When watching the movie, I suspect that when Marion suggests a place for Mrs. Bates, she's probably thinking of a nursing home or retirement community. People can get crazy as they get older. However, Norman looks at Marion and says, "You mean an institution?" The way he describes a mental hospital in grim detail while not even blinking at Marion suggests he's seen this before. Gives me the creeps every time I watch that.
Jessica Jayes That's exactly the impression I got too. I always thought Marion was suggesting a nursing home or something of the like, and Norman's reaction gives an interesting insight into how he perceives reality. Everyone's out to get him. He immediately assumes that she means a mental asylum, and the way he goes into detail about them suggests that he has had prior experiences involving them. Very well written film.
This was not mentioned in the video, but in the book Norman was briefly put in a mental hospital after he murdered his mother and her boyfriend. He had managed to successfully pass off his crime as a murder/suicide committed by his mom, but suffered severe shock. If I remember correctly, the authorities found him in a catatonic state. Norman was released after a month and then dug up his mother.
I kind of feel so bad for Norman. A man abused by his own mother and insanity caused by it. I would want to give him a hug as long as he doesn't stab me.
My mother let me see this when I was 7-8. Yea.... I didn't shower for like a month, and when I eventually did, I kept the curtain open the whole time staring at the door. Good times....
I’ve been watching Psycho every October and intermediately throughout the year for around five years now, and I finally got around to watching the entire Psycho franchise. After, I read the books. You cannot believe how hard it was to try and picture somebody other than Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. Honestly, so many people have oversimplified Norman’s story. I always felt like the three personalities were clear. Too many people think Norman is a ‘crazy transvestite’ because they heard the word at the end and couldn’t retain anything else from the movie.
it's shown in Bates Motel that Norman's psyche is really broken into the three personalities, but is in a sweet akward teenager kinda way, they really explain the character and his complex psyche
2:06 - The reason the character's name Mary Crane was changed to Marion is because there was an actual woman named Mary Crane living in Phoenix, Arizona - where the film is set in the opening scenes - at the time production began.
I would like to point out how heavily Norman is into psychology in the book. He even self-analyzes himself and comes quite close to diagnosing his own schizophrenia, but only the adult norman and little boy norman part of him. He also tries to talk to his mother about how he might have an Oedipus complex. Which she scolds him and calls him disgusting for it.
Just received my copy of the book today and finished it in one sitting. Highly recommend, Bloch is a great writer and he keeps the short book moving along at a pretty good clip. Every single line keeps you hooked, even knowing the twist, the prose is just that good.
For some reason, I also want Cinefix to talk "What's the Difference" between original films and remakes. A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Thing, The Fly, The Blob, etc.
Watched the original Psycho with my son when he was 10. The scene with Norman and Mary talking in the back office of the hotel had him freaked out. He literally asked me "Which ones the psycho?" Hicthcock really knew how to pluck at the primal fears of humans.
I forgot it was originally a book, and I prefer to stick with memories of movie version, which really creeped me out. Poor Janet Leigh, she revealed that she could never take showers after making that movie
another curious fact is that Bloch was one of Lovecraft's proteges way back in the day... so one master of horror who educated another who created a psychopath who couldn't pick up a decapitated head
Incas didn’t have ziggurats, they made their homes out of stone and thatched roofs. Also, they weren’t naked or wearing teeth necklace, they were familiar with gold and high level members would wear masks and jewelry out of gold
The comments are about a weird movie, taken from a weird teleplay, taken from a weird book, taken from an actual criminal case, of an actual psychopath's crimes. So, why wouldn't, at least, some of these comments be weird?!
I have heard that they put that long explanation of Norman's mental state at the end of the movie, because it was quite controverrial having a man dressed like a woman at that time. So they explained everything to state clearly that Norman was mentally ill.
Humans at least us Americans hate being reminded how truly disgusting we are that's why married couples slept in two twin sized beds in television shows...
There is one other minor difference: In the book, Arbogast reassures Lila that his investigation led him to Fairvale independently, while movie Arbogast brags that he followed them from Phoenix.
