PSYCHO

Alfred Hitchcock's, Psycho, a 1960 suspenseful, gruesome film starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Janet Leigh, attacks the audiences minds as a mystery. No one really knows what's going to happen, who killed who, who has the money, and most importantly- who's the real psycho. Furthermore, what I believe to be the most important aspect behind the plot and the overall techniques within the scenes is the suspense that comes with the powerful music and the "OH!!!" moments where everything seems to come together. The perplexing aspect throughout the film has your mind wondering, while also being scared. I believe Hitchcock did that with intention. Being the first film to really have any of these "scary movie" techniques, he set the stage. Inevitably, us as viewers, for the majority of the film, we are thinking that Norman's crazy mother is the one that killed Marion in the shower. We know Marion fled her town with the money she stole from her employer but Norman has no idea she has it. So why would his mother kill her? Because she's sick and doesn't know any better? Hitchcock paints that picture for us to believe that. Ultimately, it's revealed that it's been Norman all along and that he has a "split personality" and feels like he needs to be his mother half the time, then himself the other half of the time. We learn the details through Sam and Lila investigating the whole murder. As the characters find out the information of who killed Marion, so do we.  The mysterious aspect and the revealing of the details of the murder through the character's embodies the true value of this film. 

Psycho

Without the music in Physcho, I doubt it would be any scary. The music is loud, and it usually goes from total silence to loud music. Rapidly changing pace from silence to disturbing screeching violins connected with sudden moves in the movie is what makes us scared. A famous scene where this is used is the shower scene. We can first hear the calming water from the shower, almost like rain, and then we see a shadow in the curtain which builds the suspense and when he opens the curtain loud, and disturbing high pitched music appears. Hitchcock said to Herrmann that he wasn't going to include the music in that scene, but Herrmann wrote it anyway, and Hitchcock agreed that it was too good to throw away.

Psycho Response

The 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Pyscho, is known as being one of the first films to introduce the horror techniques that would be used for decades to come. But what is in this film that makes it so horrifying and entertaining for the viewer? I believe that a large reason why this film is considered so scary is the element of unknown that surrounds the Norman Bates' mother throughout the movie. In each of the murders that Norman commits, the face of the murder is never seen. After each murder, Norman is always cleaning it up while cursing his mother, seemingly unfazed by her actions. However, the mother is never seen until the end of the film, when it's revealed that she has been dead for over 20 years and Norman is the one who has been committing these murders. However, there is a sense of confusion and fear that surrounds the viewer as to who is actually the murderer throughout the entire film. This technique of dropping hints but keeping the viewer wondering is one technique that makes this movie the classic horror film.

PSYCHO

In present day horror films, producers and directors are having a hard time finding ways to scare the audience. The audience has been exposed to so many of the same tactics used in horror films, that they can tell when something is going to happen. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960, American horror film, Psycho, is still remembered as one of the greatest horror films in history.

Throughout the movie, I believe only three scenes scared the audience. The first scene, is the moments leading up before the shower scene, when the curtain is ripped off and she is stabbed. The second is when Aborgast, enters the house, walks up the stairs, and out of nowhere gets stabbed. The final scene is when Lila finds the corps of the mother in the cellar, and Norman comes behind her with the knife. During all three of these scenes, a tactic called jump scare is used. A jump scare is a tactic when something happens unexpectedly and suddenly, usually something popping out of nowhere, to scare the audience. Although this is a cheap method, it works.

All three of the jump scare scenes, include intense music that leads up to a one second scare. This builds up suspense and allows the audience to expect something soon.

The jump scare, along with the intense music leading up to it, is what makes a horror film scary.

What makes a movie scary

In a horror film there are only a couple of things director can do to make a movie scary they can use anticipation, suspense, pop outs, or murder.  These things are essential in horror films but I think that the director makes these scenes too predictable and at this point not many horror films can actually be scary.  Scenes are to predictable and it comes to a point where you can guess what happens.  When you watch these movies normally the only way can actually make you jump.  Horror films have to find a new way to scare people because it seems like ever horror film is the same because everyone goes into the movie knowing that its going to be scary so they sit there and just wait for the scary parts.  These movies need to do less advertising for there movies because they have to give us less to expect because many people already go into the movie knowing what will happen.

