Review

Marion Crane absconds with $40k from her employer in the hopes of financing a future with her married lover, Sam Loomis, who is paying off his father's debts. If you don't recognise the name Loomis then you have some serious remedial movie watching to do. Anyway, Marion is on the lam, and pulls into an out-of-the-way motel run by a seriously disturbed young man named Norman Bates. Before you can say "careful with that knife, Eugene", Marion also meets Norman's mom. Mutual respect isn't high on the agenda.

With Marion AWOL, we find all roads lead to the Bates Motel. Private dick Milton Arbogast checks in, followed by Marion's sister Lila, and Sam Loomis. Seems Norman has a hobby, and Mom is very careful of her boy. Much tension and chills ensue. Ready to book a room?

Wow, what can I say about Hitch's seminal masterpiece Psycho that hasn't been said before? Probably nothing, but what the heck, we're sitting here discussing the movie anyway, so I'll give it the good old college try. Actually, when I say "we're" I really mean "I'm", but stop being pedantic; no one likes that and Mrs Bates is spending the night. Don't make me call Ma on your ass!

Bit of background and then we'll dig into the main attraction. Robert Bloch penned the source novel, and based it on the lifestyle of the infamous Ed Gein. At some stage we'll knock up an article on Eddy; truth is much stranger than fiction kids, and you just ain't going to believe what Ed did. Anyways, Hitch's agent picked up the rights to the book and the Director pretty much self-funded in the face of a very reticent Hollywood. Psycho broke all sorts of taboos, and the Studios weren't dialing in. Made for $800 clams, the movie went on to gross over $15 million as people queued around the block to get the full glory of Hitch's vision. We're talking an event movie before people had heard the term. Let's go check it out.

Hitchcock is simply masterful in this film. From the stark settings, all about that house on the hill, to the chill factor, Hitch is coming at you.

The perfect horror flick. No don't some teen is calling ot overrated as they rush to watch the latest Rob Zombie schlock

The movie's opening act centres on Marion and her purloining of $40K big ones from the real estate office she works at. From the get-go we have this one sussed as being a flick about human weakness and motivations, redemption immediately springs to mind. Marion simply didn't think through her actions, and was ready to lick stamps for Sam. Just when we've got the movie pegged, the infamous shower scene kicks in and the audience are suddenly stranded in much darker territory.

Quick word on the shower scene: Hitchcock spent seven days and included around seventy different camera setups to get the forty five seconds shown in the movie. Now that's some serious showering going down! The decision to shoot in black and white when colour stock was available was due to Hitchcock realising that this one wouldn't get past the Studio munchkins intact. The scene remains the only brutal depiction in the entire film, but are we seeing what we think we are seeing? That would be a big no there. We see Mom with the knife, we see Janet Leigh, but we never see the knife cutting Ms Leigh. Our mind supplies the details that Hitch manages to imply. And while on the subject, we never get to see any naughty bits being shown by Janet's body double, Margo Epper, much to the disappointment of teenage males everywhere. Okay, that wasn't quick, but stop complaining else I'll call in Mrs Bates.

After Marion's fatal encounter with Mrs Bates, the movie switches track to pretty much being about a number of people trying to find what happened to our leading lady. We all known Norman is covering up for Mom, but the characters don't. That's a sort of Hitchcock trademark btw, the audience knowing what the characters don't. That house on the hill looms over all this, and we are kind of interested in finding out what goes on behind those windows. Hitchcock will eventually shed some light in that direction, but it certainly isn't what we are expecting.

Through out the film the Director is keeping things on the slow burner while the audience anticipates what's going to happen next. Hitchcock throws plenty of curve balls our way, and the film really grinds down your barriers as it moves to the double whammy in the resolution. The final scene is still chilling almost fifty years after it was committed to film.

There are a couple of weak parts to the movie, which are more to do with the decade it was filmed in than Hitchcock failing to deliver on all fronts. The infamous tumble down the stairs scene doesn't ring true for modern viewers, but was a fairly innovative approach at the time. Equally, the Dr. Fred Richmond character who has one heck of a monologue towards the end to ensure we get it, isn't really required for a modern audience. Guess he was needed back when the movie was released.

Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) simply owns in this movie. Perkins brings across the character's insecurities, whacked view of the world, and general Roos loose in the top paddock to perfection. No one else could have brought Bates to life like Perkins does. The Actor surprisingly has you feeling some sympathy for his troubled character. Forget Jason and Michael, Norman is far more chilling as he's your everyday quiet dude living on the edge of civilisation. Mesmerizing performance by Perkins.

Janet Leigh (Marion) had me on-side from the word go. She makes a mistake, decides to atone for her sins, and then pays the ferryman (or woman in this case). A surprisingly warm performance that had me nodding in approval. Vera Miles (Lila) is pretty much underrated even today. Here she does what she has to do, but in that sort of dated pre-60s fashion. Similarly, John Gavin (Sam Loomis) is from the old school, and his part is the weakest in the movie. Martin Balsam (Arbogast) was a hoot in a sort of old-fashioned gumshoe role. Really enjoyed his limited screen exposure.

T&A is Janet Leigh in her Victoria's Secret outfit, the crowd applauds. Note Janet's bra colour changes as her actions define her character in various scenes. The gals get Gavin shirtless, which is pretty much being short-changed.

Bernard Herrmann simply redefined what "score" means in Psycho. Instantly recognisable, with a catchy chord sequence happening, you'll know it when you hear it. John Carpenter (Halloween) and Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th) used the same approach in later years, but Herrmann did it way before the later baton wavers.

Psycho is a classic horror outing, which really kicked off the modern genre in grand style. The movie can still throw a punch today, and a lot of the kudos for that achievement has to go to director Hitchcock. The film goes in unexpected directions, isn't afraid to dispense with audience expectations, and by heck redefines shower-taking. Just when you think this bad boy can't descend any deeper into the pit, Anthony Perkins nails the final scene. That remains fairly high on the chill factor, though it gets overlooked as people tend to remember other scenes in the movie.

To date Psycho has spawned three sequels, we're getting to them so keep your knickers on, a remake which was a frame for frame reproduction, and now a television show. It got four Oscar nominations in its release year, but the Academy weren't going near this one. The movie has been used as a basis for mucho genre output, yet no one has managed to get on board its unique qualities.

I'm calling it a top 50 horror movie, if not a top 10 entry. Hugely recommended, one of the greatest films ever to be made, don't miss it. End of day Norman Bates remains a cult icon. Even after almost fifty years the film still delivers on the chill factor. A defining movie, there's not much more I can say about it.