Film Review: PSYCHO (1960)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Joseph Stefano (screenplay), Robert Bloch (novel)
Running time: 109 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): X

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
USA Release date: 8^th September 1960

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 10^th February 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I’ve seen a few times before but this is the first time I’ve put down my thoughts on it. With the recent release ‘Hitchcock’ hitting the screens here in the UK I thought it a good time to take a look at the film that one uses as its backdrop. I must say it’s quite a masterful piece of filmmaking, quite daring for its day and widely imitated since. But I digress, here’s a very brief summary (there must be someone out there who hasn’t seen it yet) and then I’ll give you my thoughts.

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) steals a large sum of money from her boss and heads off to be with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), in a small town some way from Phoenix where she lives. Getting lost on the way she stops at a remote motel run by one Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). At this point I’ll not describe the events at the Bates Motel (spoilers), but let’s just say Marion disappears. Worried for her sister, Lila Crane (Vera Miles) hires a private detective, Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam) to try and find Marion and retrieve the missing money. The spotlight soon falls on the Bates Motel and Norman has much to hide.

A truly excellent piece of filmmaking; yes, it’s a bit ‘wordy’ in places, but that was the style back then. There are equally many scenes in which there is no dialogue at all and these are even better in my book. Hitchcock knew just how much to show the audience to intrigue them and I so wish there were more filmmakers around today who were as adept as he was. The performances were all excellent; particularly Janet Leigh as the conflicted felon and Anthony Perkins as the mentally tortured motel owner. The only thing I felt let it down was the very long explanation towards the end; where every nuance of the condition afflicting Bates is exposed. I didn’t feel that much detail was needed; but I could be nit-picking a bit here. It’s a great piece of filmmaking and one every fan of the movies should see at least once.

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 9.4/10.

IMDb Score: 8.6/10 (based on 232,615 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/?ref_=sr_3

MetaScore: No data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 97/100 (based on 78 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 90/100 (based on 200,428 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/psycho/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Marion Crane: Do you have any vacancies?
Norman Bates: Oh, we have 12 vacancies. 12 cabins, 12 vacancies.

Norma Bates: [voice-over] No! I tell you no! I won't have you bringing some young girl in for supper! By candlelight, I suppose, in the cheap, erotic fashion of young men with cheap, erotic minds!
Norman Bates: [voice-over] Mother, please...!
Norma Bates: [voice-over] And then what? After supper? Music? Whispers?
Norman Bates: [voice-over] Mother, she's just a stranger. She's hungry, and it's raining out!
Norma Bates: [voice-over] "Mother, she's just a stranger"! As if men don't desire strangers! As if... ohh, I refuse to speak of disgusting things, because they disgust me! You understand, boy? Go on; go tell her she'll not be appeasing her ugly appetite with MY food... or my son! Or do I have to tell her because you don't have the guts! Huh, boy? You have the guts, boy?
Norman Bates: [voice-over] Shut up! Shut up!

Lila Crane: Look, that old woman, whoever she is, she told Arbogast something. I want her to tell us the same thing.
Sam Loomis: Hold it, you can't go up there.
Lila Crane: Why not?
Sam Loomis: Bates.
Lila Crane: Then, let's find him. One of us can keep him occupied while the other gets to the old woman.
Sam Loomis: You'll never be able to hold him still even if he doesn't want to be held. And, I don't like you going into that house alone.
Lila Crane: I can handle a sick old woman!

LINKS:
(NOTE: All links were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Film Review: CATCH-22 (1970)

Director: Mike Nichols
Writers: Joseph Heller (Novel), Buck Henry (Screenplay)
Running time: 122 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/War
USA Release date: 24^th June 1970

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 21^st January 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I saw many years ago… I didn’t really understand it then and so I thought I’d give it another look (having matured a bit in the meantime). I must say it’s very weird, anarchic at times and has a lot to say politically… it’s also quite compelling. Based on Joseph Heller’s famous novel which, I have to confess, I’ve never read so you’ll be getting my opinion of the film as a stand-alone piece. But enough of my prattling; let’s have a crack at a synopsis before I give you my thoughts.

