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

Rating: 10/10 (6 November 2009)

My Take: A landmark thriller from the one and only Alfred Hitchcock.
Familiar even to anyone who hasn't seen the film itself, from its famous sequence that has been imitated and parodied several times to its undeniable influence in the horror genre, Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO has since become a part of cinematic history. But with such influence it has made, you'd think the genuine article has lost its touch. That ain't so. Seeing PSYCHO today, the classic still retains its ability to shock on a first time viewing and to give you the creeps even if you've seen it twice or more times.
We all know its influence in the several generations of slasher movies, but what still places PSYCHO is that it's less like the horror films it inspired than another thriller masterwork from Alfred Hitchcock; it's a well-crafted and intelligently written thriller, a quality that has slowly lessened in many of the slashers that have followed. Who could forget Janet Leigh in her performance that would make her famous in horror filmdom (and earn her an Oscar nomination) as the doomed Marion Crane. But any conversation about PSYCHO wouldn't be complete without the mention of Anthony Perkins superb performance as the infamous Norman Bates, a slightly maladjusted owner of the desolate Bates Motel. Perhaps the guys at the Oscar's were simply shocked and shivered by his chilling portrayal to give him the Oscar nomination he most certainly deserved. The supporting performances, especially by Vera Miles, are strong enough to carry the rest of the picture.
Everything seemed to be pitch perfect about PSYCHO: As usual, Bernard Herrmann teams with Hitch and provides a chilling score that will forever etched in our memories. The infamous shower scene, while no longer as shocking, is still one of the most expertly crafted sequence ever made; it's use of montage is still being scrutinized and studied by any film student today. George Milo, Robert Clatworth and Joseph Hurley's art direction is superb, from Norman's office parlor inhabited by stuffed birds to the famous Bates residence (complete with a silhouette of Mother in the window) is legendary and relevant to the many goings-on at the mysterious Bates Motel. The black-and-white photography does more than just make the censor approve the film, it also suites the film's ample atmosphere (blood in B&W is creepier than color). All this and so much more (not to mention the first-ever on-screen flushing of the toilet) make PSYCHO the father (or is that Mother) of them all.
Rating: ***** out of 5.