Psycho (1960)

Anthony perkins is the best every. they really worked on this movie. i have watched it 12 time i wish the director would have made more movies after this one.

Apparently Janet Leigh couldn't take another shower after making this movie. How times have changed. What was once a horrifying Slasher flick seems tame by tame by Today's standards. That it still holds water speaks volumes about How good this joint really was. The movie starts after Janet Leigh steals money from her Boss. She heads West ( I think) to be with her boyfriend so they can live Happily Ever After together with no worries. After driving through a bad storm, she pulls over to the Bates Motel to wait out the weather. After befriending Anthony Perkins, she has a change of heart and Decides to return the cash. That night while in the shower, she is Stabbed to death. The rest is what makes it such a great movie. I don't want to say too much and risk ruining it for anybody who hasn't seen it, but it is an Awesome movie. Janet Leigh's sister, played by Vera Miles, her boyfriend and a Detective try to get to the bottom of her murder. The end is pretty shocking, provided that it ha... Read more

Not only Hitchcock's finest (in my opinion), but one of the best movies ever made! Classy, sophisticated, eerily atmospheric, suspenseful (with some great twists and turns), and genuinely scary, even today. It has a great cast with Some very fine acting (especially from the late, Anthony Perkins), and the story was well thought out and brilliantly crafted. I loved the way that the film took a rather unexpected turn when the main character was killed off (quite early on). You were left thinking, "hang on! What's going on here?", "Just where is this heading?". It also had you believing (right up until near the end) that somebody else was responsible for the crimes, and when the truth is finally revealed, you are left shocked. I thought the ending was superb!, one which you'll never forget, genuinely creepy and intelligently done. This is one of those rare movies where, each time you view it, it just get's better and better. A masterpiece of film-making, that deserves a place in everyone... Read more

A very good movie. It's about a murdering psycho named Norman Bates. Years earlier he killed his mother and step father. Norman suffered from multiple personality disorder. He dug his mother up and started to take her place. In the death scene in the shower, Hitchcock used Hershey's chocolate syrup for blood. Because this movie was black & white, people couldn't tell that it wasn't red. This movie is a classic. Much better than the pathetic 1998 remake. I give Psycho a 4 star rating.

Its amazing what a little chocolate syrup down a drain, a knife and a strange music choice did to showering women everywhere.

This is what I call suspense. Brilliant key scene. Loved it. Absolutely must for if you like Hithcock.

One of the best suspence-thriller movies ever. Hitchcock's finest piece. Anthony Perkins best movie role. The sequels are to be ignored.

This flick is some ****ing scary ****. I wtached it last year and I didnt' take a shower for 3 days afterwrads. The wife blackmailed me into tkaking 1 in the end.

I Finally saw this movie this week,and I was not at all disappointed.Janet Leigh was great in her part. Over the years I knew alot of facts about this movie like the shower scene,and the Bates Motel and such,but after watching it all the way through I was surprised by a few things.First I never knew Marion was going to: for the lack of a better work "steal" the money from her boss and skip town. And I never knew she got killed so early in the movie,so when I saw the bathroom door open I was shocked she was about to get it.which makes it even more tragic because a few minutes earlier she had told norman bates she leaving very early i the morning,to turn around and try to get herself out of a "trap" as she put it.but of coarse she never made it out,but this really was a great movie.I can't wait to see it agian tomorrow.

Widely misinterpreted as a horror picture, Psycho is really a laugh riot, and Hitchcock knew it, throwing in a lot of jokes and picking a below-average cast to convey a portrait of some obsessive, one-dimensional characters. After seeing Vertigo, you can't possibly think this is scary. Hitchcock hitched his wagon to Sigmund Freud, and took a long, funny ride.

A brilliantly done film, easily one of Hitchcocks best. Full of mordant humour in addition to the horror. Hitchcock makes full use of symbolism in the movied, note particularly Janet Leigh's underwear and the stuffed animals.

Hasn't lost any ability to scare the shit out of me despite being made almost 50 years ago.

