So Influential, It Makes My Head Spin

Rating: 9/10 (12 January 2007)

A young woman named Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) steals $40,000 (roughly a quarter million today) from her employer and runs off to meet her boyfriend. But along the way she stops at the Bates Motel, and meets the charming Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Marion and her money might not make it back to her boyfriend Sam in perfect condition.
Yes, after 47 years of this film existing and being a horror fan for well over 10 years now, I finally broke down and watched what is widely considered to be Hitchcock's best film (I had previously seen "Lamb to Slaughter", "Rear Window" and "Vertigo" -- and have now seen many more since). Boy, was I missing out on something! Now I cannot wait to see "Psycho 2" and "Psycho 3" (which I own for some reason). I have seen parts of the Gus Van Sant remake but was not impressed.
The acting was very good, especially from Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates). He did a great job as a friendly boy-next-door caretaker. Vivian Leigh was also good as Marion Crane, and I am sorry she had to have a hermaphroditic child like Jamie Lee Curtis. All other parts were fine. I hear they called the actor who played Sam Loomis "the stiff" and boy are they right! Later in the film he loosens up a little bit, but in the opening scene he seems so wooden.
The bird symbolism is nice... especially with Hitchcock's other big horror film being "The Birds". And the main character being Marion "Crane"? Is she going to get stuffed like the other birds in the parlor? I will not say, but you probably already know (since pretty much everyone knows about this film even if they never saw it).
Most startling for me was Bernard Herrmann's score, particularly the main theme (not the knife noise). I had long heard rumors that "Re-Animator" ripped off the "Psycho" theme and I thought they meant it was a variation on the theme. An homage, perhaps (because who would try to steal from such a famous film). Well, the music is exactly the same. I mean, really dead on. So now I do not know how to feel about "Re-Animator", which is practically my favorite horror film (with all due respect to "The Janitor")... which shakes up my whole foundation and makes me rethink movie history!
My only complaint was the confusion (at least for me) of where the Bates Motel is. Marion drives all Friday night and then arrives Saturday evening, implying it is a great distance from Phoenix. Yet, when the detective investigates the motel, he tells someone on the phone he is less than an hour from them. Where is he based if not Phoenix?
Well, if you have not seen this, you should. It is a classic and with good reason (as I typed this the first time, it was ranked the 22nd greatest film of all time on Internet Movie Database and still lingers around 25th three years later). Not just a great horror classic, but also a great film with great directing and cast. Plus, if you are from Wisconsin like I am, you'll love the Ed Gein storyline. (Incidentally, if you have never visited Ed Gein's hometown or grave, you should. It is a good time.)