Psycho (1998)

A young female embezzeler arrives at the Bates Motel which has terrible secrets of its own.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writers:

Robert Bloch (novel), Joseph Stefano (screenplay)

Stars:

Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Julianne Moore

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vince Vaughn	...	Norman Bates
Anne Heche	...	Marion Crane
Julianne Moore	...	Lila Crane
Viggo Mortensen	...	Sam Loomis
William H. Macy	...	Milton Arbogast
Robert Forster	...	Dr. Simon
Philip Baker Hall	...	Sheriff Chambers
Anne Haney	...	Mrs. Chambers
Chad Everett	...	Tom Cassidy
Rance Howard	...	Mr. Lowery
Rita Wilson	...	Caroline
James Remar	...	Patrolman
James Le Gros	...	Car Dealer (as James LeGros)
Steven Clark Pachosa	...	Police Guard
O.B. Babbs	...	Mechanic

Storyline

Marion Crane steals a lot of cash from a man whom her boss is in business with. On the way to see her boyfriend, she stops off by an old motel, run by the odd Norman Bates. She is murdered in the shower. Her sister, boyfriend, and a private investigator try to find out where she is, while we learn more about Norman Bates.

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Plot Keywords:

motel | money | house | stolen money | shower | 

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Taglines:

Check in. Relax. Take a shower.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and sexuality/nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Psicosis

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£606,782 (UK) (8 January 1999)

Gross:

£1,447,991 (UK) (22 January 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gus Van Sant doesn't consider this film a copy of 'Alfred Hitchcock''s original. He remarked "If I hold a camera, even if it's in the same place, it will magically take on the character. Our "Psycho" showed you can't really appropriate. Or you can, but it's not going to be the same thing."

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Goofs

The opening scene is supposed to be 2:48 in the afternoon, but it's quite obvious that it was filmed at sunrise, probably on a Saturday or Sunday morning. There is no street activity, and the light from the right (east) is very weak and nearly horizontal. If it had been shot in mid-afternoon the sun would have been higher, the light stronger, and shadows pronounced and angled.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Samuel '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.
Samuel '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?

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to John Woo for use of his kitchen knife.

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Connections

Referenced in How High (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Put It On"
Written by Robert Hackl (as Bob Hackl) & Ken Stange
Performed by Sourcerer

User Reviews

A Dumb Idea That Didn't Work

Well, I have to agree with the critics on this one, who all said "leave it alone." Why they had to make this re-make of the 1960 "Psycho," I don't know. My guess is they wanted to reach a new audience and thought color and modern-day actors were the answer, since those were the main changes. The dialog was the same and the story the same.

On one hand, I applaud them for not making this over with a lot of profanity and nudity and making it a sleazy film. Yet, if they were going to keep everything the same, why bother when you weren't going to improve on Tony Perkins, Janet Leigh and the original cast?

Did they honestly think Vince Vaughn was going to be as good or better than Perkins? Are you kidding? Ann Heche, with her short mannish-haircut, is going to be better than Leigh? I don't think so!

Yes, the colors were pretty in here but it's the black-and-white photography that helped make the 1960 version so creepy to begin with. It's perfect for the story, not a bunch of greens and pinks! Once again, I guess the filmmakers were banking on an audience that never saw the original.

This was just a stupid project that never should have gotten off the ground.