![]() ![]() No one could play Norman Bates quite like he did.Checking out! Unfortunately, it’s almost time to say goodbye to Bates Motel on Netflix, friends. ![]() Perkins was absolutely the best choice for the role. Perkins brings the ups and downs of Norman’s situation and aligns them perfectly with the ups and downs of the film. He’s able to show the switch from Norman to his mother with only the slightest change in his eyes and facial expression. He does it gradually with the film, rather than an immediate switch from semi-normal to totally crazy. ![]() He does an excellent job of portraying Norman’s descent into madness. If you go into this film with zero knowledge about it, Perkins makes you believe that Norman is the good guy and will stay the good guy, if not the good guy who’s just a little off-putting. However, there’s that one thing that seems off, but you’re not sure what. Now, that’s the exact opposite of who he is, but for the sake of his mother and himself, he must rely on that boyish charm, which Perkins absolutely nails. Norman is a character who seems so innocent and child-like when he’s initially introduced to the story. Courtesy of Paramountįinally, I can’t talk about Psycho without mentioning Anthony Perkins, the actor who brilliantly brought Norman Bates to life. Herrmann’s score ties the film together the perfect bow on top. The urgent and shrill music during the more terrifying scenes makes you afraid to turn around and will send chills up and down your spine. The more laid-back music at the beginning gives you a moment of peace before Marion flees. Every single note fits perfectly to each scene, enhancing the viewing experience. From the slower and less urgent music to the fast-paced music filled with shrill notes, Herrmann creates a soundscape that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. It gave Hitchcock more room to play with light and shadows and cinematography in general, creating a film that felt much more attuned to its horror element for the time, because it was black-and-white.Īnother aspect that helped up the horror ante was the music, which was composed by Bernard Herrmann. I think that black-and-white actually enhances the scare factor. Originally, Psycho was supposed to be filmed in color, but Hitchcock decided to use black-and-white instead, claiming that color would scare audiences more (and also for budget reasons, but that’s not the important part here). As Norman sits in the jail cell, staring into the camera, it’s nearly impossible not to wonder what happens next. It offers momentary reprieve from everything that happened, but the suspense STILL doesn’t let up. Once the film reaches its conclusion, we learn that Norman’s mother has been dead for 10 years (murdered by her own son), and Norman embodied her personality (creepy, much?). In the continuing build-up of suspense that takes viewers to the end of the film, Norman gets progressively more psycho, bringing you to the edge of your seat and holding your breath. As they close in on Marion’s whereabouts, Norman and his mother also start to panic a little, but not entirely quite for the reason you would think. Marion doesn’t last much longer after that, once Norman’s mother senses Norman’s attraction to Marion, leading us to the infamous shower scene.Įventually, people realize Marion is missing and decide to search for her. Of course, she makes it to the (pretty shady) Bates Motel, and we meet the endlessly creepy Norman Bates. One of my favorite elements about Psycho is its never-ending suspense (but what’s a Hitchcock film without suspense?), even through to the end of the film! As soon as Marion flees Phoenix, I was watching at the edge of my seat, waiting for her to get caught along the way, especially when she trades in her car. Caught in a downpour on her journey, she decides to stop at a middle-of-nowhere motel – Bates Motel – run by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a man still under his mother’s control. If you’ve never heard of this classic, here’s the low-down: After Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a secretary from Phoenix, steals $40,000 from her employer’s client, she goes on the run. The film was written by Joseph Stefano and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Today, we’re topping off our month-long celebration with the 1960 film Psycho, which is an adaptation of the Robert Bloch novel by the same name. This month, the staff at Nerds and Beyond brought you some of our favorite spooky movies to get you in the Halloween spirit. ![]()
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