Anthony Perkins plays creepy and wacko Norman Bates superbly. Hitchcock's most controversial film. Supporting cast of Janet Leigh and Martin Balsam are also top notch. Subtlety is the key here- which makes this film all the more frightening.

Dated. . .but just about all Hitchcock films are worth a look. . .one of the first films to show a toilet (bizarre fact) as well as show a woman dressed that provocatively and then kill her off quickly- it's the grandaddy of slasher exploitation films. . .and it has a brain as well. . .a weird cinematic ride. . .

AM AFRAID OF THIS ONE,WHEN THE KILLING STARTED I TURN MY FACE.

Hitchcock made an absolutely terrfying film, and Janet Leigh is a great scream queen although her role is cut short! Hitch builds up the Manichean conflict between good and evil and then trumps it all by showing us that the evil is the wimp, Norman Bates!

Heeheehee...chocolate syrup in the shower. Those silly geese...

While clearly well-directed, I liked this movie primarily for it's first half, as it reflects the well-honored classic tradition of a timeless, suspense-filled thriller. In particular, I enjoyed seeing early film footage of downtown Tucson, as well as the protagonist's getaway shenanigans as she flees her hometown, as it breeds an spiraling aura of fear, distrust and tension. However, IMO the second half is not only a bit too creepy for me, but the character is also quite unrealistic. I like films in part for their general plausibility - as if I am really there and it is actually happening - so this one scored low on points for me from midway on. Four stars.

good movie one of hitchcocks best.

I must have been about five when I first saw Psycho. That shower scene scared me then and still trips me out a little.

The master movie from the master himself - Sir Alfred. Being a lifelong movie buff, I can honestly say that no movie has caught me so off guard by its sheer jolt power. Just when you think the movie is taking you in one direction - it does a complete 180 - and does it several times. Psycho is the holy grail of all suspense/horror/thriller films. The portayal of Norman Bates by Anthony Perkins is incredible - once you see it, it's totally inconceivable that anyone else could possibly played the role. Not only my favorite horror movie, but my favorite movie of all time. If Hitchcock was Van Gogh...Psycho would be his Starry Night.

Kudos to Janet Leigh who just died today. Her acting in this film was magnificent. Loved the ending; this is a masterpiece of a pyschological thriller.

Excellent movie. The only time it falters is the overly long explanation scene at the end with the psychiatrist. Anthony Perkins is suitably creepy as Norman Bates. There are several outstanding scenes including those with Mother, the parlor scene with Marion and Norman, Lila looking for Mother, etc. Janet Leigh is sexy and very sympathetic. I remember seeing Psycho for the first time on TV when I was about 13. I was totally shocked when the movie takes a complete u-turn. I had no idea what was in store, so I was stunned. Nowadays, the whole plot is given away by reviewers and descriptions on dvd or video cases. This is a shame - It has much more of an impact if you don't know anything about the plot. The acting, editing, writing, directing and cinematography are all first-rate. However, the music score by Bernard Herrmann deserves a special mention. This odd score with shrieking violins drives the film and keeps the viewer interested. It also provides an ominous tension throughout the... Read more

A very good movie. Alfred Hitchcock at his best. janet Leigh plays Marion Crane who steals money from her place of work and takes off. She ends up at the Bates motel.BIG MISTAKE! An odd man named Norman runs the motel.along with his mother who lives in a very eerie house on the hill.Halfway through the movie Norman stabs Marion to death in her shower.this is a shock since i did not expect the main character to die halfway through the movie.Relatives worried about Marion's missing come looking for her. end up at the same motel.Anthony Perkins is great as the strange Norman. The very end is terrific about Norman and his Mother.A movie that was not predictable. Just very well done. and without all the goriness that sometimes comes with suspensful movies.A real classic.

This is a good movie! I love the music and The bond between Norman and his mother is very interesting. It's the one that started all the great slasher flicks we have, it just has this effect on you that I don't know just makes you wanna watch this movie! I LOVED it!

