Psycho Collection [1960]

Customer Reviews:

Stick to Hitchcocks Version.......2006-04-20

I would give 5+ stars to the original film as it is one of the greatest films made, but buy it on its own-save yourself the shelf space. The others are like cheap tv movies.

Oh my word...........2006-02-10

The five star rating here is given unreservedly for Hitchcock's original and he should not be blamed for what went after.

The second Psycho is actually quite watchable in a kitsch kinda-way. It has that corny slasher feel perfected in american movies in the 80s.

The version directed by Perkins himself is truly awful..awful..awful...

Hitchcock and his best........2005-07-18

What can you say.
Classics.
Everyone should own this collection.Period.

Psycho.......2004-10-29

Films: These films need no introduction. They all center around a man (Anthony Perkins) with mummy problems. They are well presented, 1 and 3 in widescreen, 2 and 4 in fulframe. The sound is mono for Psycho 1 and surround for parts 2, 3 and 4. If you loved the first one then this is a must, but not for everyones taste.

DVD Extras: This is a letdown only Psycho 1 (disk 1) has added extras on it. However these extras are well worth it. A fantastic 94 min documentary on the making of Psycho, 3 trailers, newsreel footage, the shower scene (with and without music!!!!!), production stills and storyboards. If all the disks had extras it would be perfect, however you can view 2,3 and 4 in other languages such as French and German.

Booklet?: Suprisingly none!! Not even a leaflet!!

Overall: This is not a boxset! It is 4 films in 1 DVD box. If your a fan of the series then get it now!! But if not don't expect a feature packed box set!

What is that ? Great movies but..........2003-10-29

Psycho Collection, sounds great but what is that?
4 DVD's in one box, no booklet and only DVD 1 (Psycho /1960)
with Extras (Making of, Cut Scene, Drawings etc.) but what about
Psycho 2 (1982), Psycho 3 (1986) and Psycho 4 (1990) ?
No Trailers, no Production notes - NOTHING! very sad!
So, the quality of the dvd (Picture&Sound)
is quiet good (better as the tapes). So if you like the movies get this box !
5 and more Stars for the movies and DVD1 but
for this "Not Allready-Box" only 2 Stars".

Average customer rating:

MASTERPIECE
we're all caught in our private traps...
Special edition? More like a joke edition!
Disappointing Special Edition
A boy's best friend is his mother.

Psycho (2 Disc Special Edition) [1960]
Starring: Anthony Perkins , Janet Leigh , Martin Balsam , Vera Miles , and John Gavin
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AOGMMQ
Release Date: 2005-10-17

Customer Reviews:

MASTERPIECE.......2007-12-09

"Television has brought murder back into the home - where it belongs." - Alfred Hitchcock

I am often asked what my favorite film of all time is. My reply is always the same: I do not have a favorite from all the genres. But from the thousands of films I have seen, I have not seen a film more horrifying nor terrifying as Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," the only movie that has ever truly scared me in my entire life. And so I can honestly say that "Psycho" is the scariest film I have ever seen, and is quite probably my favorite horror film of all time.

This is the movie that redefined the genre, and literally gave birth to psychological thrillers. By today's standards, "Psycho" may seem - at the most - tame. Audiences may not be scared by the plot anymore - a plot that was, at the time, unlike anything other, but nowadays quite normal. Gus Van Sant remade Hitchcock's classic in 1998 with both critics and audiences blowing it off. Modern audiences of today are used to slashers such as "Halloween," "Friday the 13th," "A Nightmare on Elm Street," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," etc., and so Van Sant's "Psycho" did nothing but disappoint them. But I guarantee that if you place modern audiences in front of Hitchcock's "Psycho," they will come out of the film terrified to death (like I was when I first saw it).

Why is this? It is simply because modern audiences don't expect such creepiness and evilness to be in a 1960 film. Most modern audiences think that "Star Wars" (1977) was the start of motion picture history, that anything beforehand is stupid, cheery and not worth their time. They will go into Hitchcock's "Psycho" and expect a happy little picture, which is why they will come out pale with fear.

It all comes down to the fact that in 1960, mainstream films did not have such subject matters as split personality disorder (seen in this year's "Identity"), figures with homicidal tendencies (like John Doe in "Se7en"), or characters who are literally insane (like Hannibal Lector-type-criminals). "Psycho" set the course for these films. It blew audiences out of the water. They had never seen anything like it before. It is probably the only film that has ever really, truly scared me to death. I didn't want to take showers for weeks.

