Master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film about a young woman’s impulse to abscond with a cache of money only to wind up ensnared in a web of death upon visiting The Bates Motel gets the gold treatment in this 2 disk set released by Universal just in time for Halloween.

CRITIQUE

Michael Myers. Jason Voorhees. Freddy Krueger. Hannibal “the Cannibal” Lecter. “Slasher/serial killer/torture porn” films.  All owe their fiendish debts to one name, and one name only: Norman Bates.

The granddaddy of the modern day horror film, PSYCHO, set the gold standard for all films of its genre (and the subgenres aforementioned that were spawned in its wake), forever changed the face of cinema thanks to the visionary craftsmanship of master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, and unleashed to its unsuspecting audience during the summer of 1960, left the stark impression of thinking twice about taking a shower.

Based on the novel by Robert Bloch – loosely inspired by real-life serial killer Ed Gein (who also stoked the creative fires of the gruesome characters in TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and the “Buffalo Bill” persona of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) – the Freudian laden script by Joseph Stefano (who was the creative force behind the original sci-fi TV series “THE OUTER LIMITS”) was a simple piece of genius: Oedipal underpinnings for the masses enshrouded in a mix of noir cum Gran Guignol ‘haunted house’ horror.

The basic storyline (for the uninitiated) depicts pretty young secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh in her star-making performance, garnering a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in the process), whose affair with handsome hardware store owner Sam Loomis (John Gavin, a Rock Hudson type) is at a standstill; both are at a crossroads – she is in a dead-end job in a sleepy desert town and he is in debt with alimony to his ex-wife back East).  When a sudden business transaction with her employer literally has $40K waved in her face, Marion decides to take the money and run, skipping town and forgetting to deposit the clients’ cache.

Upon her unknown destination her conscience gets the best of her as she imagines all sorts of scenarios about her predicament, each one getting worse as her imagination takes over. 

After a squirrelly encounter with an imposing roadside policeman she quickly ditches her car for a new one at a used car lot and barrels onto the lone highway until a storm threatens to take over her weary ride into danger.

Arriving at the desolate, out-of-the-way Bates Motel, the eager young manager Norman Bates (Perkins in his iconic, terrific performance) welcomes the tired traveler, offering her lodging, a quick sandwich, and some intimidating dialogue (involving his domineering invalid mother)  in his office parlor where Marion espies her surroundings: stuffed birds.

What follows is a quick study in the old twist of getting the audience off guard in what is now American cinema mythology: the notorious shower sequence murder of Crane by “Mother Bates”.  Up until this point all assume the well-known Leigh to be the focal point/main character but when the brutal out-of-nowhere knifing occurs the audience is left in a head-spinning cloud for the remainder of the serpentine potboiler never trusting their instincts again. 

Mind you at the time of the film’s production many things we take for granted today were strictly taboo back then: sexuality (Leigh’s white and black lingerie – which depicts her duplicity and turn from good to bad); the killing of a main character a quarter of the way into a mainstream film was unheard of; the Freudian explanation of the dual personalities of Norman/Norma Bates (and the simple terminology of transvestism sent the censors in a state of apoplexy); hell, even the first time a toilet bowl(!!) was shown in a bathroom, let alone a functioning one was never presented to the masses.  How in God’s name could they comprehend a mild-mannered boy next door-type to be a raving, homicidal maniac?!?!

Again, leave it to the pros: Hitchcock as always had his shots pre-conceived and enlisted his titles creator Saul Bass (the opening frenzied zigzagging of the credits at the beginning set the tones along with the brilliance of legendary composer Bernard Herrmann’s nerve-jangling scorer) to storyboard the infamous shower sequence and knew if he had the audience engrossed to that point he’d push them over the brink realizing they just HAD to stay and see how this thing played out! 

The outstanding acting by the vulnerable Leigh and the empathetic  sociopath Perkins had  audiences rooting for both – again probably never conceived of in a Hollywood offering – and the fact that both blended so utterly seamlessly set the groundbreaking film into box office  heaven, critics (later, not at first) praising as a cinematic  masterpiece, and lofting Hitch into legendary filmmaker status  (this was his 47th film too boot!)

The film has gone on to become one of the most recognizable just by mentioning Norman Bates or the shower scene (even by those who’ve never seen the film before! Talk about an impossible feat of marketing!) and entered the lexicon of what a ‘psycho’ really is: the murderous fiend is the boy next-door, or even more sickening, within ourselves.

THE VIDEO

Digitally remastered in 1.85:11 anamorphic widescreen, the disc is beautiful in its noir black and white , with just enough depths to its blackness and silvery lightness

THE AUDIO

Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono in English with English/French/Spanish subtitles, you wouldn’t know it was mono if it wasn’t marked on the casing!

THE EXTRAS

DISC ONE:

AUDIO COMMENTARY: Chock-block of trivia espoused by author Stephen Rebello (“Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of “PSYCHO”), many of the behind-the-scenes moments and onscreen captures are revealed with precision and insight, a must for all trivia hounds and film geeks (yours truly) include the fact that Stefano was not the first choice as screenwriter (this was originally assigned to Hitchcock’s collaborator James P. Cavanaugh (who wrote many of Hitch’s TV series’ installments) and how the filmmaker’s wife offered much insight to the production (she was a former film editor as well); how certain scenes were  filmed including the equally scary death of private investigator Arbogast (Martin Balsam) was handled; Hitchcock incorporating the crew of his TV series as hands-on production talent for the film in a snappy 30 day shoot (and personal trivia for me: beginning Nov. 11, 1959 – my birthday preceded by 12 years of my conception, but non-the-less a cool bon not!) ; and many other nuggets of insight (i.e. Perkins’ idea to chew on Halloween candies throughout the film and his stammer to elicit sympathy from the audience). 

