Psycho

Rating: 10/10 (4 March 2005)

This film is the most famous of all the films by Oscar nominated director Sir Alfred Hitchcock, unfortunately Rebecca was the most popular of his films, according to cinema tickets. Golden Globe winning, and Oscar nominated Janet Leigh plays Marion Crane who has stolen $40,000 from her boss, she is now on the run. On her journey she finds the Bates Motel and decides to stop there for the night. She then meets a great villain played by Anthony Perkins, Norman Bates. As she gets to know him she finds he is quite terrifying while talking. He mentions his mother and says "She just goes mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes!" Anyway, later she takes a shower, and everyone remembers seeing the stabbing of her, and the star is dead. The film continues this psychopathic story by having first Det. Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam), who is murdered, and then her sister Lila (Vera Miles) and Sam Loomis (John Gavin) come and look for her. Hitchcock has done a superb job in creating suspense and horror, I especially loved the dead mother in the chair, and the great score by Bernard Herrmann, particularly the famous high screeches of the violins (like knives stabbing). Hitchcock's cameo is a man through Leigh's office window, wearing a cowboy hat. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Cinematography. Sir Alfred Hitchcock was number 75 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, the film was number 4 on 100 Years of Film Scores, it was number 56 on 100 Years, 100 Quotes ("A boy's best friend is his mother."), Norman Bates was number 2 on 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains, the film was number 11 on The 100 Greatest Scary Moments, it was number 1 on 100 Years, 100 Thrills, it was number 18 on 100 Years, 100 Movies, and it was number 11 on The 100 Greatest Films. Outstanding!