Psycho - original.

[iamwhatiseem]

Bonzi and I decided to go through the top 100 movies of all time and watch what we haven't seen if available, and if we are interested in seeing it.
First up was Psycho. Made in 1960.
It is impossible not to notice it was filmed on a low budget as Hitchcock couldn't get any studios to fund it.
The film crew he used was the TV series crew and their equipment. And so indeed, it has kind of a TV feel to it.
I would say the movie hasn't aged too well. There is zero special effects, as Hitchcock couldn't afford it. So the "knife scenes" are really quite terrible. As you basically see nothing but the blade being lifted in the air.
All in all I really wasn't that impressed, and believe it doesn't belong on the list at all. IMO - the only reason it won the awards it did was because it was the first of it's kind and it was made at a time when audiences wanted to be shocked.
And yes, I realize at the time, the effect was very different for 1960 audiences compared to 2023 audiences.
But we specifically chose a list of best movies of all time without consideration for the effects of the movie at the time.

 

[occupied]

First movie to show a toilet.

 

[rightwinger]

Bonzi and I decided to go through the top 100 movies of all time and watch what we haven't seen if available, and if we are interested in seeing it.
First up was Psycho. Made in 1960.
It is impossible not to notice it was filmed on a low budget as Hitchcock couldn't get any studios to fund it.
The film crew he used was the TV series crew and their equipment. And so indeed, it has kind of a TV feel to it.
I would say the movie hasn't aged too well. There is zero special effects, as Hitchcock couldn't afford it. So the "knife scenes" are really quite terrible. As you basically see nothing but the blade being lifted in the air.
All in all I really wasn't that impressed, and believe it doesn't belong on the list at all. IMO - the only reason it won the awards it did was because it was the first of it's kind and it was made at a time when audiences wanted to be shocked.
And yes, I realize at the time, the effect was very different for 1960 audiences compared to 2023 audiences.
But we specifically chose a list of best movies of all time without consideration for the effects of the movie at the time.

I find Psycho to be compelling

The shower scene is still classic. Today they would show her naked in the shower then a knife penetrating flesh and blood gushing out. Hitchcock used your mind to imagine the gore. The scene with blood running down the drain was classic cinema

Anthony Perkins was outstanding as Norman and combined innocence with unknown menace.

My only complaint was the ending.
The movie should have ended with Norman Bates being exposed as his mother…..CUT
Instead, Hitchcock added a scene of psychobabble explaining why Norman acted as he did and showing him in a cell.

 

[ActionJackson]

Bonzi and I decided to go through the top 100 movies of all time and watch what we haven't seen if available, and if we are interested in seeing it.
First up was Psycho. Made in 1960.
It is impossible not to notice it was filmed on a low budget as Hitchcock couldn't get any studios to fund it.
The film crew he used was the TV series crew and their equipment. And so indeed, it has kind of a TV feel to it.
I would say the movie hasn't aged too well. There is zero special effects, as Hitchcock couldn't afford it. So the "knife scenes" are really quite terrible. As you basically see nothing but the blade being lifted in the air.
All in all I really wasn't that impressed, and believe it doesn't belong on the list at all. IMO - the only reason it won the awards it did was because it was the first of it's kind and it was made at a time when audiences wanted to be shocked.
And yes, I realize at the time, the effect was very different for 1960 audiences compared to 2023 audiences.
But we specifically chose a list of best movies of all time without consideration for the effects of the movie at the time.

For the time and for the budget, it was a masterpiece (IMO). The acting, story line, shock, and twists, were and are amazing.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I find Psycho to be compelling

The shower scene is still classic. Today they would show a knife penetrating flesh and blood gushing out. Hitchcock used your mind to imagine the gore. The scene with blood running down the drain was classic cinema

Anthony Perkins was outstanding as Norman and combined innocence with unknown menace.

My only complaint was the ending.
The movie should have ended with Norman Bates being exposed as his mother…..CUT
Instead, Hitchcock added a scene of psychobabble explaining why Norman acted as he did and showing him in a cell.

I would argue that Hitchcock showed the knife scenes as he did because he had no choice. He had no money.
All he could do was use music and "jerky" camera movements to try and show the gravity of it.
Take the scene of the private eye getting attacked. he was obviously standing in front of a movie screen flailing his arms around because, again, he had not one cent for special effects or to hire a stuntman.
As for acting... yes, Anthony Perkins did a great job. He had that ability to convey emotions and thoughts by facial expressions. That is not common. The female lead, Janet Leigh was decent. I wouldn't say her performance was a standout. Everyone else was pretty terrible. The boyfriend (John Gavin) was not at all convincing. He was a run-of-the-mill TV actor chosen for looks over ability to act. The private eye was cliche.
Like I say, I completely understand that it was a ground breaker for the time. But it hasn't aged well.
But, as always, this is my opinion.

 

[rightwinger]

I would argue that Hitchcock showed the knife scenes as he did because he had no choice. He had no money.
All he could do was use music and "jerky" camera movements to try and show the gravity of it.

