Eerie

Rating: 7/10 (13 December 2009)

Right off the bat the viewer is immediately mesmerized and engulfed in the film as it begins with classic, intense Hitchcock music which I really loved. Psycho has great camera-work, fitting music and perfect sound. I specifically like the car scene in the beginning when the camera seemed to be fixed on the hood of the car it just looked awesome. The music always fits the scenes throughout the film however, my favorite was probably the shower scene. There were pretty good effects in the movie as well like the rain scenes for example. I thought Janet Leigh was amazing; everything from her body gestures (for example the movement of her hands when she was originally driving and being followed by a car showing her nervousness) and just her overall sense of panic (when she's at the car dealership and is being watched by the cop). I really enjoyed the sound as well, especially in Marion's car ride after she changes cars and you can hear the voices of people the cop is questioning, etc. The film is incredibly suspenseful especially in the car ride when it starts to rain and she can't see anymore; you're on the edge of your seat wondering what's going to happen. The shower scene is an absolute classic. It's so real yet at the same time so fake, you never even see her getting stabbed and the lack of blood was a little unrealistic. I felt like the only other two scenes that lacked some realism was the staircase scene, and the fact that there was conveniently a swamp right across the motel for Norman to dispose of cars and bodies. The lighting in the film was also really good with a balance of light and dark scenes. Overall, the movie is pretty good and it has its twists and is a little creepy and scary at times. However, in the end, I honestly don't feel like this movie deserves #22 on the top 250. I think The Shining, even though it was 20 years later, tops this movie in the "horror scale" but that's just me. Regardless, this is definitely a classic and a great movie.