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Psycho (1960)
The most amazing thing about Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is that, even though it's impossible to go into it compeletly unspoiled, that doesn't really diminish how riveting it is at all. Janet Leigh's Marion steals money from her employer on a whim, and the first third of the movie, which largely sees her trying to avoid capture and struggle over whether or not she should return the money, is really an excellent performance. Of course, when she pulls off the highway one rainy night after a long day of driving, you know what her ultimate fate will be the moment you see the Bates Motel's neon sign looming through the darkness.
Anthony Perkins, as Norman, gives a really amazing, subtle performance. At first he just seems like a slightly lonely oddball, but totally harmless. The shift between "harmlessly weird" to "unsettlingly weird" is so gradual you barely even notice that it's happened -- and then, of course, the famous shower murder happens. Even though everyone watching the movie for the first time nowadays knows it's coming, it's still an intense scene -- amazingly so, considering you don't even actually see the stabbing. The quick film cuts and the famous screeching violins on the soundtrack combine to create what is deservedly one of the most famous moments in film history.
The anniversary Blu-Ray print of the movie is gorgeous, too. The picture has been remastered, and is crisp and clear, and the audio sounds fantastic. Psycho isn't as shocking nowadays as it was to audiences in 1960, but the excellent directing and acting lead it to hold up incredibly well even though pop culture osmosis means it won't hold many genuine surprises.




I can imagine that the audience in those days were honestly shocked that JL was killed off that early in the film (she was the big name star) but the entire point was to drive home how random and, yep, psychotic, the murder (and murderer) was. Hitchcock played with expectations perfectly and it must have been really something when viewed fresh.
It certainly must have! I can only imagine what that must have been like. And, wow, Norman's interest in taxidermy becomes SO much creepier when you know what's coming later...