Psycho Response

The 1960 film, Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock was revolutionary for its ideas, sounds, and shots. Classified by many to be a "scary movie," I found this film to tilt more in the direction of a murder mystery. There were many musical melodies and sound effects that increased the intensity of the film, but after that, the scenes themselves were not too bad. I wanted to focus on a couple of particular scenes that I thought were very impressive.

The first is the scene where Norman was having a conversation with Marion, and his face was in the foreground on the right side of the screen, while there was a scary creature (some bird) in the background in a stance as if it was going to attack its prey. This creature has a lot of symbolic significance in the film, as Norman was in many ways invading in Marion's privacy.

Another scene that I liked was the shower scene, when there was a shot of the shower falling from above. One may ask, well how did the camera not get wet? The genius planning that Hitchcock had made it possible for this to happen because he used a huge faucet so that the camera could sneak inside and capture the water streams going around the perimeter of the lens.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of the film, and applaud Hitchcock for a number of the scenes where he used symbolic and filmic genius to communicate his message.

Psycho Response

Although Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” is classified as a scary film, I personally do not think that it is a scary movie. A scary movie has many unexpected things and has parts that make you jump. Psycho has does not have either of these. It does have a few unexpected things happen but because of the hype around the film everyone knows for the most part what is going to happen. The “shower murder” scene for example shows this well. During the scene Hitchcock does well to make the viewer very tense. The high-pitched strings that are played during the murder plus the sound of the knife going into the flesh are tough to hear without being tense but they do not make the scene scary. You can see this murder coming from a mile away, so that reduces the scare factor dramatically. The door opens slowly, you see the shadow, and then shower curtain is pulled. The viewers are given a huge amount of time to prepare themselves for the gruesome murder. As for the unexpectedness, there is not much of that either. The only thing that really comes as unexpected is the scene where you realize that Norman is the killer dressed up as his mother.  Although it is not very scary now, it can be speculated that it was a scary movie for its time.

Forbes "Psycho" Reaction

Psycho set a standard that horror films would follow (or attempt to follow) for decades to come.  Some people find it to be a scary movie, although I would argue it is more of a psychological thriller than a horror film.  Certain scenes are, however, effective in achieving the "scare factor."  But what makes things scary in the first place?  Sure, people are "scared" of being laid off their job or being eaten by sharks, but true terror, in my opinion, comes from the uncanny and the unknown.  Psycho establishes these things pretty early on, beginning with Norman Bates.  At first, he seems like a normal enough, kind person, but during his conversation in his parlor with Marion, he comes off as unusual and even creepy.  The stuffed birds in the room add to his strangeness.  The viewer gets the feeling that something isn't quite right with Norman, setting them on edge.  Then, during the infamous shower scene, the killer is a silhouette that looks like a woman.  This presents the "uncanny" that I mentioned earlier, as well as the unknown as we have no idea at that point who the killer is.  The fact that we are left guessing at the killer's identity is also a staple in thrillers, which as I said before is what Psycho really resembles.  The climax of the film in my opinion is the scene where Marion's sister turns the chair around in the cellar to find the skeleton of Mrs. Bates.  It resolves the mystery, but is still very unnerving as the viewer begins to realize how "psycho" Norman really is.  The grating sound of the music greatly adds to the suspense and horror of that moment.

Scary

Many things make movies scary. However, it is very easy for some people to say that one thing is scary and another thing isn’t scary. I never thought the movie was particularly scary but, it is easy to see how or why people in the movie theater would find Psycho to be scary. For something to be really scary it needs to relate to the people. If something is oddly similar to someone’s real life experience it is going to freak them out. If it is anyway relatable to the person, the viewer is going to be afraid of what they are watching. Also, if there is something that jumps out at you it will scare someone. It is all about the surroundings and what is going on. Most of the scaring comes from what happens, and how the viewer sees it. If the viewer is scared of ghosts, a paranormal movie will scare them. But if someone is scared of killings and freaking murderers, then they will be afraid of that and not the ghosts.

