Visual Index ~ Psycho's (Best) Shots
Monday, March 18, 2013 at 7:57PM With Bates Motel premiering tonight on A&E starring Vera Farmiga as the infamous Norma Bates, let's look back at your choices (and mine) for Psycho's Best Shots. Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece made for one of the most popular editions ever of Hit Me With Your Best Shot (this Wednesday's film is 1952's foreign Oscar winner Forbidden Games so don't miss out)... so let's revisit.
We all go a little mad sometimes. If you feel like escaping click on any of the images, presented in chronological form, play the shrieking violins in your head, and be transported to the article on that shot...
Please to note: I cheated a little since we lost some articles (why do people shut down their free blogs/tumblrs?) and put in all three of my favorite shots in this visual breakdown. 14 more shots after the jump...
the end
Reader Comments (13)
Wait, are there bad shots in this film?
I love Vertigo, but this is still far and away my favorite Hitchcock. Pure brilliance.
Norman's leaning head, Norma's smirk, Vera's mirror reflection would be my three favourites.
That subjective shot of the curious cop looks so similar between both films. They're seriously the spitting image of one another.
My favorite shot is Martin Balsam falling down the stairs. It feels so off, it looks like it broke the laws of physics for a split second, and yet we see the opposite of Marian Crane; a fully dressed man not in an enclosed spaced looking around for something. It was the scariest movie moment for me when I was a kid, mainly because I had already been exposed to the shower scene shot. It's also a shot that I desperately want to see how it was shot and executed.
WHAT?!?! No final smile from Norman/Mother before the car is pulled from the swamp?
Can you believe I saw the Gus Van Sant remake before seeing the original, crazy huh? (I had a fanboy thing for Anne Heche at the time)
Great post! It refreshed my mind and I think I'll rewatch it later :)
I think it's interesting that 14 years after Psycho, Anthony Perkins and Martin Balsam were together again in Murder On the Orient Express. Perkins played a weird murder suspect with a mother complex, and Balsam was helping investigate. Deja vu.
Anthony Perkins is so, so pretty. I wish he could have found a little peace in real life. That triple shot of Vera Miles in the mirror is stunning.
Every single shot is brilliant. Janet was robbed by Shirley Jones. And imo Anthony Perkins in this may be the single best non-nominated performance I can recall.
Did windshield wipers really work that poorly on late 1950's Fords?
Hey! This is an excellent article! I was sort of surprised having arrived here randomly while procrastinating.