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Psycho
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Psycho (1960)

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User Rating: 8.7/10 (100,089 votes)
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Overview

Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Writers:
Robert Bloch (novel)
Joseph Stefano (screenplay)
Release Date:
16 June 1960 (USA) more view trailer
Genre:
Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
A new- and altogether different- screen excitement!!! more
Plot:
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. full summary | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
Perkins Is Remarkable more

Cast

 (Complete credited cast)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Wimpy (USA) (fake working title)
more
Runtime:
109 min | Germany:108 min (cut)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Finland:K-16 (cut) (1965) | Netherlands:12 | Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1960) | Brazil:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Chile:18 (original rating) | South Korea:15 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1969) | Chile:14 (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Argentina:16 (original rating) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | France:-12 (re-release) | France:-16 | Israel:16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1960) | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (re-release) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:M (re-rating) (1968) | USA:R (re-rating) (1984)
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Every theater that showed the film had a cardboard cut-out installed in the lobby of Alfred Hitchcock pointing to his wristwatch with a note from the director saying "The manager of this theatre has been instructed at the risk of his life, not to admit to the theatre any persons after the picture starts. Any spurious attempts to enter by side doors, fire escapes or ventilating shafts will be met by force. The entire objective of this extraordinary policy, of course, is to help you enjoy PSYCHO more. Alfred Hitchcock" more
Goofs:
Continuity: As Marion approaches the restroom at California Charlie's used car lot, the door hinges on the left with the doorknob on the right and has dark (painted?) glass in the upper half. In the interior shot, the hinges and knob are just the opposite and the door is a solid slab. In the exterior shot as Marion exits the restroom, the door is solid with no glass, and hinges on the right and latches on the left, consistent with the interior view. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Sam Loomis: You never did eat your lunch, did you?
Marion Crane: I better get back to the office. These extended lunch hours give my boss excess acid.
Sam Loomis: Why don't you call your boss and tell him you're taking the rest of the afternoon off? Its Friday, anyway - and hot.
Marion Crane: What do I do with my free afternoon? Walk you to the airport?
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in The Art of Dying (1991) more

FAQ

Why does Norman Bates allow guests--especially women--to stay at his motel?
How does the novel begin?
What precedent does this film have for the on-screen toilet?
more
114 out of 161 people found the following comment useful:-
Perkins Is Remarkable, 12 September 2000
9/10
Author: Josh (darkjosh333@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles, CA

Most modern-day horror films make the killer to be an absolutely inhuman, grotesque, unimaginable monster in order to scare the audience out of its wits. Most of the time, however, these stereotypes create a generic murderer a raving, ranting, clearly demented psychopath. One of the few memorable cinematic killers that does not adhere to these restraints and cliches is, of course, Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter, whom manages to effectively cause the audience to recoil without such drek as the aforementioned devices.

Anthony Perkins' skillfully crafts his performance as Norman Bates, avoiding a ranting, raving, drooling, murder-happy, manic characterization; instead his performance as Norman is subtle, creepy, cool, and unsettling. He is brilliant; from his quiet conversations with Marion Crane amidst the stuffed birds, to his weasling wimpiness when confronted by Arbogast, his performance is so exact that it chills the viewer, all without the unnecessary disturbing images prevalent in more modern films (read The Cell, Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer).

Perkin's fine performance, a tight script, and Bernstein's classic score make Psycho a film that is now and will always be remembered as one of the pinnacles of the horror genre.

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How about a new question about PSYCHO? tipsyheadrinse
everyone bags the psychiatrist blippetyblip
are the sequels worth watching? blippetyblip
Marions Boss and THAT Look! bsfraser2003
Psycho on HDDVD mkoshukov
Interviews available? Kbmj1234
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