Hitchcock once said, "Cartoonists have the best casting system. If they don't like an actor, they just tear him up." I'm glad Hitchcock didn't try to tear up Anthony Perkins, who plays Norman Bates in "Psycho," as a shy, awkward fellow living off of a re-routed highway. He is perfectly cast and soundly directed by Hitchcock, coming off as a somewhat strange, implacable fellow. We aren't quite sure what to make of him.

Phoenix banker Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is a poor creature living off of practically nothing. She wants to get married to Sam Loomis (John Gavin), but the costs of a wedding outweigh both their incomes. And so one night when her employer entrusts Marion with 40,000 dollars, she flees with the money in the back of her car to go find Sam. However, tired from a long drive, she stops at the Bates Motel for the night. She never leaves the motel, because Norman Bates' reclusive mother becomes jealous of Marion and kills her. Or does she?

Hitchcock masterfully weaves the suspense and horror in "Psycho," so much so that we simply do not know what to think until everything unravels towards the end. The infamous shower scene remains one of the most impressive and wonderful segments in all motion picture history, ranking up there with the unveiling of Harry Lime in "The Third Man," the revelation by Darth Vader in "Star Wars," and one of my personal favorites, the part in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" when Neal Page and Del Griffith wake up in bed entangled with each other. ("Those aren't pillows!")

I think that the anticipation of fear, or the insinuation of something sinister lurking behind a shadowed doorway, is much scarier than blood and guts. Freddy Krueger does not scare some people. Modern horror films tell us what we are supposed to fear, whereas films such as "Psycho" leave the images up to us. Not every person may leave a Jason Voorhees movie scared. Everyone will leave "Psycho" scared. Because as our mind tries to place a face on the fear, our mind incorporates our very fears into the image.

Alfred Hitchcock is undoutedly one of the greatest and most influential film directors in the history of motion pictures. He can create suspense like no other and he can make even the simplest story the most nail-biting, terrifying picture of all time. I recently purchased a DVD with four of Hitchcock's early British films from the thirties, including "The 39 Steps" and "The Lady Vanishes." Hitchcock's sense of solid suspense can be felt even in those early films. He is, quite simply, the master of suspense. Is it no wonder he has gained the exact reputation as mentioned?

Some films land on greatness and don't always deserve their reputation quite so much as everyone seems to think so. "Psycho" is not such a film. Here is a movie that bent and broke every set rule of film making for the time, and changed the course of horror films for the better. The nineties have shown a return to the classic horror/mystery/thriller mix of Hitchcock and Agatha Christie. Here is the granddaddy of them all. Here is the best horror film ever made.

5/5 stars.

we're all caught in our private traps..........2007-10-20

"We're all caught in our private traps, we scratch and claw at the air, at each other, but for all of it, we never budge an inch".

Yes, "Psycho" is missing the vibrancy of "North by Northwest", vividity of "Vertigo", ambiguity of "The Birds", and claustrophobia of "Rear Window", but it is a unique movie in its very own league. With Hitchcock's sharp eye with little details, genius camera angles, and keen sense of generating suspense and tension, "Psycho" is multi-layered and richly-textured film, Master's last great picture.

The film starts out very slowly. During the first hour, Hitchcock focuses on a single specific event and takes the viewer somewhat familiar point mostly seen in classic film noirs: a confused woman, being stuck in an impasse with a lover bogged down in financial woes, steals money off her employer. Things becomes to go awry en route California (where her lover lives), while she encounters some "MacGuffins" such as a mysterious patrolman and suspicious used-car salesman, both are the harbingers of incipient tension and terror. Her edgy trip ends in a sleazy motel off the main highway in a rainy night. Hitchcock startles the viewer while central female antagonist dies half-way through the film, and takes us another sinister place where the real secret is revealed. From this point, Anthony Perkins lead the show as twitchy motel keeper with peculiar idiosyncrasies. This is the role of his life, as everybody is waiting horrified whenever this schizoid time bomb will go off.

From the very beginning, Hitchcock imbues the film with a heavy atmosphere of impending doom. Blood-chilling strings of composer Bernard Herrmann adds greatly to the overall moodiness. Today's horror/thrillers depend too much on graphic violence, where blood, gore, decapitations, and dismembered bodies galore. Not overly violent and with almost no blood and gore, the unshakable effectiveness "Psycho" mutters up comes from what is implied, but not shown. He always used to make the audience use their imagination. This is the greatness of Hitchcock.

