That final smile on ''Mothers'' face and seeing the corpse overlap with Normans was bone chillin' + as you mentioned when they brought up Marion's car you question HOW many more are down there forgotten by time. Anthony Perkins was an amazing in this movie. Had to lock the bathroom door whenever I showered for weeks after I watched it back in 2010 (was 16). This movie opened up my eyes for the older horror/slasher movies 🖤
There are PLENTY of great older films that are not slasher movies. I wish more younger people would watch older films. You have no idea about the great stuff you’re missing. They didn’t call it the golden age of Hollywood for nothing.
Millions of women were afraid to take showers after this movie, just like millions of people wouldn’t go in the ocean after seeing JAWS! This was a first for its time, resulting in slasher movies in the 70’s. 😮
There is so much foreshadowing in this film but most people don't recognize it. The first time you see Marion in her underwear it's "pure" white and after she steals the money it's black. Also, all of the references to birds. The birds all over the office. Her name is Marion Crane and Norman tells her she eats like a bird. Finally, Norman is into taxidermy. He "preserved" his mother the same way he did the birds. Great reaction!
More references to birds: 1) Marion comes from Phoenix, a fabulous bird of legend. 2) As Sam leaves Lila at the hardware store to go look for Arbogast, for a moment, Lila is juxtaposed against the upside-down rakes at the hardware store. It creates a visual impression of Lila being some kind of giant human peacock, with rakes fanning out around her as if they were her tail-feather-like appendages. ... finally, 3) norman knocks a picture of a bird off the wall in Marion's motel room, when he first discovers the body, as 'norman.'
For me, it's the line Norman says about his mother: "she's as harmless as one of these stuffed birds". So funny because we later come to find he freakin' stuffed her like a bird! 😂
Notice that Norman told the detective that his mother is an invalid, which means that she would be handicapped. How could someone who is not just handicapped, but also elderly, wind up killing anyone? Yet, because of Norman's mental health issue, he truly thought it was his mother that was killing people, all the while thinking she was an invalid. I can't comprehend Norman's mind, and I wouldn't want to. Mental health problems are very sad to be honest, and there are so many people, even nowadays, who aren't as understanding of people with mental health issues as they could be. I can't imagine how scary it is for people with those kinds of issues.
I think part of him claiming she is an invalid, is an excuse - for anyone who asks - as to why she can't come out of the house and can't be seen by anyone. I think Norman actually thought "mother" was capable of murder, and the claim she couldn't get around was a lie, only to be told to others.
My father was an excellent violin player, and he knew my mother only saw “Psycho” once and it terrified her. The first time she took a shower at his apartment he stood in the hallway outside of the bathroom so she couldn’t see him (the door was open) and he played the Psycho shower scene song on his violin. She freaked out and from then on locked the bathroom door. Not that she was afraid of him, but the song just freaked her out too much.
The prologue gives this movie so much more depth. This film is so far ahead of its time and take so many risks. You generally only see this when directors have full creative control.
Yeah, Psycho was a major inspiration for John Carpenter when he was making Halloween. Janet Leigh's daughter playing Laurie Strode, naming Loomis after a character in Psycho. It all comes full circle.
Everyone always mentioned Janet Leigh as Jamie Lee Curtis' mom but they don't mention that she had a famous father too. He was actor Tony Curtis. He played in Some Like It Hot along with Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe.
Some people thought "Psycho" was going to be a horror or "slashet" movie. It's actually a psychological thriller. Anthony Perkins was absolutely brilliant as Norman Bates. I love Alfred Hitchcock's movies. Great director!
Ok, I've seen countless reactions to this but this is the first mother and son reaction... absolutely delightful and I'm so glad you guys didn't know the twist! Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock film and I really recommend that, as well as North by Northwest. Rope is great, too.
