DAY THIRTY - PSYCHO (1960)
In 1960 a movie came out that changed the way the public viewed horror - that film was Psycho. No longer were your beautiful lead actresses safe, no more were directors listening to the censors. Rules were broken and a director had cemented his place at the top of Hollywood. Psycho set new levels of acceptability for violence and sexuality, and is widely considered to be the first slasher film.
Psycho, based on the novel by Robert Bloch, was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starred Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Janet Leigh. It tells the story of a secretary who steals money from one of her clients and escapes to a lonely motel off of a main highway. Bates Motel is run by a disturbed young man, Norman Bates, and once the secretary goes missing her sister and boyfriend come looking. But of course, they get more than they bargained more.
Anthony Perkins was typecast after this film but he never regretted playing Norman Bates. Janet Leigh, after starring in this film, received strange, threatening phone calls and letters explaining what they would do to her character.
Psycho was filmed on a very small budget, Hitchock had a TV show at the time and borrowed the film crew from that show to film Psycho. At first the film received mixed reviews but after outstanding box office returns the film was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Support Actress and became critically acclaimed. After Hitchock's death in 1980 the studio began producing three sequels, a remake and a TV series. All of them failed.
There are so many great things about Psycho and it has a rich, fascinating history which is too much to get into here. Watch Psycho to round out your horror history and enjoy Norman Bates because damn if he isn't the most handsome serial killer - 10/10.
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