Friday 28 October 2016

Halloweenie Review: Psycho (1960)

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October is coming to an end, but I felt like I still had enough nerves in me to go out with a bang. I started a modern classic, It Follows, and thought, why not end with a classic classic? That sparked me to check the IMDB Top 250 list which I’ve largely ignored for a few months, and on there spotted a movie I knew I needed to see. Psycho! I don’t know the time limit on spoiler alerts, but I’m going to discuss the entire plot in this post, so beware.

I’m fairly certain I’m not the only person out there who has never watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), but everyone in the world knows about that famous shower scene. I’ve seen it parodied countless times, most notably in National Lampoon’s Vacation when Clark scares Ellen with a banana whilst she’s showering. In fact, if you check out the references section on IMDB, it has over 1,000! That’s pretty impressive.

So the funny thing is, despite this movie being 56 years old, I actually didn’t have a clue what it was about! All I really knew was that it ended with our heroine being tragically murdered whilst having a shower. Turns out, I was even wrong about that.

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is fed up with her life. She has to meet her partner in secret, and they aren’t able to get married because he’s had to give up his money in alimony. When tasked at work to deliver $40,000 in cash to the bank, Marion uses the opportunity to run away and start a new life. When the weather takes a turn for the worse, she is forced to spend the night at Bates Motel, a deserted little place ran by an oddball by the name Norman (Anthony Perkins) who is dominated by his mother.

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I can count the number of black and white movies I’ve seen on one hand, they’ve never really had much appeal to me. That said, I’ve enjoyed every one I have seen! I think what makes them great is that there’s no glitz and glamour to distract me, the focus is on storytelling, and the storytelling in Psycho is spot on. The first half an hour or so is dedicated to building up Marion’s character, showing us why she’s taking such drastic measures. It also builds up suspense in a very successful way, when Marion is stopped by the police and the whole ordeal at the car garage, I was on the edge of my seat.

Shock number 1 for me was when that pivotal scene happened only half way through the movie. Shock number 2 was that it was Norman’s mother that did the deed, rather than Norman himself. I’d always thought it was him! The scene was still difficult to watch, despite knowing what was coming. I can’t imagine the reaction when it was first released. If only time travel were real!

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The second half of the movie turns into a crime solving story, as more clues are thrown out, and more questions raised about Norman and his mother. The moment when it’s revealed that Norman’s mother had been dead for 10 years gave me goosebumps. But who was it in the window upstairs?! The final scenes got too suspenseful for me, I hid behind my blanket, poking my head out every now and again, but what an ending! 

This movie is a huge two finger salute to the trailers of these days that give the entire story away. Almost the whole of Psycho was a complete surprise to me, despite it being one of the most famous movies of all time. Not my genre at all, but a bloody fantastic watch. Is the Bates Motel show worth a watch? I’m tempted.

14 comments:

  1. Psycho is one of the view movies that really manage to conceal a secret all the way through. And then at the end you end up very surprised!
    I only watched the first season of Bates Motel and found I thrilling! As soon as I find time I plan to catch up with the show :-)

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    1. I'm just still so amazed that I truly had no idea what this movie was all about. Going to check out Bates Motel as soon as possible now I think :)
      - Allie

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  2. What a bang. Nothing really deserves the top honour more than this, even after all these years it's still the gold standard.

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    1. Definitely a great movie to end on! A truly fantastic movie in every sense.
      - Allie

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  3. Pyscho still holds up after all these years. Great film, and great review!

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    1. I might just have to make Psycho a Halloween tradition now. Thank you!
      - Allie

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  4. I'll admit that when you mentioned spoilers I didn't read through, but I'm glad you have seen this!! It is one I reeeeally need to get around to!!!

    Also, if you are keen for some other early 60's horror flicks, try out The Innocents ('61) and Carnival of Souls ('62). Great stuff!!

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    1. I'm SO glad I'm not alone, and I'm also super glad I put a spoiler warning, because I cannot stress enough just how surprising this movie was for me. I'd love to read your thoughts if you get around to watching it yourself, and I've added those 2 movies you've suggested to my watch list. Thank you!
      - Allie

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  5. Hid under your blanket? I love it! Such a classic and an example of Hitchcock adding his crazy twist to a new genre. It gets its hooks in you early and (as you mention) it turns into something totally unexpected (other than what is spoiled). Soooo good.

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    1. It just got too tense! I can still watch the TV through my blanket but it's darker...somehow I think that helps me!
      Such a good movie though, it might be a new Halloween tradition for me.
      - Allie

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  6. Love that you were totally surprised by such a famous film. And it definitely still holds up. My rewatch a couple years ago can attest to that. The shower scene is an amazing piece of film. The closeup of her face at the end of it is haunting. Glad you caught up with this one.

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    1. I've been irritating anyone who will listen with my story of how much I was shocked by the twists in this one. Everyone is kind of like 'yes Allie...this is a classic movie that everyone but you watched years ago'!
      - Allie

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  7. Lovely review! Psycho is one of my favorites. Bates Motel isn't so much scary, as it focuses on Norman/Norma trying to start over by buying the motel. I absolutely love Vera Fermiga and Freddie Highmore. Their interpretation of the characters is insane and they are amazing. The story/writing hasn't been good in the past season or two. But it might be worth a watch for the performances. :)

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    1. Thanks for that! I think I might give Season 1 a go soon, once my current shows have ended their seasons, and see how it goes from there. I don't think I could wait till October again :)
      - Allie

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