@@jamesalexander5623 Oh I love those 3! The cinematography of Rebecca is stunning, which won Best Cinematography at the Oscars. I love Teresa Wright in Shadow of a Doubt. Notorious is sizzling with the chemistry between Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, not to mention a sympathetically portrayal of the "bad guy" by the great Claude Rains!
Alfred Hitchcock thought Bernard Hermann's Music was so pivotal to the film that he placed his name in the opening credits where the Producer's name would be, just before the Director's...
You mentioned "It's a Wonderful Life." The actor in "Psycho" who's waving around the $40,000 is Frank Albertson. He also played Sam Wainwright, the guy who says "Hee-Haw" all the time, in "Wonderful Life."
There are some people who like to believe that the Sam Loomis in the Halloween movies is this Sam as an older man. Also in Scream, Billy Loomis quoted a line from Psycho... "we all go a little mad sometimes" & then also mentioned "Anthony Perkins, Psycho"
The Motel and House are located on the Universal Back Lot in Hollywood. For the A&E series "Bates Motel" the Motel and House were recreated about one hour outside of Vancouver Canada.
The house was built on the Universal grounds (along with the motel), based on Edward Hopper's well-known 1925 painting, House by the Railroad Tracks, which was based on a real house at Haverstraw, NY. The motel section was torn down but the house still stands. That and the Munster house, also on the lot, gets used for SO MANY movies and tv shows, including often in Murder She Wrote. Each time, it gets filmed from a different direction, and they place trees and other foliage around it to disguise it. The Bates house was reproduced in HO scale for model railroads by Polar Lights. (I think they also did the Munster house and either they or another company offer a model of the Addams house.)
Thanks for the reaction. Great to see that this movie is still so appealing to people. In 1990, I saw a documentary with people who had watched it when it premiered in cinema in 1960, 30 years earlier. There had been a lot of advertising on telly about this movie, so everyone was anxious, expecting the biggest thrill & suspense ever. Almost all of them told how bored they got, some people started to complain, some almost fell asleep, and then the shower scene happened. They all jumped up in their chairs and some screamed, because it was such a shocking scene & the main character got killed, too. During the rest of the movie, it was dead silent in the cinema room. They all realized that they were watching something special.
Alright. If you two are going to do more Hitchcock, Vertigo is an absolute must and I heavily recommend Rope as well. You’ll be fascinated by the almost only one shot used for that film. Needless to say, this was probably one of the best reactions to Psycho seeing a mother and son view it for the first time.
I've watched several different "Psycho" reactions, and it's always kind of a let-down when the reactor knows the twist, so I'm glad the two of you didn't. Also love that you got some of the references ("if it doesn't gel, it isn't aspic") that I don't think I've seen anyone else pick up on. If you want another Hitchcock movie, my vote is for "Rope" (It's loosely based on the real life Leopold & Loeb murders in 1920's Chicago, the whole movie is shot in only 10 shots, and it has Jimmy Stewart), or "Strangers on a Train".
The $40,000 in “Psycho” is a MacGuffin. Alfred Hitchcock coined the term MacGuffin to describe an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. The MacGuffin is usually revealed in the first act and thereafter declines in importance. It can reappear at the climax of the story but may actually be forgotten by the end of the story.
GREAT REACTION and I was so glad you didn't get the twist until the right moment. Here's the answer to the question everyone has long awaited for. Why, in the old movies, did actors slide out of the passanger side of the car instead of the driver side? First of all, cras were bigger and roads were narrower than now. Getting out of the car on the driver side would certainly guarante your driver door to be knocked off its hinges and you in the hospital. Another reason is, back in the days, the front car seats, like the back seat, were bench seats. You could slide out easily from the driver side to the passanger side with little effort. Nowadays, cars don't have a front bench seat but have two separate seats with the middle where one can find the autonatic shift or the standard shift. Sliding out via the passanger seat was ideal for Hitchcock because he preferred to continue a shot without moving the camera to either follow the actor or to have the actor walk between the camera and the car.
