What a Psycho!

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writers: Joseph Stefano (screenplay), Robert Bloch (novel)

Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles 

The 1960 film, Psycho, is nothing short a classic thriller. It can easily be named a "must see" by anyone, not to mention, it was nominated for an Academy Award and even won Best Motion Picture. Believe it or not, in my seventeen years of life, I never viewed this movie up until now, although its been out way longer than I've been alive. However, if I do say so myself, this movie is definitely worth the hour and forty-nine minutes it runs. Yes, it is a little difficult to watch considering the quality and vintage feel of the film. Being that in 2017 there is a lot more advanced technology and of course, better actors, this one took a little more concentration to get into.

About 20 minutes into the film, I was almost sure that the protagonist was Janet Leigh, a woman who goes psycho (hence the title) after her newfound, or stolen, wealth begins to get to her head. However, not even 20 minutes later, our leading lady is killed off by the owners mother, while she stays at the Bates Motel. So who's our main character? That's where we meet Norman Bates, the owner, who we soon learn is the REAL psycho. The man literally dresses up as his mom (who he "pins" the killings on) and kills people, including our presumed leading lady. We even find out later that he killed his OWN mother (who he pretends to be). Crazy shit right?  This was the biggest plot twist for me, as well as the point where my interest peaked.

Although I was fascinated by the absurdity of Norman Bates, I was also rather confused. What exactly was wrong with Norman? We didn't learn much about him or his background and why he is the way he is. In my opinion, that takes away from the film and leaves way too many lingering questions to give this film a solid 10/10.

Overall, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, was significantly competent film, considering the plot and it's timing. It left me satisfied even though some parts seemed a bit melodramatic. I suggest everyone sees this movie start to finish at least once. You will not be disappointed.

Check Behind the Shower Curtain - Jack O'Brien

Psycho (1960)

"Psycho" is an American horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Despite its consensus critical acclaim, "Psycho" was only nominated for academy awards and only boasts a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. 

"Psycho" is an elementary horror film, not because of its content, but because of the climate of horror at the time. "Psycho was released at the same time as other horror classics such as "Night of the Living Dead", and doesn't hold a candle to its horror content. I think "Psycho" is an important film, but not a good one. The film laid the groundwork for more developed, and grotesque horror to become normal in modern filmography; however, it feels like the film's content is taboo for the sake of shock, not horror.



"Psycho"'s writing is actually, fairly good. It has a well set up plot twist, and a red heron protagonist. The film's antagonist, Norman Bates, is well acted and is a fairly complex character. My only real qualm with the film is how Norman's character is explained. You don't get to see his multiple personalities develop on screen, before your eyes, but rather, by a psychiatrist throwing all of the information at you at once. For this reason, the entire plot appears to be explained to you, rather than being able to actually watch a film and have it pan out in front of you.

"Psycho" isn't per say a bad movie, but I believe it is Alfred Hitchcock experimenting with the themes of his films, and "finding himself" as a filmmaker. The movie almost feels like a rough draft of something that could be much better given the proper time to marinade and become more mature.

Psycho By: Angel Ramos

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Produced by: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay by: Joseph Stefano
Based on: Psycho by Robert Bloch
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Janet Leigh 
Publication: Universal Pictures, 1960



Summary:
Phoenix secretary Marion Crane, on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis, is overcome by exhaustion during a heavy rainstorm. Traveling on the back roads to avoid the police, she stops for the night at the ramshackle Bates Motel and meets the polite but highly strung proprietor Norman Bates, a young man with an interest in taxidermy and a difficult relationship with his mother.

Plot:

Phoenix office worker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday Marion is trusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman Bates who seems to be dominated by his mother and he has to listen to everything.

Analysis: I honestly enjoyed the movie. Although in the beginning it seemed very boring. As I payed attention to the movie and began to get more engaged, the story line became better and more interesting to me. I enjoyed the movie because of the suspense in many parts for example when the lady stood at the motel and walked into the guys house and was slowly walking up the stairs not knowing that would be the end of her life. The movie was overall good. Yes it may be a very old movie, it was pretty well made other than the terrible death scenes in the shower and the two stair cases. I would definitely consider watching the next movie in the sequence. 

Psycho *SPOILER ALERT*

Psycho. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock.

Feat. Janet Leigh (Marion Crane), John Gavin (Sam Loomis), Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates), Vera Miles (Lila Crane)

Universal Pictures, 1960.

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho was an intense thriller to say the least. The movie was based off of one main theme: psychological inadequacies/differences. I can honestly say, my initial projection regarding the ending of the movie changed in less than a millisecond. Every character who was apart of the movie had some sort of “psychoness” in them.

