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IMDb > Psycho (1960)
Psycho
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Photos (see all 147 | slideshow) Videos (see all 7)
Psycho (1960) -- A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.
Psycho (1960) -- Marion Crane is brutally stabbed in this famous scene.
Psycho (1960) -- A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.
Psycho (1960) -- Norman Bates tells Marion about his mother.
Psycho (1960) -- Driving in a rainstorm, Marion Crane reflects on her crime until she happens upon the Bates Motel.

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Writers:
Joseph Stefano (screenplay)
Robert Bloch (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Psycho on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 August 1960 (Brazil) more
Genre:
Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
A new- and altogether different- screen excitement!!! more
Plot:
A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(74 articles)
Critics' Picks
 (From New York Post. 27 June 2009, 11:05 PM, PDT)

‘The Birds’ Remake Is (Hopefully) Not Happening
 (From Screen Rant. 16 June 2009, 4:24 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Perkins Is Remarkable more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Wimpy (USA) (fake working title)
more
Runtime:
109 min | Germany:108 min (cut)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Chile:14 (re-rating) | Chile:18 (original rating) | Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | Portugal:M/12 | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Netherlands:12 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1969) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1965) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1960) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Czech Republic:U | New Zealand:R16 | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Argentina:16 (original rating) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | France:-12 (re-release) | France:-16 | Israel:16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1960) | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (re-release) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #19564) (original rating) | USA:M (re-rating) (1968) | USA:R (re-rating) (1984)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Ranked #1 on the AFI 100 Years... 100 Thrills film series. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Norman is making his way from the house to the hotel office to greet Marion, it is pouring rain outside. However, in the next shot when he's in the hotel office his suit is completely dry. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Sam Loomis: You never did eat your lunch, did you?
Marion Crane: I better get back to the office. These extended lunch hours give my boss excess acid.
Sam Loomis: Why don't you call your boss and tell him you're taking the rest of the afternoon off? Its Friday, anyway - and hot.
Marion Crane: What do I do with my free afternoon? Walk you to the airport?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Hack! (2007) more

FAQ

Where exactly is the nudity?
Why does the patrolman follow Marion?
Why is this considered a horror film?
more
136 out of 199 people found the following comment useful:-
Perkins Is Remarkable, 12 September 2000
9/10
Author: Josh (darkjosh333@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles, CA

Most modern-day horror films make the killer to be an absolutely inhuman, grotesque, unimaginable monster in order to scare the audience out of its wits. Most of the time, however, these stereotypes create a generic murderer a raving, ranting, clearly demented psychopath. One of the few memorable cinematic killers that does not adhere to these restraints and cliches is, of course, Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter, whom manages to effectively cause the audience to recoil without such drek as the aforementioned devices.

Anthony Perkins' skillfully crafts his performance as Norman Bates, avoiding a ranting, raving, drooling, murder-happy, manic characterization; instead his performance as Norman is subtle, creepy, cool, and unsettling. He is brilliant; from his quiet conversations with Marion Crane amidst the stuffed birds, to his weasling wimpiness when confronted by Arbogast, his performance is so exact that it chills the viewer, all without the unnecessary disturbing images prevalent in more modern films (read The Cell, Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer).

Perkin's fine performance, a tight script, and Bernstein's classic score make Psycho a film that is now and will always be remembered as one of the pinnacles of the horror genre.

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Amazing technical goof! Greensleeves
How did other films get away with the music? goodfella999
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