Psycho Film Response

Alfred Hitchock’s complex psychological thriller, Psycho, birthed the first horror film of all time. It features some of the most amazing cinematography ever capture on film. The shower scene is one of the most famous and iconic scene. We see in the beginning of this scene Marion Crane close the shower curtain then a close-up of her face right after. Her being naked in the shower emphasizes she is vulnerable. There are frequent cuts to the shower head which symbolizes the shower head is watching her. At one point, the camera is shot from the prescriptive of the shower head. This almost foreshadows that something is not right, the audience awaits for something bad to happen. A shadowed figure with a knife in his hand tears the shower curtain open and there’s an extreme close-up of her mouth as she is screaming, which captured the shock and fear of Marion. From this point on, all the shots progressively speed as the killer repeatedly stabs Marion. Although there is only one shot where the knife is going through Marion’s skin, the editing/cuts helps the audience believes she is actually being stabbed. Majority of the violence we think is going on isn’t actually there, our imagination led us to believe there is. The music also helps contribute the terror in the film. The screeching music adds to the horror, it is a sharp piercing sound. After the mother leaves we see a close-up of Marion’s hand sliding down the shower wall, the pace of the music changes to a slower pitch and slower cuts which tells the audience something very bad has happened. Now Marion lays dead on the floor, and there is a close-up of her eyeball which completely open, the camera pulls back and the only sound is the running shower water. 

Psycho: Musical Screech

If there is one thing to take away from Hitchcock's Psycho, it is the importance of there score. More specifically the importance of the 'screeching' score right before Norman Bates(Anthony Perkins) goes for a kill. This score was written by Bernard Herman, and played only three times throughout the entire film. The first time was used in the shower seen for the murder of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), and it was the first time we hear the screech of the violins. For the movie viewer it an unexpected sound really loud really obnoxtious really high pitched. The sound is quite suspenseful making the scene far more scary then it was with out it. The second time the 'screech' was used was during the murder of Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam) the private detective. When the music starts the viewer instantly knows another murder is about to take place, since it only rarely comes and it is the same exact sound as the last murder. When the sound of the 'screech' comes on the movie watcher as a feeling of "oh no" of surely something bad is about to happen, as it does... The last time the music plays is right after  Lila Crane(Vera Miles) Marion's sister screams after discovering the mothers corpse in the basement. Her scream and hitting of the light switch sets off the 'screech' for the 3rd and final time. The viewer instantly expects another murder is about to take place since the 'screech' is back, and one nearly happens. Norman Bates comes running down the stairs dressed as his mother holding a long knife ready to kill. Luckily Sam Loomis (John gavin) saves the day by wrestling Norman to the ground at the last possible minute saving the life of what was to be another one of Normans victimes. This film teaches the importance of sound in a movie. Without the 'screech' the movie would not nearly have been as terrifying as it was. The suspense that is built up inside us is all built upon the sound put in our brains. Without it the chill we get down our spine would not exist. 

Scary movies are made to take some excitement away from the viewers and it also makes the person feel a little uncomfortable to watch the movie. Some movies are known to be scary by a combination of multiple things like the intimidating music and the unexpected view of people doing something horrible. The music is one thing that can seem suspicious within the film which can tell the viewer that something horrible is going to happen. Some movies can be sometimes known as scary by the name of the film and also because of the viewers not expecting the unexpected while watching the film.

The film, Psycho, didn’t exactly seem like a scary movie to me because I did expect those killings from Norman. I wasn’t really scared of watching the film because I realized it within the name that there were going to be some things unexpected things to happen that no one else would expect to happen. The film was made to be scary because no one would have possibly expected Norman to have a split personality and who would have killed Marion Crane including the detective. It was interesting to see how the music and Norman’s actions were the main parts of how this film was considered scary to some people. It was just unexpected to see that Norman would actually kill anyone, as an innocent person, but who is actually a psychopathic maniac who would then blame his actions on his mother who actually was dead for some many years. 

