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Summary: wow!!
Review: I've been saying that word alot. It's not good to explain movies too much. Sometimes it's better to just to say one word or nothing at all. The piece of artwork in its self explains it all.
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Summary: Hitchcock: The master of....everything!
Review: Details, details, details. It is here where Alfred Hitchcock really towers above other film directors, past or present. Yes, he was the master of suspense, but so much more. Of course, this movie has been critiqued and analyzed to death. Being a huge Hitchcock fan, I guess it is almost embarrassing to say that 'Psycho' is probably my favorite - that's so.....unoriginal. But I have to admit that it is. And 'Psycho' is a movie that taken as a whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. It's certainly much more than a terrifying shower murder or a heart-stopping ending scene. In 'Psycho', Hitchcock showcases all of his known and not so well known talents. His manipulative use of the camera. His careful selection of supporting actors, which gets little mention (Frank Albertson as the rich bank depositor and John Anderson as 'California Charlie' come to mind in this movie). Then there's the way Hitchcock plays with the viewer's mind, controlling his or her emotions at will. In the scene where Janet Leigh has just stolen the money, is sitting at a stoplight and her boss crosses the street in front of her (this after her telling him she was going home with a headache).....Yikes! Who hasn't experienced that sudden feeling of panic of being so explicitly caught in a lie or embarrassing act by a boss, a spouse, etc. It's a perfect Hitchcock moment! Even in his most dark films, Hitchcock can't resist a little satire. I'm not sure anyone has ever commented on this (although surely someone has), but in the opening scene in the hotel room Janet Leigh is wearing a white bra and slip - after she decides to steal the money and is packing to run away she is wearing black ones. It took me multiple viewings to pick up on this ( I wonder what other little nuances I haven't noticed yet?). Hitchcock had a 'thing' for beautiful women, and was skilled at placing a prominent yet restrained (very restrained by today's standards) sexual emphasis on his female leads. Tippi Hedren, Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint, etc of course were all attractive leads to start. But Hitchcock's fixation on hair styles, skirt and shoe selection, manner of walk, etc. created a stamp all his own which in my opinion resulted in some of the sexiest women to ever appear on the screen. Janet Leigh is no exception here (of course I'm not counting the shower scene), whether fully or partially clothed she always looks delicious! (To other males: Your mileage may vary). Finally, as hinted at earlier, it is sometimes the "not so famous" scenes in a Hitchcock film which are actually the most memorable. When Anthony Perkins is waiting for Janet Leigh's car to sink in the marsh, Hitchcock paints the perfect picture of a disturbed mind. As the camera looks up into a moonlit sky we see Anthony Perkin's face, gnawing impatiently on some candy, hands tightly clasped, waiting for his (or should I say his mother's?) victim's auto to finally submerge in the mucky swamp. Unforgetable - an image that is both twisted yet oddly beautiful. I know of no other director who wields so much power over our thoughts and feelings. The storyline, cinematography, acting, sub-plots and dialog are all as close to perfection as possible. It's all here, it's all Hitchcock. And it will stay with you a lifetime. Simply one of the best movies ever made.
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Summary: "We all go a little mad sometimes..."
Review: Mild mannered secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is in a position where she's practically begged to steal $40,000 - her employer gives it to her to put it in the bank right after her boyfriend Sam (John Gavin) tells her he can't marry her because he's in debt. She packs her bags and leaves town; en route she's caught in a thunderstorm and checks in at the Bates Motel. She's greeted by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) a shy but friendly young man whose possessive "Mother" doesn't share in his liking for the young woman. Norman brings her her a late supper and they have a talk which convinces her to return the money - after she takes a shower. Terrifying, startling and influential shocker still holds up after more than forty years and countless imitations. Was shot in black and white for no other reason than Hitch thought the blood would be too upsetting for audiences, and this also boasts the first onscreen toilet flush - which made the censors even more paranoid than the murders. DVD includes an insightful 93 minute "making of" documentary as well as trailers and newsreels and production notes. Followed by three sequels two decades later, a TV movie and a remake in 1998.
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Summary: The first and last word on the modern horror movie.
Review: Hitchcock had originated so many conventions of suspense movies by the time Psycho was made, it would have been hard for anyone other than the Master himself to wonder where he could go from there. Psycho, from start to finish, is a perfect movie, whatever genre you want to keep it in, suspense, horror, black comedy, psychological thriller, love story... It's the movie that keeps people obsessed. (Witness Gus Van Sant's frame-by-frame remake a few years ago, a lousy, self-indulgent exercise.) I think it's about the terror of people's faces. Hitchcock was always good at the knowing, sinister glance, the tense, anticipatory eyes, etc. But Psycho turns the face into a haunted menace, and not just Norman's; the scene, for example, of Janet Leigh driving in the rain, imagining the conversations surrounding her theft, her eyes getting wider and spookier... it always makes the hair rise on my neck. Every suspicious face is a memento mori, a theme driven home in the end with Norman looking up as his face melds into his mother's cadaverous skull for a subliminal instant.