Again I disagree

Low budget would have used a rubber knife with lots of fake looking blood

Hitchcock spent days filming that scene and then days editing it to get the desired effect.
The music and jerky camera completed the effect he was looking for…..pure horror

Masterful directing

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Again I disagree

Low budget would have used a rubber knife with lots of fake looking blood

Hitchcock spent days filming that scene and then days editing it to get the desired effect.
The music and jerky camera completed the effect he was looking for…..pure horror

Masterful directing

I get it.
But compare it to North by Northwest, or Rear Window, Man who knew too much etc. I just don't see they belong in the same level.
I am by no means saying it was a bad movie. Not at all. Just not as great as it is ranked.

 

[hjmick]

Perhaps these will help you appreciate the film more that you do:

10 things you (probably) never knew about the shower scene in Psycho

Perhaps the most famous scene in the history of cinema, the shower killing in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is examined in forensic detail in the new documentary 78/52. Director Alexandre O. Philippe tells us what he found behind the curtain.

www.bfi.org.uk

It truly is better than you think...

 

[rightwinger]

The cast

Anthony Perkins- I can’t imagine anyone else I would want to play Norman

Janet Leigh- Was a tough cookie instead of the usual damsel in distress

Vera Miles- Stepped right in for her sister and offered the same toughness as she was in pending danger

John Gavin- Sucked big time

Martin Balsam- Great actor and played the typical Private Eye. His scenes with Norman were well done

 

[rightwinger]

Perhaps these will help you appreciate the film more that you do:

10 things you (probably) never knew about the shower scene in Psycho

Perhaps the most famous scene in the history of cinema, the shower killing in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is examined in forensic detail in the new documentary 78/52. Director Alexandre O. Philippe tells us what he found behind the curtain.

www.bfi.org.uk

It truly is better than you think...

It took a whole week to film 45 seconds (a third of the film’s shooting schedule),

Made the film a horror classic

 

[Woodznutz]

Martin Balsam- Great actor and played the typical Private Eye. His scenes with Norman were well done

The killing of his character was the most shocking scene in the movie to me.

 

[rightwinger]

If Psycho had been filmed today…

It would be in color
The shower scene would be full nudity with graphic scenes of the knife cutting flesh
Norman would be gay
They would have a mixed race couple

 

[iamwhatiseem]

If Psycho had been filmed today…

It would be in color
The shower scene would be full nudity with graphic scenes of the knife cutting flesh
Norman would be gay
They would have a mixed race couple

You forgot a trans in there somewhere

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The killing of his character was the most shocking scene in the movie to me.

??
The most shocking scene to me was the first scene considering it was made in 1960.
The movie opens with a couple of two "normal" unmarried adults who just had sex. That is pretty major for 1960.
Not to mention, she was the one in charge of their sexual relationship - very much opposite of every single movie of the time.

 

[whitehall]

It's easy to take apart a vintage B&W movie based on modern standards but Psycho was as good as it gets and "zero special effects" is what makes classic dramas classic.

 

[Flopper]

Bonzi and I decided to go through the top 100 movies of all time and watch what we haven't seen if available, and if we are interested in seeing it.
First up was Psycho. Made in 1960.
It is impossible not to notice it was filmed on a low budget as Hitchcock couldn't get any studios to fund it.
The film crew he used was the TV series crew and their equipment. And so indeed, it has kind of a TV feel to it.
I would say the movie hasn't aged too well. There is zero special effects, as Hitchcock couldn't afford it. So the "knife scenes" are really quite terrible. As you basically see nothing but the blade being lifted in the air.
All in all I really wasn't that impressed, and believe it doesn't belong on the list at all. IMO - the only reason it won the awards it did was because it was the first of it's kind and it was made at a time when audiences wanted to be shocked.
And yes, I realize at the time, the effect was very different for 1960 audiences compared to 2023 audiences.
But we specifically chose a list of best movies of all time without consideration for the effects of the movie at the time.

The problem with watching Psycho today is that the shower scene is expected and just about everyone that sees it knows exactly what is going to happen. When it came out, the shower scene was unexpected and it was real horror. So yes, it did not age well because the shock value is not there today.

There are 4 criteria voters are ask to consider when selecting the AFI top 100.

• English language with significant creative and financial production from the United States.
• Critical Recognition
• Winning Major Awards
• Popularity over time

Aging well is not a criteria. King Kong (1933) is number 18 on the list. It's special effects are laughable compared to today. The acting style is a carryover from the silent movies and the sound quality is poor at best. Yet audiences are still attracted to it because of various scenes in the movie such as the dialog between Faye Ray and Robert Armstrong, death of Kong and the stage scene below. To enjoy classic movies you have to put yourself in the historical context of time the movie was made. You can't compare special effects of 1960 with 2023, nor a 78 rpm record of Caruso with 2023 DVD of Plácido Domingo

 

[Flopper]

If Psycho had been filmed today…

It would be in color
The shower scene would be full nudity with graphic scenes of the knife cutting flesh
Norman would be gay
They would have a mixed race couple

And it would be in the previews and unremarkable

 

[rightwinger]

You forgot a trans in there somewhere

If filmed today, Norman Bates would be like Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs

 

[iamwhatiseem]

If filmed today, Norman Bates would be like Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs

Now there is a movie.
Silence of the Lamb set a new bar for psychological thrillers

 

[Ralph Norton]

The shower scene is still classic. Today they would show her naked in the shower then a knife penetrating flesh and blood gushing out. Hitchcock used your mind to imagine the gore. The scene with blood running down the drain was classic cinema

FWIW: It is my understanding that the "blood" in the shower was actually chocolate syrup.
I think of that every time I watch that scene now.