SMALLS' FRIGHT FEST: PSYCHO

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!!!

Today, for my final I review I am going to take us for a nice, relaxing stay at the Bates Motel, but  be careful because Mother isn't quite herself today. That's right folks, today I review Psycho!

Psycho is the story of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who flees town after stealing 40 grand. Tired from the stress of the day, from all the driving, and looking for a place to escape the rain, she stops in for a stay at the Bates Motel, befriending the sole proprietor of the place, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who is stuck having to take care of his invalid mother. Little does she know that her night of rest will soon take a tragic turn for the worst, and Norman will be left to clean up the mess left behind. Soon, various people will come looking for Marion and Norman may not be up to the task of having to cover for his mother yet again.

Psycho's main protagonist would appear to be Marion Crane, but in reality it is actually Norman Bates, who is portrayed to perfection by Anthony Perkins. Norman is a shy, milquetoast, socially awkward but charming and likable man who has lived his life  under the oppressive thumb of his domineering and controlling mother. This has shaped him in many numerous and unfortunate ways which should become all too clear by the end of the film. He has no control over the events that occur at his little motel. He shapes the events but is unaware that he is shaping them. He is one of the greatest tragic characters of the silver screen and he has left a mark that will never fade.

Janet Leigh is great as the second tragic character of the film, Marion Crane. She makes an unwise choice and is persuaded by Norman to go back and right her wrongs. Before she can take any action to fix her mistakes though, she is brutally murdered in an iconic scene that once seen, cannot be unseen. I'm talking about the shower scene. This scene is responsible for many people's fear of taking a shower. You're completely naked, vulnerable, and you have little means with which to defend yourself. It's quite literally the stuff nightmares are made of. In Psycho, the scene has a much more metaphorical meaning though. Water has always been used to symbolize purification and the washing away of sins, and the scene happens immediately after Marion has decided to give the money back. She steps into the shower, which can be seen as an act of her attempting to wash away her sins, unfortunately she is killed before she can finish this symbolic act. She fights back against her attacker, but ultimately fails to protect herself. In a last ditch effort to save herself, she attempts to hold onto the shower curtain to keep herself up, but it cannot hold her weight and it rips apart and Marion collapses onto the floor. As we literally watch her life force (her blood) drain out of her and down the drain, the camera focuses on her glazed over eye...the final striking shot in a scene that easily earns it's place in film history...never before had a film killed off it's highest billed actress halfway through the film.

Psycho also plays host to one of the most fantastic settings in any film: The Bates Motel. To me this setting has become so iconic that it's almost come to represent the human mind, with the Bates Motel representing the conscious mind and the Psycho House representing the subconscious mind. No matter how you choose to view this setting, it is very eerie, creepy, and unsettling and it adds to the already superb atmosphere that can be found in this film. Fun fact: the interior staircase is actually filmed inside the Psycho House. Originally, the staircase and hallway were all that stood inside the house, but each proceeding film added more to the inside so that the house is actually more-or-less an actual house now. I don't know about you, but I would love to step foot inside it one day.

One of the main themes in the film is of the mother-son relationship and how it affects the son. Hitchcock had always been fascinated by this relationship, and he explored it a little bit in The Birds. In Psycho he delves fully into this relationship, choosing to focus on how the relationship can go so horribly wrong, and how the mother can influence her son and warp him into a monster. It really is pretty scary stuff when you get right down to it. Naturally, the other theme in the film is the workings of the human mind and Hitchcock attempts to fully explore this theme as well.

Bernard Herman composes the score here and he does a magnificent job as always. It's a creative, different score and one that, while not always a joy to listen to (the screaming violins always manage to disturb me even when i'm just listening to them on my ITouch), is still brilliant and worth a listen nonetheless. Hitchcock manages to use the iconic Psycho theme (No, not the shower theme) to represent the workings of the human mind, just another example of how a score can become an integral part of a film.

Psycho is also notable in that it was one of the first films to get audiences to root for and sympathize with the villain. Yes, for those of you who do not already know, Norman ends up being the psychotic killer. The way the film handles his character though is a thing of beauty, managing to get the audience fully on his side until the final reveal, which is all kinds of sad (but in a good way).

Psycho is a brilliant masterpiece of film making. It's got fantastic cinematography, stand-out performances from it's cast (mainly Anthony Perkins, who shines here like it's nobody's business), an amazing script, and a completely heartbreaking final twist. Psycho is without a doubt one of Hitchcock's finest films, and after all these years it still impresses, shocks, and chills.

5 STARS- BETTER THAN SEX

That does it for this year's Fright Fest. I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me throughout the whole thing. This was undoubtedly my most successful Fright Fest yet. Till next October, stay away from any shady motels and, once again, Happy Halloween.