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Psycho (1960)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 12/02, 6/06, 5/11, 6/19

Psycho1
6/06: No peeking please.

Who did Anthony Perkins beat out to win the Oscar for his landmark role in Psycho? The correct answer is: nobody. In fact, he wasn't even nominated. Yes, it's a shocking fact which is simply unthinkable to this day.

Forty-six years later, Norman Bates is one of the most enduring villains in the history of motion pictures. Various channels continue to play Psycho all the time on TV, and you know it's Norman Bates when you see his face. That's Anthony Perkins' legacy in cinema.

For some while, Alfred Hitchcock had lost his way, and he needed a big hit to get back into the game. When Robert Bloch's novel Psycho came along, he, still smarting after being beaten by Henri-Georges Clouzot for Les diaboliques by only a matter of hours, bought the film rights for $9,500 and then kept it a secret by buying the rest of the published copies.

When Psycho came out, it set attendance records in many countries and saw long lines outside theatres. Shot for less than one million dollars, the sexual-psychological thriller went on to be Alfred Hitchcock's highest grossing film ever. What's interesting is that it's his first horror movie which became the game changer of the slasher genre.

Taking a shower would never be the same again, not after what happened. In fact, that's all the people can visualize when they think about Psycho: Norman Bates, the kitchen knife, Marion Crane's scream, the music, and the blood...all fast in 45 seconds with 78 setups and 52 cuts. All of a sudden, the lead character is gone a third of the way into the film.

It's easy to forget Alfred Hitchcock made other films, but he's synonymous with Psycho. He would never top it for the rest of his life. It may be the only film of his résumé many people would see which is too bad.

All in all, Psycho is equal parts of Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and Bernard Herrmann.

5/11: Taking a shower hasn't been the same again after Psycho.

Quickly think of what comes to your mind when I say the title. It's Norman Bates with the kitchen knife and Marion Crane screaming her lungs out.

All in all, it's shocking Anthony Perkins didn't get the Oscar for Psycho; in fact, nobody else did, either, in other categories.

6/19: How the heck was Anthony Perkins not Oscar-nominated for his world-famous role of Norman Bates in Psycho?

It has to be among the top ten greatest performances ever. Without him, there's no Psycho. His character is batshit crazy with the greatest lines such as:

"We all go a little mad sometimes."

"A boy's best friend is his mother."

"A son is a poor substitute for a lover."

"I think I must have one of those faces you can't help believing."

"It's not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing."

Back from the dead, what a fine achievement for Alfred Hitchcock. Nothing compares to the level of technical excellence as seen here which set the standard for the psycho-sexual slasher picture genre. In truth, Alfred Hitchcock had a difficult time in getting the project off the ground which resulted in a budget of approximately $800,000 while resorting to using his TV crew from the show Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It's because nobody at the studio believed in him. By the way, you can spot Alfred Hitchcock in the film through the window as Janet Leigh enters the office in Phoenix, Arizona.

Poor Marion Crane, she was the principal character in the first forty-eight minutes and, all of a sudden, got bumped off by Norman Bates for what's considered one of the greatest and most shocking scenes in cinema history. Its effect still reverberates to this day as in "taking a shower will never be the same again after Psycho."

All in all, it's difficult to separate Anthony Perkins and Psycho which put a huge stamp on Alfred Hitchcock's moniker as the Master of Suspense.