Whilst flying missions in Italy during World War II, Capt. John Yossarian decides he wants out and tries to get himself certified insane… But there’s a catch… Catch-22 to be precise. I won’t tell you exactly how it works here; but needless to say, it’s a pretty cunning way of keeping the boys flying. We also meet all of his crew and the locals they associate with when not on duty. There are also those who are out for themselves; Col. Cathcart, Maj. Danby and 1st Lt. Milo Minderbinder to name but a few. All this is interspersed with flashbacks to Yossarian’s efforts to help a young airman who is injured on a mission. I really don’t want to say too much, it’s one of those you have to see for yourself to get a grasp of. Also, the Spoiler Police will be selling off all my stuff.

This is an interesting film that has a lot to say about many things; not least war and capitalism. I won’t go into the political questions it raises, but needless to say the point is put across quite forcibly. Decent performances all round, particularly from Alan Arkin as Capt. John Yossarian; he did a first rate job here! Honourable mentions go to; Martin Balsam as Col. Cathcart, Richard Benjamin as Maj. Danby, Art Garfunkel as Capt. Nately, Jack Gilford as Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka, Buck Henry as Lt. Col. Korn, Bob Newhart as Maj. Major Major, Anthony Perkins as Chaplain Capt. A.T. Tappman, Paula Prentiss as Nurse Duckett, Martin Sheen as 1st Lt. Dobbs and Jon Voight as 1st Lt. Milo Minderbinder. Finally a special mention for Orson Welles who played a brilliant cameo as Brig. Gen. Dreedle.

Although I found this film entertaining, I did find it did drag on a bit towards the end. About 20 minutes shorter and it would have been ideal (for me). It’s all very well shot, but I’m afraid it suffers from having the feel of some ‘Frat-house’ comedy which didn’t really endear it to me too much. That aside, I did find parts of it were quite compelling although I did struggle to have much empathy with any of the characters… even the lead. For its day though I thought it was quite groundbreaking and quite an eye-opener (in more ways than one). At the end of the day an interesting adaptation… I’ll have to read the book sometime.

My score: 6.9/10.

IMDb Score: 7.1/10 (based on 10,995 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0065528/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 87/100 (based on 23 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 62/100 (based on 9,365 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/catch22/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Yossarian: Let me see if I've got this straight: in order to be grounded, I've got to be crazy and I must be crazy to keep flying. But if I ask to be grounded, that means I'm not crazy any more and I have to keep flying.

Yossarian: Is Orr crazy?
Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka: Of course he is. He has to be crazy to keep flying after all his close calls he's had.
Yossarian: Why can't you ground him?
Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka: I can, but first he has to ask me.
Yossarian: That's all he's gotta do to be grounded?
Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka: That's all.
Yossarian: Then you can ground him?
Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka: No. Then I cannot ground him.
Yossarian: Aah!
Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka: There's a CATCH?
Yossarian: A catch?
Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka: Sure. Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat isn't really crazy, so I can't ground him.
Yossarian: Ok, let me see if I've got this straight. In order to be grounded, I've got to be crazy. And I must be crazy to keep flying. But if I ask to be grounded, that means I'm not crazy anymore, and I have to keep flying.
Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka: You got it, that's Catch-22.
Yossarian: Whoo... That's some catch, that Catch-22.
Dr. 'Doc' Daneeka: It's the best there is.

Capt. Nately: Don't you have any principles?
Old man in whorehouse: Of course not!
Capt. Nately: No morality?
Old man in whorehouse: I'm a very moral man, and Italy is a very moral country. That's why we will certainly come out on top again if we succeed in being defeated.
Capt. Nately: You talk like a madman.
Old man in whorehouse: But I live like a sane one. I was a fascist when Mussolini was on top. Now that he has been deposed, I am anti-fascist. When the Germans were here, I was fanatically pro-German. Now I'm fanatically pro-American. You'll find no more loyal partisan in all of Italy than myself.
Capt. Nately: You're a shameful opportunist! What you don't understand is that it's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
Old man in whorehouse: You have it backwards. It's better to live on your feet than to die on your knees. I know.
Capt. Nately: How do you know?
Old man in whorehouse: Because I am 107-years-old. How old are you?
Capt. Nately: I'll be 20 in January.
Old man in whorehouse: If you live.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer (Not the official one):