The original slasher villain

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2014)

There's a lot to say about Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). For one thing, it would not have lit the fuse to the explosion of other unique slasher villains that everyone comes to know and enjoy at the movies. As crazy as this idea was back in the day, Hitchcock was able to push the boundaries of suspense and create a legend that practically no one can forget. Thankfully everything here is put together in such a way that it amounts to a very clever, creepy and disturbing movie.
The story is about a girl named Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who is given a huge sum of money and is expected to deposit in the bank. However, she becomes greedy and decides to run off with it. While on her escape, she decides to rest at an old motel owned by a man named Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). There she learns that Norman is under the strict rule of his mother and that he's a slight bit unsettling. However, she doesn't realize how unsettling Norman really is. Co-starring Perkins and Leigh are several other veteran actors like Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam and John McIntire.
The writing is based off of Robert Bloch's work of the same name. Bloch himself had based it off of the disturbing real story of Ed Gein of Plainfield Wisconsin in 1957. What's great though is that Hitchcock kept everything identical to the book. Every scene that is depicted gives momentum to the plot and helps make the tension that much more gripping. The best actor here is Anthony Perkins. Not only are his reactions real but also feel genuine. For example, when telling a lie and then being found out, he tries to cover his tracks. He is able to do so but speaks nervously.
As for the year, 1960 had some graphic violence come into play. Not enough to shock anyone, but creative enough to let the audiences' imagination run wild. Also, just because the film is in black and white doesn't mean for any viewer who doesn't like the "old" films, can't be entertained either. With the simplicity of color, there are other things for the viewer to watch and notice. Having only black and white actually simplifies the viewing experience for the audience. Accompanying that is Bernard Herrmann's all string score, with one of the most iconic tunes taking place in a shower scene. If you want to know where slasher films began, it's here.
Norman Bates is the original slasher villain. Audiences will be clinging to the disturbing story, the acting is great and the music is memorable.