Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...

Southwestern United States, 1960Like Norman Bates' psyche, Psycho's setting is divided in two.First, there are the cities: Phoenix, Arizona and Fairvale, California. These are recognizable, everyda...

No More MarionPsycho's narrative is famously shocking. Hitchcock uses the typical point of view conventions of classic Hollywood to make you scream and shout and throw up both your handsLike Marion...

Horror/SlasherP-s-y-c-h-o spells horror. Okay, if you spell "horror" that way on a test, you'll get points off. But in the history of horror film, Psycho is everything, plus the kitchen sink (and t...

Horror movies usually are titled after the monster. Dracula. The Mummy. Alien. Jaws (for the shark).Hitchcock followed along with that tradition in Psycho. Who's the bad guy monster? Well, the titl...

The last, famous bit of Psycho is Norman sitting in his cell, with his mother's voice (or Norman speaking in his mother's voice) nattering on and on about how she "wouldn't even hurt a fly." This i...

RPsycho is not a movie for kids. Or for the faint of heart. Or for people who take showers. (We've become best buddies with bubble bath since watching Psycho.)The movieis currently rated R, though...