Ah, an absolute classic. I was going to save this for a later date but I really was in the mood to watch this flick. It may surprise you to know that the 1960 flick is not my favorite Hitchcock movie though. I don’t know if it’s my affection for Jimmy Stewart but Rear Window is my top Hitchcock flick. That said Psycho is still one of my favorite movies of all time,
I couldn’t tell you the first time I saw this movie. I really don’t remember...
The story starts off following Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who is with her out of town lover, Sam Loomis played by John Gavin. Marion gets back to work where she is asked by her boss to take $40,000 of a client's cash to the bank to be used later to purchase a home for his soon to be married daughter. Marion thinks this over and just bails out of town! Driving all night, pass out, wake up, buy a new car, and continue driving with the hope of helping Loomis out of debt.
Marion comes across a run down motel, Bates Motel. Here we meet Norman Bates played by Anthony Perkins. A normal guy, that comes off like the biggest sweetheart. As Marion gets ready for her shower, we’re introduced to the infamous SHOWER SCENE! Norman Bates mother comes in and murders Marion. It’s a great scene and the best known of any horror movie ever made. Norman Bates comes in to find Marion dead, and disposes her body in a muddy lake.
A week later, Marion’s sister, Lila, Sam Loomis, and a private investigator named Arbogast, go and search for Marion. They come to the Bates Hotel and the movie turns into this fun and very revealing ride.
The best thing about this is movie is that every genre director since has gained some sort of inspiration from this movie . This movie inspired John Carpenter so much so used the same name for his main character in Halloween, Dr. Sam Loomis. I’m also such a huge fan of this score. Bernard Herrmann's chilling score has stayed with me over all of these years. From the opening credits to the last stunning piece of music heard when they pull the car up at the end of the flick. Every minute of the score has something that every horror filmmaker should love, if you don’t, stop lying to yourself.
I owned the DVD but picked up the Blu Ray. The transfer is really good, the sound is superb, and it’s worth every penny. I know Wal-Mart has it for fourteen bucks. Nothing’s new with the bonus features from the DVD to the Blu Ray but overall if you don’t own it and want a new Blu, go get it.
Well that’s it for today…what’s tomorrow going to bring????
22 days till Halloween
-Jay
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