I always thought it was a little bit excessive how many forced-coincidence moments Marion had on her way to the motel (to ratchet up the trademark Hitchcock tension extra fast), seeing her boss and running into the same cop twice. And the fact that the cop doesn't do more to check out this cartoonishly suspicious person is almost farcical. That cop would have to be like Chief Wiggum to shrug off such obvious warning signs.
The killer who inspired psycho is the same guy who was the inspiration for buffalo bill in silence of the lambs. Speaking of which, that would make a very good what's the difference episode.
I never got that the bound volume contained pornography. They buried sex in such subtle innuendo back then that I completely missed it. I think I thought it was a diary or something. Dammit, now I have to watch the movie again.
There's one major difference you neglected to mention. Both the book and the film end explaining that the Mother personality has taken over, and both monologues include the phrase "wouldn't hurt a fly" but they exist in different contexts: When Mother thinks it at the end of the book, she's essentially thinking that Norman was the murderous part of their joint personality and she took over for his own good. That's why she wouldn't hurt a fly. At the end of the movie, it's more insidious, like she isn't hurting the fly on camera for the benefit of the doctors. That way she'll enjoy a prompt release; the audience is still left to wonder whether or not she's sincerely passive.
Which ending do you prefer? I haven't read the book, but the way you made it explain, the Mother in the book sounds more nefarious while in the movie she's smarter. I think I might prefer the movie ending, but both are really good in their own way.
its funny to hear what movies were panned by critics back when they were released but are now considered classic films that everyone must see. i wonder what films will be like that from our generation
+UberNeuman interesting fact - his ascent up the stairs was actually him walking backwards down them, then the footage played in reverse, which gives a subtly unreal feel to the scene. Personally though, my favourite of the series is Psycho II. A hugely underrated film.
Yeah, the first 25 minutes of the movie is basically a mini Hitchcock TM movie. All those little one-in-a-million bad luck moments that bite the immoral protagonist in the ass are a common theme in the standard Hitchcock movie, though they're normally spread out a little thinner, making them a bit more plausible. But it seems like Hitchcock specifically wanted to trick the audience into thinking they were in for more of the same old trademark Hitchcock shtick, before he pulled the rug out from under them. That meant having to rush to get his little standard mini-movie over and done with so he could interrupt it with the invention of the slasher flick. So, consequently he had to pile on a lot of those tension-building bad-luck "coincidences" in a row... almost to the point of absurdity.
Just a note - the movie does indeed ignore the novel's subplot about Sam being attracted to Lila, but in the film "Psycho II" it is revealed that the two later got married.
My parents knew Ed. They were teenagers when all this happened and all lived in plainfield. My grandmas house was across the street from the hardware store too....its pretty cool.
Psycho might have had mixed reviews but listening to the commentary many times - the shower scene was electrifying for something perceived diabolical for its day.
Artist Film I was talking about your comment with my mother and she told me that what you said was true for her. She refused to shower unless someone else was in the house after watching the film for about a month. I've never seen Psycho but after comment I still debate on watching it.
ThatDork Oh I see, well it is always interesting to hear about how other people thought of the film when it was released in that day and how other people have perceived it. It is one of my favourite horror films to this day. I like it a lot because it was also the inspiration for John Carpenters Halloween, believe it or not. I’ve listened to the commentary many times and is always quite intriguing one way or another. Thanks for your input!
Gein was arrested about a month after my dad was born. 20 something years after his arrest, dad and one of his friends found themselves walking into a Plainfied bar for lunch during a day with the Harleys. After his buddy asked if Plainfield was where Gein was from, the bartender encouraged them to leave before the locals beat the hell out of them.
Skeletons or corpses normally don't scare me in movies but something about Norman's mother in this movie scares the hell outta me. When you put her face on Norman in the shower scene, that made me jump really badly.
Can you make "The silence of the lamb" what´s the difference? My Husband just saw it for the first time ever and really like it, I just watch it again with him and still amazed that is so good... :D Thanks!
They are very similar expect for part of Jame's back story and Hannibals appearance some of his dialogue and the Jack Crawford subplot I would like to see it though since the Hannibal books are my favorite.
mothafuckathomaselliot And its glorious that was my main problem with the movie Hannibal besides Julianne Moore but they still find because of his hand x-ray but most people have five fingers.