THE PSYCHO ARCHIVES: Including print ads/posters; lobby cards for movie houses to display; production stills; publicity photos and behind-the-scenes  shots; the original trailer (a cheeky on-set visit with Hitch as he acts as tour guide was The Master’s original idea and filmed after principal photography was completed) and its re-release trailers as well.

PRODUCTION NOTES: Incisive information about the film’s production and subsequent release including this little known fact: a New Brunswick, NJ drive-in had cars backed up for three miles to see a screening (!)

NEWSREEL FOOTAGE: THE RELEASE OF PSYCHO: Presentation of the marketing genius of Hitchcock by having the studio issue disclaimer placards insisting audiences must arrive on time or they would not be admitted once the film began and that those who’ve seen the film keep the secrets  to themselves as they left the theaters. 

THE SHOWER SCENE: The notorious sequence of Marion Crane’s murder  with and without the shrieking violins proving how Herrmann’s persuasion to keep the soundtrack intact (Hitch originally thought it should be silent!)

THE SHOWER SCENE - STORYBOARDS: The Saul Bass sketches that would forever be engrained in audiences’ minds,  and the result on film (would’ve been nice if they had juxtaposed the images which are common fodder on extras of practically every film on DVD!)

DISC TWO:

THE MAKING OF PSYCHO 

Well produced reflection on the origins and production of the chiller with cast and crew recollections including the late Janet Leigh who affectionately refers to the director still as “Mr. Hitchcock” (in 1995 she wrote, “Behind the Scenes of Psycho”, a memoir about her experience with the film and reveals she had never taken a shower again after watching the first screening of the completed work!); scribe Stefano (recalling how he cringed at the first rough cut but was gently re-assured by Hitch that it would work out in the long run); Hitch’s personal assistant Peggy Robertson (expounding on how the filmmaker gained access to the book to adapt); assistant director Hilton A. Green (explaining the technical problems and situations including a funny story about how he covered all bases except for the full moon overlooking the Bates Gothic house!); Hitchcock’s daughter, Pat, who had a small role in the film, also offers some fond memories of dear old dad (including his phobia with cops, which was used as fodder for the intimidating patrolman troubling Marion); and horror maven Clive Barker’s thoughts on how the film has remained a fresh entity through the years.  There are many interesting tidbits, stories and myths dispelled (Green gently breaks the news that Saul Bass did NOT direct the shower sequence; only provided the storyboards) and of course the shower sequence itself (several body doubles for Leigh including a Playboy centerfold, Leigh (for her head, neck & shoulders), Hitchcock’s hand for inserts since he knew exactly where they were to be landed upon for cutting in the film (so to speak), and the fact that Perkins was 3,000 miles away on Broadway with a stand-in/stunt-man and a woman filling in for him for several shots interspersed!)

Also mentioned are the film’s themes of duality (the use of mirrors reflecting the characters’ two-sides); the avian metaphor (i.e. Marion’s surname, Crane); Herrmann’s ‘black & white’ scoring (eschewing woodwinds, brass and percussion); and the fact the film only garnered 4 Oscar nods (Best Supporting Actress as mentioned for Leigh; Best Art Direction/Set Design for Joseph Hurley, Robert Clatworthy & George Milo; John L. Russell’s fantastic cinematography (b&w division; back then there were 2 categories for photography); and of course Director (Hitch would never win the award and the fact Perkins was entirely snubbed are two grievous crimes committed by The Academy).

IN THE MASTER’S SHADOW: THE HITCHCOCK  LEGACY: An excellent collection of current filmmakers who’ve studied The Master’s craft and subsequently cribbed many of his shots including directors Martin Scorsese (with a remarkable showing of how the Sugar Ray Robinson bout in RAGING BULL was eerily in sync with the shower sequence!); Joe Carnahan; William Friedkin; Guillermo del Toro; Eli  Roth; and John Carpenter (whose HALLOWEEN is a direct influence down to the homage of naming Donald Pleasence’s doctor as Sam Loomis, the John Gavin role in PSYCHO!)  Other filmmakers are mentioned like Brian DePalma (who has been accused of stealing entire films from Hitchcock for his own stories), particularly Steven Spielberg whose JAWS would do for swimming what Hitchcock did for showers.

HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT: Audio excerpts of an interview between French filmmaker Francois Truffaut and Hitchcock in 1962 that is presented with the shower sequence.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: “LAMB TO  THE SLAUGHTER” : One of the finest episodes from Hitch’s TV show with Barbara Bel Geddes as a wife who kills her philandering cop husband with a frozen leg of lamb and subsequently cooking the evidence, and feeding it to the colleagues investigating the mysterious death!

FINAL THOUGHTS

A must have for any serious cinephile and for those just beginning a library collection; the hard-case covering makes it even more of a timepiece.