big guy in the hat.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: 'Psycho' is a classic with many memorable scenes. It is one of Hitchcock's best. Buy it if you can find it for a good price.

Rating:
Summary: You Never Know Who Is Watching You!
Review: Alfred Hitchcock's, Psycho definitely earns the title of a classic 1960's film. In contrast to Hitchcock's other high-budget films where he usually uses his favorite blondes, beautiful rich clothing and expensive sets, Psycho stands out in its starkness. This is a good thing because it proves that Hitchcock can take a simple film and turn it into something amazing. Almost like turning an ugly duckling into a swan. If you have never seen a Hitchcock film you will be pleased with the acting and the plot. This twisty horror film must have set the tone for other directors in Hollywood at the time, and the many more films to come in the future. Psycho grabs your attention and will have you biting your fingernails nervously waiting to see what is going to happen next.
I really enjoyed the phenomenal acting by Anthony Perkins, who plays Norman Bates, and how he made me actually feel sympathy for him. He does an excellent job convincing the audience to like him, even though we should dislike him because he is a crazy murderer. The acting by Janet Leigh, who plays Marion Crane, shows her ability to put a lot of emotion into her character. The famous shower scene and the look of death in her eyes really made her part in the film shine. As Marion falls down in the shower, it shows her eyes and they appear to be as frozen as ice. The scene is really creepy and I am now conscious when I take showers in hotels.
The plot in this film is very surprising and suspenseful. Marion steals $40,000 from her employer and leaves town to be with her lover. She stays in an old motel which is owned by murderer Bates. When Marion's sister Lila hasn't heard from her in days, she gets worried and works with a detective in hopes of finding her. Bates is questioned and acts as if he is innocent. He continues to kill anyone suspicious coming to his motel and later in the film we find that Bates is not so innocent after all. Bates seems like a pretty likable guy, it is his mothers' personality that takes over him. Her crazy personality really overpowers Bates and makes him a murderer. He wears a wig and pretends to be his mother and his character becomes very suspicious. I really like how mysterious the plot is because it kept me very interested and entertained at the same time.
Hitchcock's use of camera angles and music really helps the film. From the famous shower scene with Marion's blood swirling down the drain and the sound of the knife stabbing her, really sends chills down your spine. The shrieking sound of the knife really make you believe that it is actually happening and the visual of her falling down with the shower curtain make this scene famous. Another great camera angle in the film is when Bates is watching Marion change through a small, secret peephole in the wall. You can see every black eyelash on Bates eyes and every blink he makes. The music also makes this movie because if you pay special attention you will see how well Hitchcock uses the same music throughout the film in different scenes, yet every time it makes the scene even more amazing. The music is really creepy and every time you hear it, you know something is right about to happen.
I really liked the film, but like every film it can always use improvements. In some scenes not too much really happened, or there wouldn't be a lot of talking. Still, Hitchcock managed to make all his scenes unique. I was disappointed when I found myself laughing when I should have been screaming in horror during some of the murders. They just looked too fake and cheesy to the point that I couldn't help but laugh, and become disappointed with the scene. An example was when Bates murdered the detective and he stabbed him while he was walking up a staircase. The detective takes forever to actually fall over and his facial expressions are awful. Even though there are small cheesy disappointments the rest of the movie makes up for it.
The ending and the last visual image of Bates sitting in the chair waiting to be questioned, acting like his mother will not leave my mind. By this point in the movie Bates' mother has taken over him and she is now in control of everything he does. That last glimpse of him sitting there calmly not scared of anyone in the world, not even a pesky fly resting on his hand. Perkins does an excellent job playing the role of Bates and really shows great emotion for acting in this dual role. Hitchcock really shocked his audience with this film and it is now a favorite classic to many people. If you're looking for a movie with horror, twists and suspense, then this is the perfect film to see. Next time you chose to stay in a motel, be careful and look for peepholes, you never know what kind of psycho could be watching you!

Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: PSYCHO is one of the greatest movies of all-time. Anthony Perkins (Norman) runs a hotel then some strange doings happen.

Rating:
Summary: What was I waiting for?!?
Review: I can't believe I just bought this movie yesterday. It's a classic, and I've been missing out!
One of the more creepy Hitchock films I'd say.
If you are at all a Hitchcock fan - then this obviously is a must own movie for you. There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said about this classic!

Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock's cynical masterpiece!
Review: Picture this- you're lying prone on the shower floor; water splashes against your naked Janet Leigh-like body- you have a couple grand in a bag on your bed- you've just been stabbed by a man in a dress- what movie are you in? I don't know. But until I remember, let me talk about Psycho.
Blah blah blah, you've all seen it. But did you know that the shower scene WASN'T directed by Hitchcock?
Neither did I... Until I read it, of course... And that gives me a singular, undeniable conclusion. Hitchcock made this movie for putzes. He probably said something like "I'll make a cornball slasher film (which he did), tell everybody the entire plot in a very long add (which he did), kill the star in the first half (which he did), and I bet you, it'll be a smash, and dumbies'll be writing about it for years to come (they are)."
Well, it is scary...
Oh yeah! PSYCHO! That scary movie with Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh! I want a sandwhich! Please buy everything at Amazon.Com! Thank you!

Rating:
Summary: The Original Slasher Of All Time
Review: This is Hitchcock's most famous work and my favorite. It is the original slasher film that brings out screams and shivers. It is a startling film about you know the woman who steals the money goes to a motel for the night and becomes the victim to a crazy old mother Mrs. Bates who's son Norman is trying to cover up for her one murder at a time. It's plot gets good and brings mystery and hysteria to the film, with a supprise ending if you havn't seen the movie or know of it. Don't forget you can't watch it after it's already started!

Rating:
Summary: Top knoch movie
Review: I saw this movie when it first came out in 1960 before they changed the shower scene. It scared me to death. It is the scaries movie I have ever seen. Even though they did change that scene because it was so bloody for that time period it is still a good and an scary movie. The part where the detective is going up the stairs and "mother" jumps out still scare's me. For a while when I would watch the movie over and over I still would not look during that scene. 5 star movie.

And the music was perfect and there is no way you can tell it is only string. Perfect

Rating:
Summary: Still A master Horror Picture to this day.....
Review: A new era of more horror pictures started with Hitchcock's now famous (or infamous) film from 1960 that lauched Anthony Perkins into his signature role as Norman Bates (a man who clearly had a problem with mother) and the shower scene where Janet Leigh's fate is decited only midway through the picture. Photographed in black and white and the errie score by Bernard Herrmann, this movie will still make anyone sleep with the light on after viewing it. Has not been topped in the genre either before or since.