Now for the downside, I found the second half of the film somewhat forced. Private eye Arbogast's insatiable obsession with Norman and his ill mother is totally unconvincing. Lila's (Marion's sister) intuition about something bad had happened in the motel is groundless. Sam and Lila's visit to the motel and their sureness about Marion's stay in room number 1 is totally implausible. Also, the secret of the film is predictable half-way through, as soon as all the pieces are put in proper places. But, neither of these weak points undermine the cleverness and effectiveness of this great piece of cinema. "Psycho" is definitely a classic and deserves to be called so.

Special edition? More like a joke edition!.......2007-08-12

To call this 2 disc set a 'special edition' is to insult all those film lovers who revere this film as one of the greatest movies ever made. The first disc contains a poor quality, worn print of the feature presented in an unfamiliar format and an even poorer quality trailer. The second disc contains extracts only from Hitchcocks American Film Institute Life Acheivment Award ceremony and a couple of short interviews. The 2nd disc runs all of 49 minutes! It's shocking that this appears to be the best that Universal can give us as a 'special edition'. What a joke!

Disappointing Special Edition.......2007-07-10

Enough has been written on the merits of this film. This presentation disappoints I'm afraid. Aspect ratio of 1.85??? As far as I'm aware this ratio didn't even exist in 1960. It was more likely 1.66 so you're watching a heavily cropped grainy and worn negative/print throughout. This isn't even full length. I own an old Standard 8mm print of the shower sequence and there are at least 2 additional shots of Bates peering through the cabin wall and Marion undressing, not gratuitous but suggestive. Possibly a top shot from the shower too. So bring on a correctly mastered print please, not the cut USA version we're currently lumbered with. I rate this Hitchcock's finest and it deserves a little more respect.

A boy's best friend is his mother........2007-03-16

This is the best horror film i have seen. Usually a horror film means bad acting, lots of unrealistic gore and stupid murders. But in psycho, somehow, it all makes sense, it is not gory and norman bates (antony perkins)is brilliantly freaky.
The famouis shower scene still gives me the creeps and when marion crane ( janet leigh ) saw the footage for the first time, she never wanted to take showers again.
An excellent film that will never make you bored or turn it off.

Average customer rating:

Classic Hitchcock.
Absolute Classic! Definitely Hitchcock's Best
The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!
The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!
The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!

Psycho (1960)
Starring: Anthony Perkins , Frank Albertson , Vaughn Taylor , George Eldredge , and Sam Flint
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004CZAT
Release Date: 2003-04-21

Amazon.co.uk Review

For all the slasher pictures that have ripped off Psycho (and particularly its classic set piece, the "shower scene"), nothing has ever matched the impact of the real thing. More than just a first-rate shocker full of thrills and suspense, Psycho is also an engrossing character study in which director Alfred Hitchcock skilfully seduces you into identifying with the main characters--then pulls the rug (or the bathmat) out from under you. Anthony Perkins is unforgettable as Norman Bates, the mama's boy proprietor of the Bates Motel; and so is Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, who makes an impulsive decision and becomes a fugitive from the law, hiding out at Norman's roadside inn for one fateful night. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Classic Hitchcock........2006-04-17

Hitchcock's most well known film follows a young woman who steals a large sum of money from her employer and then goes on the run, when she makes the mistake of checking in to the Bates Motel. The direction is fantastic, in particular the famous shower scene - considered shockingly violent on the film's release - where the violence is implied rather than depicted directly. This 45 second scene took seven days to shoot, and is one of the most important scenes in the history of cinema - its influence extending in a very direct way to, for example, the famous ear-severing scene in Reservoir Dogs. A must for all film fans.

Absolute Classic! Definitely Hitchcock's Best.......2005-10-29

From the iconic shower scene to the thrilling climax, Alfred Hitchcock's classic shocker never fails to set you on edge and chill you to the bone, even after several viewings. It is definitely the Master of Suspense at his best, and one of the greatest (and scariest) films of all time.

This terrifying tale tells the story of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who embezzles $40,000 from her boss and flees him (and a shifty sheriff) for the apparent safety of the Bates Motel, run by the friendly but troubled Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins, in a role he was typecast in for life). What happens next has since passed into film legend.

IF YOU ARE A HITCHCOCK (OR GENERAL THRILLER) FAN, DO NOT MISS THIS!!

The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!.......2005-06-06

This is pure cinema at its brilliant best. Almost every scene is a stunning set-piece; the precise opening, Marion Crane's unsettling journey to the Bates Motel, the legendary shower scene and the equally gruesome and brilliantly filmed murder on a staircase, whilst Anthony Perkins' indelible performance and Bernard Herrmann's music score - all nervous twitches and jagged strings - rank with the very finest cinema has to offer.

