100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 34: Psycho

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Genre: Thriller/ Horror

Runtime: 109 minutes

Year: 1960

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Martin Balsam, John Gavin, Vera Miles, John McIntire, Simon Oakland, Vaughn Taylor, Frank Albertson, Lurene Tuttle, Patricia Hitchcock, John Anderson, Mort Mills

Description: A Phoenix secretary (Janet Leigh) steals $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man (Anthony Perkins) under the domination of his mother.

 

Review: I don’t think there is a more legendary scene then the shower scene with Janet Leigh in “Psycho”. This scene has been imitated and parodied many times. Leigh died in 2004 and had many impressive roles. But Leigh will always be remembered as that screaming woman in the shower, with nervous violins playing in the background.

And Norman Bates, a role by Anthony Perkins, also became one of the most legendary psychopaths in movie history. He got stuck in that role, because he was in all the sequels that never topped the original. And the remake in 1998 added nothing, it was just a bad movie.

The complex, psychological horror movie “Psycho” is the mother of all modern horror movies. “Pscycho” was the first real horror movie made by Alfred Hitchcock. Although he made movies like “Vertigo” and “North By Northwest” in color, Hitchcock did “Psycho” in black and white to make the bloody scenes less bloody. I think it also adds to the level of scary.

“Psycho” is a movie you should rewatch, to understand the many layers. Hitchcock easily manipulates the audience. There are many jump scares and twists. De entire film has a threatening feeling of evil powers and dark secrets. It has a sinister atmosphere. That eerie music by Bernard Herrmann makes the movie even creepier. And the shower scene is so well shot, the camerawork and editing is fantastic.

The masterpiece “Psycho” is one of the best horror movies that everyone should have in their collection.

Rating: 5/ 5