October 2nd, 2012: Psycho

For day two I decided to go with another classic: Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.  The film is based of off the 1959 novel by Richard Bloch which was inspired by the case of convicted Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein.  Gein and the main character, Norman Bates, both had controlling mothers who had passed on.  They also each sealed off one room of their house as a sacred place to their mother and dressed in women's clothing.  One of the differences between the two was Gein would not be considered a serial killer, as he officially killed only two people.

"Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece blends a brutal manipulation of audience identification and an incredibly dense, allusive visual style to create the most morally unsettling film ever made." - Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Photo Credit: movieposter.com 

  

The ingredient that makes this film so suspenseful and terrifying (just like Nosferatu) is the soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann.  If you haven't seen Pyscho, you most likely will recognize the music.  It has been used in several commercials, parodies, and trailers.  Without it, I honestly don't think it would be the masterpiece that it turned out to be.  Alfred Hitchcock insisted that Herrmann write the score in spite of the composer's refusal to accept a reduced fee for the film's low budget of $806,947.55. 

(SPOILERS)

Let's talk about the shower scene; hands down one of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history.  The music completely cuts out and all you hear is running water as the dark figure slowly approaches the curtain.  Marion Crane hears the curtain pull open, turns around and BAM!!! We're hit with the scream and shrieking violins.  My favorite part about the scene is all the audience is able to see is the stabbing motion and drops of blood in the shower.  There's a lot of horror movies that are known for being gory and that's all fun and games (if you're a horror fan), but I feel like it's more intense when you can't see everything that is happening in the scene.  Removing all the close up shots leaves room for imagination which makes it even scarier.  I guarantee almost anyone who has ever seen this movie immediately feels their heart start to pound when they're in the shower and hear someone enter the bathroom.

ROTTEN TOMATOES RATING: 99%

"A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother." - Veoh.com

If you haven't seen this movie, please do yourself a favor and check it out.  It truly is a masterpiece and inspired so many filmmakers of today.  This movie can be entertaining even if your significant other doesn't like horror movies.  The suspense, drama, and soundtrack are more than enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. Enjoy!

- Colby.