Mini Review #5

Psycho (1960)

I thought that this was an okay movie. The reason I think this is because it was interesting, but it wasn't really that scary. The idea behind the plot was scary, but the movie as a whole didn't live up to my standards of a horror movie. Now I understand that this movie was terrifying back in the 60's when it came out, but nowadays a horror film has to have so many aspects in order for it to be considered scary. Other than the fact that it wasn't scary it was pretty good. The casting was good and so was the rest of the film. The music was also very good for the film. It made the film a lot scarier than it actually is and now I understand where most of the music originated from because I have heard it in many other films and videos. 

Here are some interesting facts about the film:

• First American film ever to show a toilet flushing on screen.
• Filmed in 30 days.
• On set, Alfred Hitchcock would always refer to Anthony Perkins as "Master Bates".
• When Norman discovers the body of Marion Crane, he shouts "Mother! Oh God! God! Blood! Blood!". Alfred Hitchcock had the bass frequencies removed from Anthony Perkins' voice to make him sound more like a frightened teenager.
• The Bates house, though moved from its original location, still resides on Universal's lot. The motel has been replicated. It is a regular stop on the Universal Studios tram tour.
• Although Norman Bates typecasted Anthony Perkins, he said he still would have taken the role, even if he knew the character would dog his career.
• Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh were allowed to improvise their roles. E.g. Norman's habit of munching on candy corn.
• The Bates house was largely modeled on an oil painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The canvas is called "House by the Railroad" and was painted in 1925 by American iconic artist Edward Hopper. The architectural details, viewpoint and austere sky is almost identical as seen in the film.