Psycho

1960
R
1h 49m

IMDb RATING

8.5/10

741K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

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Psychological Horror Psychological Thriller Slasher Horror Suspense Mystery Horror Mystery Thriller

A secretary on the run for embezzlement takes refuge at a secluded California motel owned by a repressed man and his overbearing mother.A secretary on the run for embezzlement takes refuge at a secluded California motel owned by a repressed man and his overbearing mother.A secretary on the run for embezzlement takes refuge at a secluded California motel owned by a repressed man and his overbearing mother.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.5/10

741K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

959

172

See production info at IMDbPro

Top rated movie #35

Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 8 wins & 14 nominations total

Videos6

Trailer 1:21

Psycho

Clip 1:16

'Psycho' | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 1:16

'Psycho' | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 7:00

Bloody Beginnings of the Summer Camp Slasher

Clip 2:27

A Guide to the Films of Alfred Hitchcock

Clip 2:08

Psycho: Checking In

Interview 3:25

'The New Mutants' Cast Reveal Characters & Film Inspirations

Photos342

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'Psycho' Scenes: Watch the Mashup

Take a look iconic moments from Alfred Hitchcock's film with Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and Vera Miles.

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Storyline

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Trivia
Director Sir Alfred Hitchcock was so pleased with the score written by Bernard Herrmann that he doubled the composer's salary to $34,501. Hitchcock later said, "Thirty-three percent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music." Ironically, he was originally adamant that there should be no music in the shower scene but he was persuaded by his wife to give it a try. The screeching violins and dire strings (which would inspire the music for Jaws (1975)) ending up selling the scene and driving theatrical audiences beyond anything they had ever experienced.

Goofs
When Lila approaches Mother in the fruit cellar, Mrs. Bates is seated in a four-legged chair. After Lila touches the corpse, it slowly spins around as if it's sitting on a swiveling chair. The effect was achieved by a prop man lying on his back rotating a camera head with wheels underneath Mother.

Quotes
[last lines]
Norma Bates: [voiceover in police custody, as Norman is thinking] It's sad, when a mother has to speak the words that condemn her own son. But I couldn't allow them to believe that I would commit murder. They'll put him away now, as I should have years ago. He was always bad, and in the end he intended to tell them I killed those girls and that man... as if I could do anything but just sit and stare, like one of his stuffed birds. They know I can't move a finger, and I won't. I'll just sit here and be quiet, just in case they do... suspect me. They're probably watching me. Well, let them. Let them see what kind of a person I am. I'm not even going to swat that fly. I hope they are watching... they'll see. They'll see and they'll know, and they'll say, "Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly..."

Crazy credits
The opening credits appear in a montage of horizontal/vertical bars moving across the screen.

Alternate versions
On the Universal DVD, Norman can be heard (not seen) screaming "I'm Norma Bates!" as Sam Loomis rushes in to stop him from murdering Lila. The scream is not present in at least some release prints.

Connections
Edited into Psycho II (1983)

User reviews1.6K

Review

Featured review

10/10

Anthony's Norman

Getting into Hitchcock's Psycho, 57 years after its original release is like assisting to a masterclass of sorts. We can now identify what made this little lurid tale into a classic. Hitchcock himself, naturally, but now we know the first director's cut was a major disappointment and that Alma Reville - Hitch's wife - took over, re edited and the results have been praised, applauded and studied ever since. Janet Leigh's Marion Crane created a movie landmark with her shower scene. Bernard Herrmann and his strings created an extra character that we recognize as soon as it reappears under any disguise but, what shook me the most now in 2017 is Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. His performance has evolved with the passing of time and its effect has remain as chilling, as moving, as funny and as real as it was in 1960. It's interesting to watch Gus Van Sant's 1998 version with Vince Vaugh as Norman Bates. If you look at the film, shot by shot with Berrnard Herrmann's strings - it's pretty fantastic. - Play it in black and white if you can. The problem and it is a monumental problem, we wait for Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins, if the casting of Anne Heche was really bad - not a hint of Janet Leigh's humanity, the casting of Vince Vaughn was incomprehensible. Not just not credible for a moment but annoying, very annoying. Anthony Perkins brought something profoundly personal to Norman Bates and as a consequence we connected with his sickness. We felt for him. Okay, sorry, I didn't mean to go there but I felt compelled to because I saw again Psycho (1960) ad Psycho (1998) at 24 hours from each other and realized that the main flaw of the 1998 versions is the absence of Anthony Perkins.