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho (1960) is often considered the first modern film, as it breached previously taboo subjects (eg premarital relations). For the uninitiated, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is on the run after embezzling some money. She ultimately seeks temporary shelter at the Bates Motel run by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his unseen mother. Crane soon finds out that things are not as they seem and quickly meets her demise in the now famous shower scene. The film is an excellent example of how Hitchcock used suspense, rather than immediate gore and surprise to build tempo, plot and horror. The bottom line is that Psycho had aged extremely well due to the art that went into the direction and cinematography.

Heck, I think it belongs on the comedy list. This has got to be the funniest Overbearing Mother joke of all time. By the way, look hard when they pull Janet Leigh out of the shower--she's wearing underwear. Hitchcock always puts little laughs in for the attentive.

A brilliant Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece. Dynamite script. Hooks the viewer from Bernard Hermann's excellent opening strings. Norman Bates is not just a one dimensional psycho, he's complicated, vulnerable, and the viewer almost feels sorry for him. Fantastic performance by Anthony Perkins. Marion Crane(played wonderfully by Janet Leigh) is not just an innocent victim either, the fact that she's embezzeling money makes it even better. The famous shower scene, no matter how many times one watches this movie, it still manages to shock. The scene where Martin Arbogast is murdered is actually more heart pounding, a testament to Hitchcock's genius. A classic thriller/horror that many others don't even compare to.

Hitchcock knew how to scare you without stabbing three quarters of the cast to death. He knew how to build suspense and make it pay off. Things he did in this movie have been copied so many times, it's not even funny.

This movie was excellent - I saw it when I was very young, but this movie is a must-see whenever it's on in reruns. There are 2 classic scenes: the shower scene and the scene where the car slowly sinks to the bottom of the lake. Both have been copied more times than I can count. Hitchcock's masterpiece, in my opinion. It was way ahead of its time, which makes it modern. The psychological, sexual, and violent aspects were a first in movie history. The forerunner to the slasher film.

My second favorite Hitchcock movie, next to North By Northwest. Amazingly suspenseful, scary, and well-directed, acted, and shot.

THE BEST OF ALL TIME DAMNIT THE SCARIEST OF ALL TIME NORMAN BATES KICKS ASS OH GOD MOTHER BLOOD BLOOD STOP IT MOTHER STOP IT I WONT KILL U DIRTY DIRTY BOY ARE U SASTSIFIED WITH UR CABIN

Not only is it wonderfully done and incredibly suspenseful, it has an extremely deep story and the script is witty and wonderful. Perhaps best of all, Tony Perkins shines like no other performance in cinema as Norman Bates.

I knew the novel before I saw the movie, so when I saw Norman Bates I was a little fearful that I wouldn't be able to accept him as a psychotic. The book described as being plump and red-faced, but Mr. Perkins did a great job of being charming but quirky. The musical score is great and this is absolutely one of Hitchcock's best.

Hitchcock's best film, and the movie that started a new genre of film. The slasher movie would not exist without this gritty, disturbing, surprising and utterly terrifying masterpiece of obsession, schitzophrenia, lust, and perversity. There is no Halloween, no Texas Chainsaw Massacre, no Friday the 13th, no Nightmare on Elm Street, and no Scream without this film. And believe it or not, this is still the best one of them all. The Citizen Kane of horror films, and one of cinema's greatest directors greatest achievment.

What can one say? This is the most suspenseful movie ever made! Alfred Hitchcock pooled together all of his knowledge of pure cinema and rolled it into on big, black-and-white exploitation thriller. A very influential film, to say the least.

Back in 1959, no one could believe that Alfred Hitchcock was going to shoot a movie for a mere $800,000 in just 30 days using the crew from his TV series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Moreover, they couldn't understand why he was adapting a pulp novel by Robert Bloch inspired by the gruesome career of the Wisconsin serial killer, Ed Gein. The reaction must have been much like the bewilderment at news that Gus Van Sant intended to direct a shot-for-shot remake of this very masterpiece. Everyone must be familiar by now with the events at the Bates Motel. Indeed, folks tend to overlook the biggest and most glorious macguffins of Hitchcock's career - the life and crime of Marion Crane (Leigh). Her illicit hotel rendezous with marriage-shy lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin), the theft of $40,000 and the tortuous drive to the outskirts of Fairvale take up a goodly portion of the picture. Indeed, it seems like business as usual for the Master Of Suspense, until Marion takes a shower . . . With Psy... Read more

