In the summer of 1960 Alfred Hitchcock made America frightened of showers, motels and single males with mother issues. Psycho dared to go a lot of places that major Hollywood films never went. He also came up with a marketing scheme that refused to let anyone enter the theater once the screening started. What was being hidden behind those shut doors? The Psycho Legacy goes beyond the bonus features found on the numerous editions of Psycho released on DVD. The DVD’s release is timed to coincide with the Blu-ray of Psycho that also comes out on Oct. 19. This is the perfect supplement for those fanatical about all things Norman Bates. Here’s the press release from Shout! Factory:
For Immediate Release:
Celebrate 50 years of Psycho with the Ultimate Retrospective on the Most Influential Horror Film Series of All Time in a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD Set, Jam-Packed with Over 3-Hours of Bonus Content
Just when you thought it was safe to take a shower again, Shout! Factory is set to pull back the shower curtain and reveal THE PSYCHO LEGACY, a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD set that explores the history, impact and mystique of Psycho and the films that it spawned. In addition to the 90-minute documentary feature by filmmaker Robert V. Galluzzo, the set boasts more than three hours of bonus material, including extended interviews, an hour panel discussion with Psycho star Anthony Perkins, Psycho on the Web, a tour of the Bates Motel, and much, much more. Due in stores nationwide October 19, 2010, just in time to celebrate Psycho‘s 50th anniversary, THE PSYCHO LEGACY Special Edition will be available to own for $19.93 SRP.
In 1960 Alfred Hitchcock took a seemingly mild-mannered “boy-next-door” and turned him into a murderous madman obsessed with his dead mother, catapulting the horror genre into a new realm of possibility — laying the foundation for the “slasher film” genre — and forever changing the American public’s relationship with showers. Anthony Perkins’ chilling portrayal of Norman Bates became an iconic role that has crept into the filmmaking vernacular, creating the template for the psychoanalytical thriller and the lone, crazed killer that has populated so many horror films during the last half century.
Hitchcock’s original Psycho gave birth to three sequels and one remake, and the series continues to affect popular culture 50 years later.
THE PSYCHO LEGACY, written and directed by Robert V. Galluzzo, follows the indelible filmmaking legacy left by the Psycho movies and unravels the screenwriting, casting and directing of all the movies, examining their undeniable longevity and success. Interweaving rare and never-before-seen interview footage with Anthony Perkins and dozens of interviews with the films’ cast, crew, writers and directors including Robert Loggia, Olivia Hussey, Henry Thomas, Diana Scarwid, Tom Holland, Hilton Green, Mick Garris, Richard Franklin, as well as other writers and directors in the horror genre, including Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), Adam Green (Frozen), Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2), Michael Gingold and Tony Timpone from Fangoria, and many more, THE PSYCHO LEGACY is the first documentary to unite and explore decades of Psycho movies in one place, revealing surprises and insights into what is considered the “grandfather of modern horror.”
Notes on the Psycho films:
Hitchcock’s Psycho was based on Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel, which in turn was loosely based on the life of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. The film starred Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam and featured a stirring and unforgettable music score by Bernard Herrmann. Psycho was released August 10, 1960, and broke box office records around the world. The infamous shower scene features some 70-plus different camera angles yet runs just 45 seconds. After the film was released, Leigh refused to take showers; one of her homes didn’t even have a shower stall. When forced to take a shower for lack of a bath, she would make sure all the windows were locked and that the bathroom and shower doors were wide open. Other tidbits: Psycho took cinema into uncharted territory by being the first movie to show a toilet (which was banned by the Production Code), have the female lead parade around in a bra and slip, and have an unmarried couple lying on a bed during their lunch break.
Psycho tops the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Most Thrilling American Films and is number 14 on their list of the top American films of all time.
Psycho II was released in 1983 and follows what happens when Norman Bates is released after 22 years of psychiatric care. It starred Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilley, Robert Loggia and Dennis Franz, and was directed by Richard Franklin. In Psycho III (1986) , Perkins stepped behind the camera in addition to starring as Bates; in this sequel, Mother begins killing again. Co-stars were Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey and Roberta Maxwell. And, finally, Psycho IV (1990) starred Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey and CCH Pounder in a prequel that takes viewers back to Bates’ childhood.
