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Psycho (16-Jun-1960)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writer: Joseph Stefano

From novel: Psycho by Robert Bloch

Music by: Bernard Herrmann

Keywords: Horror, Slasher, Multiple Personalities

A young secretary in Phoenix absconds with $40,000 from her employer, then flees the city, stopping at the Bates Motel for rest and a bite to eat. The motel owner, Norman Bates, is twitchy but seems pleasant enough; his mother, heard but not seen, sounds irritable. Technically excellent and highly innovative film rewrote the genre of horror in 1960; received Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Set Decoration.

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Frank Albertson
Actor
2-Feb-1909 29-Feb-1964 American character actor
John Anderson
Actor
20-Oct-1922 7-Aug-1992 Harry Jackson on MacGyver
Martin Balsam
Actor
4-Nov-1919 13-Feb-1996 A Thousand Clowns
John Gavin
Actor
8-Apr-1928 9-Feb-2018 Julius Caesar in Spartacus
Janet Leigh
Actor
6-Jul-1927 4-Oct-2004 Psycho
John McIntire
Actor
27-Jun-1907 30-Jan-1991 Christopher Hale on Wagon Train
Vera Miles
Actor
23-Aug-1929   The Searchers
Simon Oakland
Actor
28-Aug-1915 29-Aug-1983 Tony Vincenzo on Kolchak
Anthony Perkins
Actor
4-Apr-1932 12-Sep-1992 Psycho
Lurene Tuttle
Actor
20-Aug-1907 28-May-1986 First Lady of Radio

CAST

Starring
Anthony Perkins   ...   Norman Bates
Vera Miles   ...   Lila Crane
John Gavin   ...   Sam Loomis
Co-Starring
Martin Balsam   ...   Milton Arbogast
John McIntire   ...   Sheriff Al Chambers
with
Simon Oakland   ...   Dr. Fred Richmond
Vaughn Taylor   ...   George Lowery
Frank Albertson   ...   Tom Cassidy
Lurene Tuttle   ...   Eliza Chambers
Pat Hitchcock   ...   Caroline
John Anderson   ...   Charlie
Mort Mills   ...   Highway Patrolman
and
Janet Leigh   ...   Marion Crane

REVIEWS

Review by anonymous (posted on 27-Dec-2006)

Arguably the greatest piece of horror cinema ever made, Alfred Hitchcock drifted away from his suspense thriller films and towards the horror film. Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) need a place to rest, noticing the remote and isolated Bates Motel while driving down a highway, she meets Norman Bates, a strange man working at the desk...she eats dinner with him, then takes a shower. One of the most infamous scenes in Cinema, Janet Leigh is murdered by Perkins (a segment which by itself makes Hitchcock the "Master of Suspense"). Crane's sister and husband, along with a detective (Martin Baslam) try to unravel the mystery of her disappearance, the detective is killed and the two adventure even further into the mystery...leading to a horrific climax. Forty-five years ago, the film still stands as one of the most influential landmarks in cinema and is arguably Hitchcock's finest work.


Review by B Haskell (posted on 25-Oct-2008)

Turner Classic Movies has voted this movie as the best horror film of all time. It will be hard to beat it. The remake of it was poor (vastly poor). But how do you remake Hitchcock? Hitchcock knew how to use the potery of the film and this one was perhaps his best. The film has two parts to it. The first part is of Marion and her boyfriend Sam. Marion steals $40,000 and goes to meet her boyfriend to start a new life together. While going to him she gets tried one night and turns off into the Bates Motel. It is there that she meets an unfriendly end. The second part is the investigation into her end. Watch how Hitchcock uses the clouds to heighten the mood of fright. Also watch how Hitchcock takes his camera up to the top of the walls at the top of the stairs. Also watch how Hitchcock shows Arbogast (the PI) falling down the stairs after he is attacked. The ending of the film was so shocking at the time that theaters were told not to let anyone enter after the film started. This is a film you will want to see many times over.


Review by anonymous (posted on 5-Jul-2005)

Originally intended as an "in-house" film "joke", PSYCHO began filming at the turn of the late 1950's. Soon to follow, the script and acting made such an impression on Hitchcock and Univeral, it was decided to complete the film as a commercial feature. Over the years, PSYCHO was claimed as Hitchcock's masterpiece, much to the surprise of many. Ahead of its time and full of taboo shock, the feature became a "cult" favorite. Hollywood has paid its respects to the film by issuing several serials as well as an exact remake in the late 1990's. If you like showers, don't see this film!


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