This is the way a scary movie should be done. I love the way Hitchcock was able to evoke shock without actually showing any gore or graphic violence. Even in the most shocking scene, the knife never touched the girl. The whole scene was carried with imagery. But it worked! It is so tastefully done in contrast with the slasher films that became popular later. This movie is good because the the thrill is based on suspense, not special effects or gore (whicih goes for other Hitchcock movies as well).

WHAT??? Psycho is a masterpiece! Psycho is probably the best movie of all time and destiny23 calls it dull!!! To everyone who did not say Psycho was a great film, I have a defense. Anubis, you say "this film is really great" and then give it a 4, which = good! Anyway, u say that its really great considering how old it is. What movies do u watch??? It came out in 1960! Have u never seen Ben-Hur, Rebel without a Cause, 12 Angry Men, anything by Chaplin, most any Hitchock or Wilder??? As to Callmetootie, the first half is very suspenseful and brilliantly done. The fact that the shower scene was done 50 minutes into the movie is amazing - the director killed off the main character in the middle of the film - that is shocking if u dont know if its coming and very daring since it was never done before. Read some analysies about the movie and study it and u will like it more, u seem literary, the movie reeks with symbollism and foreshadowings, it's a dark dark comedy, and recurring... Read more

Suspense and terror, but not gore. Hitchcock created a must-see movie. Only those with poor imaginations will find this film dull. Hitchcock's swinging lightbulb and use of shadows throughout the film is amazing.

One of Hitchcock's masterpieces. Psycho is a really scary movie and probably one of the best of its genre to ever be made. A staple for all people, no matter if you're a movie fan or not.

Hitchcock's masterpiece of suspense

Simply a fantastic piece of work. One of the best acting roles in the history of movies, is done in this film, by Anthony Perkins. I have never seen someone who can so fully play a part. What a magnificent job. The action is exciting, the horror is intense, and in general, this is total 5 star stuff. Definitely see it, for anyone.

The American Film Institute has chosen PSYCHO as the scariest (er...most heart-pounding) movie of all-time. I would certainly agree. Although I am not too fond of the sub-genre that this film spawned (the slasher flick), I am a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, and what he has done is created one of the most famous and influential motion pictures EVER! PSYCHO's technical brilliance is rarely matched and it's entertainment value is undeniably great. Although conceived as somewhat of a "black comedy," PSYCHO is without question the most sophisticated "horror" movie ever made.

This movie is really great considering how old it is.

PSYCHO is the greatest suspense thriller (not horror movie) of all time, without question! Sure, it does move along at a slow pace, but such is necessary in order to build suspense. The first half hour builds up to the shower sequence, while the rest of the movie moves at the same pace in order to keep the apprehention in the minds of the audience. This is certainly one of the few times where a movie is made for the audience, while at the same time being absolutely spectacular!

Don't even bother with the inferior (and unecessary) 1998 Psycho remake with Anne Heche and Vince Vaughan. The 1960 original shot in black and white remains a testament to the cinematic genius of director Alfred Hitchcock. That shot of Janet Leigh's staring dead eye after the shower scene still gives me jitters! Just don't expect a visit by Freddy Kruger if you haven't seen Psycho already. The only startling scene her is where Janet Leigh's character is murdered by Norman Bates. The rest of the movie is entirely predictable but is well-written and acted.

Chilling... Hitchcock's darkest and (in my opinion) his most mysterious and possibly his best (a close race w/ Vertigo). Recommended to all.

Psycho is an extremly overrated movie. When you hear about Psycho, you think scary, scary thoughts, but you haven't seen the movie yet. You are really waiting for the shower scene, wheich is like 1 hour into the movie, and it starts out extremly slow and nothing really happens until that scene, which is pretty disppointing. It is visually well done, and the scripts are nice and thick, but I was very disappointed.