Finally, A Horror Movie I Can Handle!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with my taste in movies, I absolutely cannot handle the modern horror/thriller. Typically, there is too much blood, too much violence, and too many things that pop out and scare me. I'm more skittish than a deer during hunting season. However, I sat down to watch this 1960 classic because it was directed by the one and only Alfred Hitchcock and my mother and fiancée insisted that it "wasn't scary." I may have jumped a couple of times and reverted my gaze every so often, but I have to admit, this was a really good movie.
Of course, it helps when my visits to Universal Studios and my viewing of the recent film Hitchcock give away the most basic plot lines of the movie, so I was never really "surprised" by anything. What struck me as unique about the film was the acting and the choice in camera angles, both of which made the movie brilliant in its own way. I give my hearty applause to the late Anthony Perkins for displaying a level of creepiness difficult to come by even in today's movies. Janet Leigh also made the opening of the film delightful in the way she was able to mask the role of "damsel in distress" by exuding confidence as she traversed Arizona trying to escape. I'm surprised neither one of them were nominated that year by the Academy.
The camera was operated beautifully throughout the entirety of the film. The way Hitchcock chose to juxtapose his characters within the rooms of the Bates Motel and the inanimate objects within those rooms simply shouted out various metaphors and contrasts that truly turns this movie into a work of art. As was the plan I'm sure, it also helped to add suspense to the movie. As I mentioned before, I was still jumping in my seat when watching it in the comfort of my own home. And how can I write a review for Psycho without mentioning the music? Everybody knows the iconic string riff. That, along with the dramatic buildup music, was the icing on this cake of a movie.
Why not a 10, you ask? Well, it was still released in 1960, and I was not born until 1990. So, when I see the silliest, most fake sequence of someone "falling" down the stairs, I cannot help but laugh at the poor special effects of the time. (Not to mention the "stab wounds" and "blood" of the victims in this movie.) Still, I can see why so many college film courses study this movie. Definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it before.
Written November 25, 2013
Of course, it helps when my visits to Universal Studios and my viewing of the recent film Hitchcock give away the most basic plot lines of the movie, so I was never really "surprised" by anything. What struck me as unique about the film was the acting and the choice in camera angles, both of which made the movie brilliant in its own way. I give my hearty applause to the late Anthony Perkins for displaying a level of creepiness difficult to come by even in today's movies. Janet Leigh also made the opening of the film delightful in the way she was able to mask the role of "damsel in distress" by exuding confidence as she traversed Arizona trying to escape. I'm surprised neither one of them were nominated that year by the Academy.
The camera was operated beautifully throughout the entirety of the film. The way Hitchcock chose to juxtapose his characters within the rooms of the Bates Motel and the inanimate objects within those rooms simply shouted out various metaphors and contrasts that truly turns this movie into a work of art. As was the plan I'm sure, it also helped to add suspense to the movie. As I mentioned before, I was still jumping in my seat when watching it in the comfort of my own home. And how can I write a review for Psycho without mentioning the music? Everybody knows the iconic string riff. That, along with the dramatic buildup music, was the icing on this cake of a movie.
Why not a 10, you ask? Well, it was still released in 1960, and I was not born until 1990. So, when I see the silliest, most fake sequence of someone "falling" down the stairs, I cannot help but laugh at the poor special effects of the time. (Not to mention the "stab wounds" and "blood" of the victims in this movie.) Still, I can see why so many college film courses study this movie. Definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it before.
Written November 25, 2013