Marion Crane ran into a situation with her boyfriend Sam. Sam said that they could not be together in the open because, he did not have a lot of money since he was still paying his former wife alimony. At the time Marion was working for a very wealthy real estate agent: Mr. Tom Cassidy. Marion’s job was to take $40,000 and put it in the bank for Cassidy. She did all but this. Marion thought it would be a good idea to take the money for her and her boyfriend, so she ran off with it. What ensued after was unexpected to say the least. From being stopped by the police for sleeping alongside the highway, to changing cars in a suspicious manner, and finally winding up at the Bates Motel, she ran into some sticky situations. The whole time I thought to myself: this girl is weird.

The Bates Motel was owned by a clean cut, groomed man named Norman Bates. At first Bates seemed normal, but in the end, he wasn’t. He had a crush on Marion to say the least; he flirted with her and brought her dinner. He became sexually attracted to her, but he told her that he couldn’t love her because of her mother. One night, as Marion bathed in the shower, someone broke into the bathroom and stabbed her to death. Norman went to check up on her later and was shocked when he saw her laying there in a pool of blood. He who killed her: his mother. Norman wanted to protect his mother though; he disposed all evidence, put Marion in her car, and dumped her in a nearby swamp.

Marion’s sister Lila became worried when she hadn’t heard from her in a few days, so she hired Detective Milton Arbogast to find her whereabouts. Arbogast found out she had stayed at the Bates Motel so he went there and interviewed Norman. At first Norman seemed normal, then when Arbogast kept asking questions, Norman started contradicting himself. For example, Norman initially stated that he never saw Marion, but he later admitted to seeing her. While listening to Norman’s bland answers Arbogast found out that Norman’s mother lived there. When he asked Norman if he could speak to her, Norman declined his request. Bates went against Norman’s word. He went up to where Mrs. Bates was living and proceeded to question her. Just as he got to Mrs. Bates room, a figure came steaming out with a knife, and stabbed him one time at the top of the stairs, and one time at the bottom after he tumbled down.

When Arbogast didn’t return, Lila became worried again. Her and Marion’s boyfriend Sam set then set out to find Arbogast and Marion. They found out about the Bates motel, so they went there to look. When they got there Norman was very skirmish. Skirmish to the point where he didn’t even ask them to pay for the room. They immediately knew something wasn’t right. When Sam was alone with Norman, Lila inched her way into Mrs. Bates living space. Norman came to a consensus that Lila was going see his mother, so he knocked Sam out and ran towards the house. Lila ran down into a fruit cellar when she Norman opening the front door. She saw what she thought was Mrs. Bates sitting upright in a chair, staring at the wall. It was not Mrs. Bates, it was a skeleton dressed up like Mrs. Bates. Someone ran into the fruit cellar, dressed like a woman, chasing after Marion with a knife, but was tackled by Sam. This person was… Norman Bates.

This movie was tremendous. I would be certain to recommend this to anyone who enjoys a classic thriller. The ending to me was 100% totally unexpected. First of all I never thought that the initial character (Marion) wouldn’t be the total psycho. In a way she was. She did have multiple personalities where she would be a quiet hardworking woman one minute, and a thief the next minute. But, the real psycho was Norman Bates. Norman had his own personality as a quiet guy, and as a psychotic killer who was his mother. It all dated back to when two girls were killed and it was said that Mrs. Bates did it, but she was dead. So who killed those girls? The same person who killed Marion, and Arbogast: Norman. Norman acted as his mother to make himself seem normal, but in all honesty he was a demon of some sort.

Sugar by Orlando Rodriguez

Sugar. Dir. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden. feat Algenis Perez Soto.

Sony Pictures Classics, 2009

                                 Sugar Review

I think sugar is a film that is very relatable to anybody who ever tried to use sports/baseball as a way out of a tough situation but I think it is especially relatable because of its hispanic theme. I like the fact that the movie has a lot of parts that are relatable to spanish people like me because it makes it that much more engaging to see your culture depicted in film. Everything from the slangs/language, to the food and music is relatable. Even the sport of baseball itself is a huge part of hispanic culture so if nothing else the film is interesting just to see all these things come together. Even though all these things resonated with me personally I don't think it adds much to change the fact that the film’s ending was kind of boring.

To me the movie is a 5 out of 10. Like I said, I really like hearing spanish music in the film and seeing spanish food, or even the clash of cultures, but removing the fact that I relate to the film I honestly have to say it wasn't a very good movie. I originally thought it would be about Roberto Clemente which would’ve been a lot more interesting to watch so that was my first disappointment. Putting all bias aside I can imagine that this entire film may have been even more boring to someone who had to read subtitles through the whole film or really doesn’t have much about it they can relate to. On top of this I think the movie is very misleading. The main character's name makes him sound sensational, or like he’s bound to be something great by the end of the film, which simply is not the case. He ends up living an average immigrant life in the United States which is anything but entertaining. So essentially you end up sitting through an hour of subtitles just to see something you can see by walking through a neighborhood like Fair Haven, that's honestly disappointing.

