Day 11: Psycho

11. Psycho (1960)
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam

With the shower that shocked the world, today's post may have been the birth of the slasher but also a landmark film regarding style, story and especially violence. Possibly the greatest or at least most memorable film from film auteur Alfred Hitchcock Psycho, based off the novel by Robert Bloch, is a flawless piece of suspense with a timeless feel, still pulsating with plenty of scares and edge of your seat moments.

Inspired by a handful of 50s B-movies by Roger Corman and William Castle, that despite poor reviews had become hits, Hitch decided it was time to reinvent himself by making a low budget, black and white, suspense thriller that would prove to be his darkest film yet.

Hiring a rookie screenwriter Joseph Stefano to pen the controversial novel, the studio folks were skeptical about Hitch's risky venture into low budget violence with Paramount even refusing to finance the picture. So Hitch went to Universal studios, assembled a small crew from his show Alfred Hitchcock Presents and went out to make movie magic.. I'll bet Paramount were kicking themselves later.



Following the story of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who after stealing $40,000 from her office flees to California, we are submerged into a stylish and tense world of dishonest people and devious deeds. Then while traveling one night through a heavy rain, Marion decides to take a detour at the Bates Motel where nothing is quite as it seems. Owned by a young innocent man by the name of Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) who claims to live at the motel with his mother, there's just something a bit off about young Norman and the mood at Bates Motel and that's when everything gets out of control. With one of the most shocking twists in film set surprisingly in the middle, this is a creepy unpredictable suspense story. Not to mention the great supporting cast that pops in here and there including; Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire and Simon Oakland who are memorable additions to this disturbing story.

The score by frequent Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann is a terrifying piece of orchestral stings and screeching while the cinematography is artistic perfection. How could we go without mentioning the legendary shower scene, one of the most unique sequences in film history. Story-boarded by graphic designer Saul Bass with a little bit of mystery behind who directed it, the shower scene, which contains an impressive 50 cuts, is one of the most inventive scenes you'll ever see in a movie and is to this day is still highly effective.

I could talk about Psycho all day but I got to draw the line somewhere. If you like psychological thrillers and haven't seen this than your probably a psycho yourself, so you should definitely check this out you wont regret it.

Fright Fact: First American film ever to show a toilet flushing on screen

Horror Highlight: I think you guess what I'm gonna post here