Psycho

As the black and white film, Psycho, begins the hair on your arms is already raised. There is something creepy about the way the movie is even introduced. The words "Psycho" appears on screen with background music that makes your adrenaline rush.
Honestly, there was nothing scary about actually seeing the main character get killed; it was clearly fake. But, the suspense Hitchcock created is what really got me frightened. One aspect that contributed to this was the music. The high pitch music made it obvious something was going to happen before it was even executed. When I heard the repetitive haunting music, I knew immediatly something bad was going to happen. But, it took at least 6 bars in the music before it actually happened. Those 6 bars were absolutely agonizing. My heart was beating the whole time and I just wanted it to happen already so I didn't have to be on edge. Hitchcock also often allowed the audience to know things the characters did not know. This suspenseful technique not only made me extremely angry, but also made me scared for what could come next. For example, I knew where the "mom" was before the sister discovered her in the basement. When the sister opened the door I automatically knew the scene couldn't end well. I wanted to scream at the screen and let the sister know what she was in for. But, obviously all I could do was allow it to happen. A lot of other scary movies use this technique as well. For me, I don't think it is necessarily scary to see the person in the movie actually get killed. I think what is truly scary about a movie is when the killer is in the closet and you know that, but the main character does not. I always catch my heart beating so fast before the event actually occurs. Once the scene happening and then eventually is over, I no longer feel nervous or scared. Ultimately, it is the suspense the director builds up that makes a movie scary.

Spooky Scary Skeletons

I love horror movies of all kinds- from the Alien movies, to The Silence of the Lambs, to even the Saw films (or at least the first couple of them). While blood and gore can sometimes be fun and a good time, the real scary stuff is elsewhere. I like psychological thrillers, movies that make you think, draw conclusions, be paranoid about what's right around the corner for the characters, literally perhaps (although jumpscares have to be done right in order to have merit in my book). The ones that leave an impression are the ones that screw with my mind.

Psycho is the classic horror movie at its core. Whereas in Jaws, you almost never see the shark, in Psycho, you never actually see the face of the assailant until the very end of the film where everything is revealed. When attacking Marian, the face is kept as a silhouette. The only real view of the assailant as he stabs Arbogast is a top-down shot. The film kept this information from the viewer on purpose- the less the viewer knows about the danger, the more scary the danger is. It's the same reason people are afraid of the dark- they can't see the potential danger. Humans need information. We feel better knowing everything so we can properly analyze the situation and make decision. But when the audience is kept mentally in the dark during a horror film, they don't know what to think. And this was shown to an audience not accustomed to such movies like we are. I can't imagine the thought process that accompanied the reveal that the mother died years ago.

There were many other defining parts of Psycho. Need I mention the music? The scores from the killing parts are the most iconic sounds in the film industry. It's loud, it's discordant, it's shrieking, and it's unstoppable. It set the stage for many films to come. Thus, while it might not be that scary to people today, it certainly scared the ever-loving crap out of anyone 50 years ago.

My favorite scene has to be Marian's sister walking in on the corpse in the chair in the basement. As she knocks the hanging lightbulb in her fear, throwing shadows around the room. The light bounces through the hollow eyes and mouth of the corpse's head, casting eerie, moving shadows in them. It's creepy as hell.

Haymes Psycho Reaction - What Makes "Psycho" Scary?

As someone who has an incredible hatred of scary movies, I was surprised to find myself genuinely enjoying Psycho. In my opinion, this is most likely because what makes this movie scary is very different from what makes the majority of today's horror films scary. Today's horror movies scare people with high quality special effects intended to create visual representations of the supernatural world. However, Psycho manages to be scary using nothing but knife murders, jump scares, and heart pounding music. What makes these rather simplistic killings so scary is exactly that, their simplicity. The perpetrator of these killings is a seemingly normal person, and his murders take place in normal, everyday situations. Even his name, "Norman", seems to portray a sense of averageness, leading the audience to think that if a normal man like him can secretly be such a psychotic murderer, why not anyone else they meet? He also commits his murders in everyday situations, such as in the shower. A shower is a place where people spend time every day, and this scene drove 1960's audiences to become scared of showering. Leading up to the shower scene, the first toilet flush in a major motion picture is shown, which probably made the 1960's audience feel just a bit uneasy. That uneasy feeling followed them out of the theater and into their everyday lives. It is this everyday application of the fears generated by Psycho that make this film so scary.

The film, to this day, still generates fear of the bathroom:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2582566/Schoolchildren-aged-nine-left-terrified-bathroom-teacher-plays-horrific-clip-shower-scene-1960s-Hitchcock-film-Psycho.html