If it isn't clear by now that I don't think highly of this film, maybe I can clarify by saying I would not suggest this film to someone. If you want to see a person live their life with really nothing spectacular happening you can save a few hours by just going outside and watching people live. If you like to watch something you can relate to, and are the type of person that doesn't like new or thrilling things, then maybe this is the film for you.

How Many Psychos are There? Jonah Nazier Galan #therealpsychopleasestandup

 




















 

Psycho is a movie that should be given the time of day. The movie is full of constant suspense and thriller. Alfred Hitchcock’s film was a state of the art thriller, and this is an understatement. The film's theme is based purely on psychological control. I can say even a month later, the movie brings cold shivers and paranoia to me. Through Alfred Hitchcock’s ability to instill a form of psycho in every character deserves credit.

The movie begins in Phoenix, Arizona as secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), is on the run after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to help pay for her boyfriend's debt, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), so she can become married to him. This is a perfect example of a lack of psychological control. Through her desire to want to become married to Sam Loomis, she obtains this lack of fear, psycho-ness to steal 40,000 dollars for a man she hasn’t really experienced a lifestyle with. She goes through many troubles such as being seen by her boss, stopped by an officer, buying a new car to try to make herself incognito, and sleep on the side of the road in her vehicle. She then is overcome by exhaustion again during a heavy rainstorm. She stops for the night at the ramshackle Bates Motel and meets the polite but highly strung proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a young man with an interest in taxidermy and a difficult relationship with his mother. He had a crush on Marion, to say the least; he flirted with her and brought her dinner. But his expression of love was very sketchy, perfect for the theme of the movie, through fast spoken sentences, stutters, fidgets, and word trembles. This led to much suspicion for me as I felt something to happen soon. He became even more attracted to her, but he told her that he couldn’t love her because of her mother. Later that night, as Marion bathed in the shower, a woman broke into the bathroom and stabbed her to death. Norman went to check up on her later and was shocked when he saw her laying there in a pool of blood. He who killed her: his mother. Norman wanted to protect his mother though; he disposed of all evidence, put Marion in her car, and dumped her in a nearby swamp.

Initially, this seemed a such a fast transition from a moderate suspense film to a rapid change in murder, blood, and fear. As we come to find out that Norman’s mother was really Norman Bates dressed as his mother. Norman Bates was consumed by his multiple personalities as a quiet guy, and as a psychotic killer who was of representation of his mother. Norman acted as his mother to make himself feel as the “good child”, who would resolve all of his “mother’s” horrific actions. But in all honesty is was to help him cope with the true wrongdoing he committed but he knew deep down he was a demon trapped inside of a soulless body.

Alfred Hitchcock did an amazing job conducting this movie, keeping constantly suspense and thrill up to the very last minute. Misleading us to believe that Norman Bates mother was truly alive was very well planned. The plot twists were very well set up. As Alfred would consistently create a new "psycho" from Marion Crane to Norman Bates's mother" and lastly Norman Bates. Although the movie was shot in black and white due to being on a very tight budget and he thought the movie would be too gory if shot in color; I felt it was a great final touch, creating true suspense to the movie that I feel wouldn't have been accomplished in color.

I would recommend this piece of historical artwork to all who have a love for horror movies. This is a movie that all directors should certainly pay homage to. Well directed and produced, great choice of actors, just overall very well.

Psycho-Stephen Collins

Psycho is one of the best films of all time and probably Alfred Hitchcock's best film. From great dialogue, to some great scares, Psycho is pure greatness.


The actor who plays Norman Bates, Anthony Perkins is fantastic. You buy into his psychotic mind and is a person that seems trustworthy. You also just buy into the performance, it's just too good.


Beside Perkins, none of the actors stand out. Janet Leigh is good as Marion but then she gone, the movie kinda lose something. The actors are find, but none of their  performances will stand out to me.


The plot to Psycho seems very simple, but then the shower scene happens, and it goes full forces. I also would not call it a horror film, but thriller is consider a sub-genre of horror, so I guess it counts. I would consider it a thriller mystery suspense film, I guess.


Hitchcock's direction is great. The film has great camera shot and the editing was well done. The film has a great eerie presence and makes the intensity even better. The score is one of the best of all time, done by the incredible Bernard Herrmann. That just don't make great score like that anymore.


Psycho is one of the best films of all time. I have no real problems with the film, but there only one great performances with Anthony Perkins. It has a great score, great thrills, and dialogue. I don't love Psycho, but I though it was a great time.