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Rated: 0.00/5 | Votes: 1 | Views: 38 |Submitted: 01/15/11

PSYCHO Review

By Heather Wixson

Starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Janet Leigh

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Distributed by Universal Home Video

It’s hard to imagine it’s been fifty years now since Alfred Hitchcock’s thrilling classic PSYCHO changed the film-going experience for audiences worldwide. In honor of the huge milestone, Universal finally released the iconic film on Blu-Ray and the remastering is something of a masterpiece itself.

PSYCHO as a film has been discussed at great lengths for a half-century now so there’s not much that this review could add to that legacy. Anyone who is a true horror fan knows that PSYCHO is the film that launched the modern horror movement and without it’s existence, most of us that cover horror at great lengths would not have a job. As a tortured villain that everyone can relate to, Anthony Perkins’ performance as Norman Bates has lost none of its impact over the years.

Universal’s HD release of PSYCHO shows that some studios know how to do a respectable restoration which also a cleaned up presentation complete with a brand-new 5.1 mix so that the film has never looked or sounded better for fans out there.

Most of the extras are pulled from the old Collector’s Edition DVD release from several years ago. However, most of those were strong featurettes (in the time and age where studios rarely put care and detail into supplemental material).

The first featurette is the re-mastered feature length documentary The Making of Psycho, which interviewed most of the then-surviving members of cast and crew - including the late Janet Leigh and Joseph Stefano. However, new to this edition is In the Master’s Shadow: Hitchcock’s Legacy, featuring interviews with filmmaking legends like Martin Scorcese, John Carpenter and Guillermo del Toro which explores the impact of Hitchcock on modern filmmakers.

The bottom line is if you’re a Hitchcock fan (or a horror fan who’s unfamiliar with the classic film), this is the definitive release of PSYCHO we’ve been waiting for all these years.

Special Features

· Feature-length audio commentary with Stephen Rebello (author of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho)

· The Making of Psycho: A feature-length documentary on Hitchcock's most shocking film

· In the Master's Shadow – Hitchcock's Legacy: Some of Hollywood's top filmmakers discuss Hitchcock's influence and why his movies continue to thrill audiences

· Hitchcock/Truffaut Interviews: Excerpts from a 1962 audio interview with Alfred Hitchcock

· Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho: Vintage newsreel on the unique policy Alfred Hitchcock insisted upon for the release of the film

· The Shower Scene: A look at the impact of music on the infamous "shower scene.

· The Shower Scene: Storyboards by Saul Bass: Original storyboard design

· Production Notes: Read an essay on the making of the film

· The Psycho Archives: See the gallery of on-set photo stills from the film's production

· Posters and Psycho Ads: See a gallery of original posters and ads from the theatrical campaign

· Lobby Cards: View a gallery of promotional lobby cards from the film's theatrical campaign

· Behind-The-Scenes Photographs: View rare photos showing the cast and crew at work

· Psycho Sound: A never-before-seen piece that looks at the re-mastering process required to create a 5.1 mix from the original mono elements using Audionamix technology

· Theatrical Trailer: Watch the original promotional trailer from the film's theatrical campaign.

· Re-Release Trailers: Watch the promotional trailer created for the re-release of the film

Rating: 5 out of 5 (movie and special features)