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- March 15 Questions about the two Psycho videos
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Please only view these clips after you have seen the film, Psycho.
If you were present in the ZOOM class on 3/15, you do not have to reply to these two discussion posts although all students’ posts are welcome.
I) https://www.dropbox.com/s/tbuepf05hxe3avf/Psycho%2052%20doc%20ex.avi?dl=0
The above 15.5-minute excerpts are from a recent documentary on what is perhaps the most famous scene in movie history.
Questions:
1a) What do you feel you learned about the scene and how it was put together?
2a) Explain some aspects of this presentation that you enjoyed (or not) and why.
3a) Ask a question that comes to mind about the making of this scene.
This one is 21.5 minutes and has entertaining information about how Alfred Hitchcock promoted his controversial film with his sense of humor and his mastery of suspense.
It also shows some of the enduring references to this film in our culture.
Questions:
2a) Mention any things that surprised you in this presentation or the 1960 film itself.
2b) Were there any things referred to in this presentation that you had already seen on your own
before seeing the film and these compilations?All the above questions can be done concurrently with reading the novel or afterward.
1a.) One thing that I learned about the scene and how it was put together was the different types of shots they had with it. One shot that really stood out to me was the shot where blood was spilling all over the shower. As it turns out, it was chocolate syrup that was used to look like actual blood was spilling.
2a.) Aspects of the presentation that I enjoyed was the cultural influence of the Psycho theme. This is stated by the filmmakers throughout the mini doc as they explain just how significant the music of Psycho is within pop culture. I, for one, can definitely say that I used to imitate the music all the time from cartoons that used to reference Psycho. I already knew of the movie’s existence because of the song and I liked how it played into the suspense of the scene. It was a fun first viewing.
3a.) One question that I have in mind is that I wonder how the shower scene would have looked like in color. And if that exists, does it add more intensity to the scene compared to the black and white version?
Angel, someone colorized it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64YFebzLS-s
(The blood isn’t too red.)
2a.) One thing that surprised me in the presentation was how many installments were a part of Psycho. I had no knowledge f the installments because when the presentation showed Psycho IV, I was shocked at the fact that there are even four movies that are a part of a Psycho. Knowing that it is a psychological horror franchise and not just a standalone film is really interesting. I also really like the fact that there are countless remakes like the 1998 version.
Psycho was a stand-alone film. The first sequel came 21 years later. It did not start out as a franchise.
2b.) One thing that was referred to in this presentation that I’ve seen multiple times is the movie Carrie. This is a movie that I like because I’m a huge fan of horror in general. Knowing that the Director incorporated a Psycho reference by referring to Carrie’s school as Bates High School was a clever nod to the franchise as a whole.
Brian DePalma, the director of Carrie–which was the film Stephen King story made as a film–loves and admires Alfred Hitchcock’s films and has references to Hitchcock’s films in several of his own movies. I could name them.
Questions:
1a) What do you feel you learned about the scene and how it was put together?
The juxtapose between the water and the knife adds clarity. A method I use in audio when it comes to sound design and it was interesting seeing it be used through visual mediums. I love the abstract use of camera angles and even how the stunt actor’s face was painted black. It added feelings of uneasiness and I loved this use of character design. What do you create, Angel? May I see or hear samples?2a) Explain some aspects of this presentation that you enjoyed (or not) and why.
I really liked the explanation of the “eye” scene where she is killled lying on the floor and the camera starts with focusing on the lifeless eyes of a dead body. Zooming out and then turning to the killer who is now stuck with the consequences of his actions. True, but at first we think he is just covering up for the “mother.”3a) Ask a question that comes to mind about the making of this scene.
How does one stay still long enough for close up death scenes? If you notice, even her eyed twitched a little but it seemed to fit the scene. how?? The actress, Janet Leigh, must have used great self control.(She did get an Oscar nomination for this performance.) I believe I heard somewhere that Hitchcock’s wife noticed a flicker in her eye, so a couple of frames were removed during editing. It is possible the frame speed was altered, as well.This one is 21.5 minutes and has entertaining information about how Alfred Hitchcock promoted his controversial film with his sense of humor and his mastery of suspense.
It also shows some of the enduring references to this film in our culture.
Questions:
2a) Mention any things that surprised you in this presentation or the 1960 film itself.
For a film about a crazy killer, Alfred explaining the set with beautiful music in the background is comical. I would expect eerie music that striked fear but the beginning part of the soundtrack was funny to me. His use of humor such as , ” I think we can go in the house since it’s up for sale”, is lovely. He is really entertaining outside of the genre of horror. (Hitchcock is called the Master of Suspense, not really horror…)Hitchcock was a magnificent director, but also an entertainer. I would gladly recommend some of his films to you. For examples, Vertigo, Strangers on a Train, and The Birds. Also some of the 10 years’ worth of TV shows he hosted are quite good. If you can find a free streaming service that shows them, I can recommend those too, but he did not direct most of those.
You can see for free one of his most entertaining films, North by Northwest on tubitv:https://tubitv.com/movies/100012522/north-by-northwest
andStrangers on a Train
https://tubitv.com/movies/100012529/strangers-on-a-train
2b) Were there any things referred to in this presentation that you had already seen on your own
before seeing the film and these compilations?
I didn’t notice anything in particular. When I first saw this film I was 16 years old and wasn’t particularly interested in the details. Just the feeling of fear. However, watching this video gave me a lot of insight on what really provided the spookiness and scary feelings that the film gives viewers.All the above questions can be done concurrently with reading the novel or afterward.
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