The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!.......2005-05-05

The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!.......2005-04-09

Average customer rating:

Thrills and shrills in this drama thiller

Psycho (1960)

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ASIN: B000ELIVE2
Release Date: 2006-02-20

Customer Reviews:

Thrills and shrills in this drama thiller.......2007-06-28

Not Hitchcock's best film, but possibly the one which gets everybody talking, including me. Many of my dinner parties have gone by where the conversation turns to Hitchcock and 'Psycho'; it seems it is a film which people cannot stop talking about.
The premise of the movie is simple, a disturbed man runs a motel and bumps off guests, inbetween dressing up as his mother and sitting in the upstairs window.
Anthony Hopkins was perhaps not the best choice to play the lead, he is nervy and unconfident in front of the camera and looks like he wants to dart off like a startled fawn. It is a shame Hitchcock did not use one one of his regular players like Cary Grant or little Jimmy Stewart, who would have brought stability and star presence.
Psycho is renowned for it's notorious shower scene in which nubile Janet Leigh is savaged to death with a kitchen knife. The scene is by today's standards extremely tame and one would see a lot worse violence in the likes of Harry Potter. The mise en scene in this sequence is superb and the rhythmic timing of the knife set against the piercing music score is joyous to watch. It is the kind of moment you want to re-wind again and again and each time you find something else embedded in the scene to make you enjoy it even more.
The direction of the film is a little heavy handed and the dialogue is amateurish, but one can gloss over this as the film as a whole is engaging.
Hitchcock fans will be pleased to spot the master's traditional cameo. It has been suggested Hitchcock also appears briefly in the shower scene, he can be seen standing slightly behind the assassin if one pauses the film in the correct place.
Psycho was followed by four poorer sequels and a television series, but for true fans there is only one film.

Average customer rating:

Classic Hitchcock.
Absolute Classic! Definitely Hitchcock's Best
The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!
The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!
The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!

Psycho [1960] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Starring: Frank Albertson , Martin Balsam , Francis de Sales , George Eldredge , and Sam Flint
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0783225849
Release Date: 1998-05-27

Amazon.co.uk Review

Customer Reviews:

Classic Hitchcock........2006-04-17

Absolute Classic! Definitely Hitchcock's Best.......2005-10-29

The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!.......2005-06-06

The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!.......2005-05-05

The greatest film ever made? Certainly one of HITCHCOCK's!.......2005-04-09

Ultimate Horror Collection : Candyman, The Frighteners, The Grudge, Psycho [1960], Land Of The Dead, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Van Helsing

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Ultimate Horror Collection : Candyman, The Frighteners, The Grudge, Psycho [1960], Land Of The Dead, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Van Helsing
Starring: Virginia Madsen , Michael J. Fox , Sarah Michelle Gellar , Anthony Perkins , and Janet Leigh
Director: Alfred Hitchcock , George A. Romero , Peter Jackson , Bernard Rose , and Takashi Shimizu Alfred Hitchcock , George A. Romero , and Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000WXQRDY
Release Date: 2007-10-22

PSYCHO 1960-1998 - limited steel case 2 discs DVD Box set

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PSYCHO 1960-1998 - limited steel case 2 discs DVD Box set
Starring: Anthony Perkins , Janet Leigh , Vera Miles , Vince Vaughn , and Anne Heche
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000USSEAK

Product Description

European import. Plays on standard UK DVD players in English without subtitles. Limited steel case DVD Box set with Psycho 1960 & 1998. Psycho 1960: Phoenix officeworker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday Marion is trusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother. Psycho 1998: In this remake of Alfred Hitchcock's materpiece, Anne Heche takes over Janet Leigh's role of Marion Crane, a young secretary whose boyfriend, Sam Loomis (Viggo Mortensen), has troubles paying off a debt and his wife's alimony. One day, a rich client of her boss buys a house with $400,000 in cash. To fix her problems, Marion steals the money and heads out to California to live her dream life with Sam. But she gets lost in a bad storm and stops at the Bates Motel, where the proprietor, Norman Bates (Vince Vaughn), lives a very troubled life with his dominating mother, whom he lives with in their house on the hill next to the motel. A week later, Marion has vanished and no one can find her or the stolen money, not even Sam, her sister, Lila (Julianne Moore), or a private detective (William H. Macy) who has been hired to find Marion and the money. But a deadly secret is waiting to be discovered inside the Bates house.

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