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Summary: IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, YOU'RE PSYCHO
Review: I guess to most people their idea of horror is blood spurting everywhere, necrophilia, Stephen King (who isn't even that scary), zombies with their heads cut off, cannibalism, etc. Let me say this, don't expect too much HORROR out of psycho, because it is first and foremost a PSYCHOlogical thriller. Don't believe me? Then please tell me why there's a PSYCHOlogist in the movie. I STRONGLY disagree with the people who gave this movie one star. Those are the people who think that horror is all that I mentioned in the first sentence. I saw this movie a second time and I'm still amazed at what an impact it had on me. WHY CAN'T MORE MOVIES BE LIKE THIS? THIS is the way movies should be made: tightly woven (Robert Bloch, who followed in the footsteps of H.P. Lovecraft, wrote the book that this movie is based on.), BRILLIANT, witty dialogue, EXCELLENT music. Repetitive, yes, but it DOES set the mood. There was only one part where I jumped a bit in fright, but that was all. The shower scene is not that scary, in my opinion, BUT IT IS WELL DIRECTED. Any stupid modern-day director would be too busy trying to figure out how to get the victim's breasts into the picture while showing the stabbing scene. There is even a sex scene at the beginning, but it is not in any way graphic. A TRUE director doesn't need graphic sex scenes to pull his movie through. I'm 20 years old, born in the days when color tv was the norm, but I still find this film MOST enjoyable. Let me repeat one thing: It is not SCARY (really) or even HORRIFIC. If you want that, go rent the Exorcist or something else with lots of blood. But this movie is EXCELLENT, and shows how good a director Hitchcock really was and IS.
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Summary: MOTHER, O god, MOTHER
Review: This movie keeps you guessing. It is frightful and terrifying. 'Mother' will keep you on the edge of your seat. "What's she going to next?" You feel so sorry for Norman bates, he tries so hard to keep up with the Hotel and with 'mother' killing everybody you feel deep sympathy. The ending if very shocking and leaves you with goose and chill bumps. Mother is dead. 'Mother' is Bates.
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Summary: Grandfather of Them All!
Review: This film was made in 1960, and for all of those that love the Jason Vorhees, Freddy Kruger-ish slash em up flicks you had better view the granddaddy of all slashers! From start to finish this is the ultimate in horror. Oh, and yes, Alfred does make his usual cameo appearance(look fast at the beginning!). The story involves a young babe(Hey that is Jamie Lee Curtis's mom!) who embezzles, skips town, and then winds up and this lonely old motel run by Norman Bates(Anthony Perkins). Do I really need to go on? Unless you have been living in a cave for the last 40 years, there is no need for any more details. Musical score by Bernard Hermann is one of the best. This really was a groundbreaking horror film. There were two decades of Universal Monsters between 1930-1950, and during the 1950s America witnessed the invasion of the Sci-Fi gems such as "IT CAME FROM" type thrillers involving giant ants, monoliths, and such. The year 1960 gave America PSYCHO and PSYCHO was indeed the first of its kind. This was a truly unique picture for its time, and is a timeless piece of work.
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Summary: Best horror movie of all time
Review: It makes me chuckle when hearing people say that the remake is more entertaining and scary than this Hitchcock classic. The remake can't hold a candle to it (not to mention that it's absolutely horrible in its own right). I remember when I first got this movie for my birthday about 3 years ago. I popped it in and was thoroughly entertained throughout... that is until the now famous shower scene came on. I literally had to shut the movie off for about ten minutes and catch a breath. My heart was beating a mile a minute. These are often overused and nonfactual ways to describe how good a scene in a film is, but it's the truth. After 40 years, this movie still scares the bejeezus out of true film buffs who appreciate fine art. Apparantly, this was Hitchcock's finest and most terrifying film, and it's not a shock to understand why. The acting, lighting and camera angles are absolutely incredible. And everyone's heard Bernard Herrman's much imitated musical score. A film this suspenseful and frightening probably won't make its way into the movie scene anytime soon. Wes Craven's Scream? Give me a break. While entertaining, it's close to impossible to even suggest that it is up to par with this vivid masterpiece. The same goes for an abundant number of films, too. Bravo.
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Summary: PSYCHO: The Original Classic!
Review: PSYCHO, filmed in black and white, and directed by Alferd Hitchcock is a truly classic horror film. The film starts out with a woman named Marion Crane, who steals some money from her boss and goes out on the road to live the good life with her boyfriend Sam. But along the way, it starts to rain and Marion pulls over at the Bates Motel on the side of the highway. She meets the owner of the motel Norman Bates, who lives in the house on the hill behind the motel with his "mother." That night, while taking a shower, Marion is stabbed by an old woman with a butcher knife. Murder, madness, and suspense follow shortly after that. Anthony Perkins gives a good performance as the disturbed Norman Bates. All in all, one of the true great classic horror films.
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Summary: A classic!
Review: This is a fantastic film and a must have for fans of the horror or mystery genres. Although the film is more of a suspense mystery than a blood and guts film, it is still a richly rewarding viewing experience. It stars the beautiful Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam. Leigh stars as Marion Crane, a woman who has stolen $40,000 from her employer and is now on the run. She checks into a run-down motel owned and operated by a strange young man (Perkins) and his ornery mother. Soon afterwards murder, madness, mystery and mayhem erupt. Meanwhile, Marion's boyfriend (John Gavin) and worried sister (Vera Miles) try to piece together what happened from the time she left Phoenix, Arizona until the time she arrived in southern California at the motel. Some may criticize the film for its "low-budget" appearance, but I believe that adds to the dark atmosphere of this very captivating and hypnotic film. This is a Hitchcock masterpiece with a great ending and a memorable music score Even if you're not big on horror/mystery films, you'll still like this one. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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