Psycho

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the premier of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Its memorable score and unforgettable shower scene have marked its place as an American classic.  Bernard Herrman was the composer of the anxious music accompanying the rainy night drive and of the shrill piercing strings which mixed with a running shower conveyed pure terror. Psycho was based on the Robert Bloch novel of the same name (which in turn was based on the crimes of serial killer Ed Gein). Psycho is called the first slasher film, stirred fright in viewers, and influenced countless films.


I must admit, though, that my favorite Hitchcock movie will always be Rear Window. Did you ever notice just how tiny Grace Kelly’s waist was? I think I liked it because there were so many interesting vignettes independent of each other although connected through the common apartment building… And of course for Grace Kelly’s comment “A woman never goes anywhere but the hospital without packing makeup, clothes, and jewelry.”

Check out these Hitchcock related resources at PCL:
DVDs - Psycho, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, The man who knew too much, The birds, The lady vanishes, Lifeboat, Rebecca, Rope, Strangers on a train, Vertigo

Music from the films - Psycho [compact disc] : great Hitchcock movie thrillers.

Non-fiction - The art of Alfred Hitchcock : fifty years of his motion pictures,

The dark side of genius : the life of Alfred Hitchcock

Short stories - Alfred Hitchcock presents stories not for the nervous.

Alfred Hitchcock presents stories that go bump in the night.

Alfred Hitchcock presents stories to be read with the lights on.

Alfred Hitchcock presents stories to be read with the door locked.

Do you have a favorite Hitchcock film?  Comment on this post.