The Making of 'Psycho' (2005)

Instant Favorite.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Feature length documentary on the making of "Psycho". It's mostly all talking heads with clips from the movie. It goes through every single aspect of the movie. Even the costumes are discussed in detail! The only actor left alive from the movie was Janet Leigh and she's most entertaining going into detail about working with Hitchcock and the movie. The most interesting of all was Patricia Hitchcock (Hitch's only child) who knew how her father and mother worked. Her insights were fascinating. However, all in all, I found this slow-moving and pretty dry. Sure some of the pieces were interesting but not continuously. Still, if you're a fan of the movie you'll probably love this. I also think this is the only footage we have of Leigh talking at length about the movie. So it's OK for maybe a one time viewing.

Insightful look at the making of one of cinema's most remarkable films ever made by pioneer filmmaker Hitchcock. Interview include star Janet Leigh, Hitchcock's daughter Pat, his assistant Peggy Robertson, the film's screenwriter Joseph Stefano, assistant director Hilton A. Green, Rita Riggs who was in charge of the wardrobe, editor Paul Hirsch, and none other than the HELLRAISER mastermind Clive Barker. A lot of material ended up coming to life in the light-humored HITCHCOCK; however, there are some other stories worth hearing, such as the 'full moon error' (you'll know once you watch it). The Collector's Edition DVD is one place to view this.*** (out of four)

. . . the main one being (from just about every guy I've ever discussed this movie with) just how naked IS Janet Leigh in the shower. SPOILER ALERT: I do not want to break the heart of any guy who'd like to dream, or who has eyesight based more on wishful thinking than what can be quantified in a optician's office, but I'm going to come right out and reveal the cold, hard truth--Janet Leigh is NOT nude in a single frame of the final cut. However, she still had a mind like a steel trap for such key details of her career even 37 years later in 1997 when interviewed for this wonderful "Making of," and she notes that the CREW did see her topless, when her "just in case" falsies fell off because the glue got too dry during director Hitchcock's endless days of shooting this scene; specifically, when she was supposed to be a dead corpse, and could not move to protect her modesty! Also, Hitchcock DID use a totally nude body double (a modestly anonymous woman, apparently) for the revealing shots of Leigh's larcenous "Marion Crane" character through the motel room's translucent shower curtain.

I have seen Psycho several times, though not during its initial theatrical release; I'm slightly too young for that. It is of course by the master, Alfred Hitchcock, and although it is not my favourite of his, there is no doubt it ranks highly with me and his genius is clearly evident throughout the film. So when I spied the Alfred Hitchcock Collection DVD edition of Psycho on sale at a used book store, I quickly snatched it up. And am I glad I did. The original film is there in pristine condition and there are loads of extras. The best is a documentary called, "The Making of Psycho". I had seen and read several stories over the years about the movie but this documentary was the best. It had numerous people involved in the original film, like Janet Leigh, Joseph Stefano who wrote the screenplay, assistant director Hilton Green, costume designer Rita Riggs and others; all giving excellent commentary. They talk about the many vicissitudes in making the film from the very inception to the final release which could have, but thankfully did not, scuttle the entire project. I feel that I learned more, not only about this particular film, but about movie making in general than ever before. I would urge all serious students of cinema to watch "The Making of Psycho".