Psycho [Special Edition] [2 Discs]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Alfred Hitchcock was already one of the most influential filmmakers alive when he released Psycho in 1960, but with that film he rewrote nearly all the rules of how a suspense film was made, and the movie's bold approach and edgy subject matter helped make it one of Hitchcock's most popular and enduring works. Nearly fifty years after it first hit screens, Psycho has lost little of its power to shock, and as part of their "Universal Legacy" series, Universal Home Entertainment has released a new two-disc DVD edition of the film, ten years after Psycho first appeared in the digital format. Psycho has been given a new widescreen transfer for this release, letterboxed at 1.85:1 on conventional televisions and enhanced for 16x9 playback on anamorphic monitors. The image looks great, with strong blacks and a full range of grey tones, and the source materials are clean and free of scratches and speckles. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, and while the fidelity is limited by the technology of the day, the sound quality is impressive for the period and the transfer is very good. In addition to the original English language audio track, an alternate French dubbed version is also included, and optional subtitles in English, French and Spanish are also on board. Most of the bonus materials included with this set were also featured on the 1998 release, including a full-length documentary on the making of Psycho which features extensive interviews with screenwriter Joseph Stefano and actress Janet Leigh. However, there are a few items new to this set, among them an informative commentary track from Stephen Rebello (author of a book on Psycho) and a classic episode from the television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "Lamb To The Slaughter" (which was directed by Hitchcock himself). Other extras on this set include an additional documentary in which a number of noted filmmakers discuss Hitchcock's impact on contemporary cinema, a vintage "visual pressbook" on the initial marketing of Psycho, several trailers and TV spots for the film, the infamous shower scene isolated with and without music, Saul Bass's original storyboards for the shower sequence, still photographs and behind-the-scenes snapshots from the shoot, a gallery of posters and lobby cards, and audio excerpts from Francois Truffaut's celebrated interviews with Hitchcock. Given how good the first DVD release of Psycho was, many longtime fans may not feel the need to upgrade to this new edition, but if you haven't already added this film to your personal library, the "Universal Legacy" edition will satisfy the most devoted Hitchcock fan. (Two curious details about this set -- while this is part of the "Universal Legacy" series, Psycho was originally produced and released by Paramount Pictures, and the music that accompanies the DVD menus is actually from the 1990 made-for-television sequel, Psycho IV: The Beginning!) ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 2
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: DDM2.0
• Encoding: NTSC
• Screen: Black and White, Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: Spanish, French
• Features:
  • Disc 1:
  • Feature commentary with Stephen Rebello (author of "Alfred Hitchock and the making of "Psycho")
  • Newsreel footage: The release of Psycho
  • The shower scene
  • The shower scene: Storyboards by Saul Bass
  • The Psycho archives
  • Posters and Psycho ads - lobby cards
  • Behind-the-scenes and production photographs
  • Production notes
  • Theatrical trailers
  • Disc 2:
  • The making of Psycho
  • In the master's shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
  • Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts
  • Alfred Hitchcock presents "Lamb to the Slaughter"

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Black and White Art Direction - 1960 (Joseph Hurley, George Milo, Robert Clatworthy)
•     Nominated Best Black and White Cinematography - 1960 (John L. Russell)
•     Nominated Best Director - 1960 (Alfred Hitchcock)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 1960 (Janet Leigh)

• AFI Fest

•     Film Presented - 2007

• American Film Institute

•     Won 100 Greatest American Movies - 1998

• Directors Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Director - 1960 (Alfred Hitchcock)

• Edgar Allan Poe Awards

•     Won Best Screenplay - 1960 (Joseph Stefano)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic - 1960 (Janet Leigh)

• Library of Congress

•     Won U.S. National Film Registry - 1991

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Anthony Perkins - Norman Bates
       Janet Leigh - Marion Crane
       Vera Miles - Lila Crane
       John Gavin - Sam Loomis
       Martin Balsam - Milton Arbogast, detective

• Director:

  Alfred Hitchcock

• Producer:

  Alfred Hitchcock

• Book Author:

  Robert Bloch

• Screenwriter:

  Joseph Stefano

• Cinematographer:

  John L. Russell

• Composer (Music Score):

  Bernard Herrmann

• Editor:

  George Tomasini

• Production Designer:

  Robert Clatworthy, Joseph Hurley

REVIEW:

• In a decade in which what was acceptable onscreen would change more radically than at any other time in history, Psycho was in some ways the first shot in the battle for freer filmmaking in the 1960s. Few movies of its time were more direct and unapologetic in their violence or served it up with such disorienting abruptness or tongue-in-cheek wit. With its casual depiction of sex outside marriage, fleeting nudity, bursts of shocking violence, killing off a major character less than halfway through the movie, and focus on the psychological subtext of the murderer's personality, as well as the geometric imagery of Saul Bass's credit sequence and the percussive strings of Bernard Herrmann's score, Psycho was the film with which Hitchcock left the 1950s behind and started the 1960s with relish. Time hasn't hurt the film, either; it still generates a palpable tension and the odd chemistry between Perkins and Leigh in their dinner scene is a wonder to behold. While the film is still frightening after all these years, repeated screenings reveal a cold-blooded humor; with Psycho, Hitchcock tore asunder the audience's expectations of what a suspense film should be, and he appears to have had a wonderful time doing it. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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