Dr. Loomis is indeed a tribute to Sam Loomis in Psycho. Janet Leigh, who plays Marion, is also Jamie Lee Curtis's real-life mother. This was also the first time a toilet was shown in an American movie.
Fantastic reaction. I've seen this movie so many times and never even thought about the fact that Arbogast as a PI would have no authority to even seek a warrant. Also "Well, this took a turn" after the shower scene is the highlight of my week.
Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis were still married at the time she filmed Psycho and both were popular box-office movie actors and Hollywood sweetheart stars. Audiences in 1960 were shocked to have who they perceived to be the 'star' of this film killed off after only 40-45 minutes into the story and in such a brutal way. I'm sure many sat in stunned shock and didn't truly comprehend the rest of the story as the movie continued.
Yup! It was Dr. Samuel Loomis in Halloween, by John Carpenter. Which starred Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh's daughter. Then, Scream had Billy Loomis... and Scream 5, Billy's daughter... Samantha Carpenter, like John Carpenter or if she took Billy's last name, she would be Sam Loomis. Like Dr. Loomis. 😂 😂 it's a whole horror homage circle. 😂
@ 21:51, possibly THE greatest jumpscare ever put to screen. The eerie silence immediately undercut by those violent Bernard Herrmann strings plus the odd overhead angle... horror done to perfection/
The other woman working at the bank is Hitchcock's daughter, Patricia. And, at age ninety-four, Vera Miles is the soul survivor from this film. Bonus: Mrs. Bates is voice by character actress Virginia Gregg.
My mom let me watch this when it first came on broadcast TV. I was 9 or 10, so it would have been 1970 ish. I loved it but I had older cousins who never took a shower again. Still holds up so well.
Been waiting for you guys to watch this one since subbing to the channel! I think you're the only mother/son duo to react to this on youtube. Love your reactions and will continue to support.
The reaction to this innovative film in 1960 was sensational. It was talked about for years and years afterwards. Of course, over 65 years it’s been much copied and mined for Hitch’s genius directorial tricks and games so it just can’t have the same impact for us as we’ve seen these elements all our lives. This was the first time in Hollywood that a toilet bowl was filmed and flushed and Hitch had huge problems getting that past the censor. Also that our sympathies lie with a woman carrying on a lunchtime affair with a married man and that Janet Leigh was a thief seen in her brassiere. The killing off of the star lead 1/3 into the movie had never been done before nor had there been such a grotesque killing of a woman shown at such extended length and in detail. When another visionary British director, Michael Powell, made Peeping Tom which is in not a totally dissimilar genre, it ended his career. Hitchcock was brilliant and because he appeared in his own movies and fronted Alfred Hitchcock Presents on TV in his quirky style he was well known and beloved.
The money is the McGuffin, the object we all think everyone is chasing but it only drives the plot. If she never stole the money, she would have never met Norman. Still griping and shocking after 64 years, Hitchcock was a genius!!
You may have read this already. The shot where the detective gets murdered Hitchcock had Martin Balsam sitting in a chair that they rigged and moved down the staircase while he flailed his arm. Great moment.
Here is a tip for figuring out the value of money in older films: They always give you a comparison. The $40,000 that Marion steals is the purchase price of a (presumably up scale) house. Simply figure what such a house would cost today and you have an approximate equivalent in today's currency. This trick saves a lot of needless calculation and works in nearly all older films. For example: In It's a Wonderful Life, the Bailey Building and Loan loans Ernie the taxi driver $5,000 for a house. Later in the movie, Potter offers George $20,000 a year or the equivalent of four houses.
So jaded are audiences now that it's rarely noted that Psycho was the first time a toilet was flushed in an American film. This was nearly as shocking as the shower scene at the time.
The shower scene was on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments, as well as the twist ending. Also, director Alfred Hitchcock had a cardboard cutout of himself letting audience members know to not have them spoil the ending to the movie.
Watch Hitchcock, the movie about the making of this. It was his wife Alma who was the writer. North by Northwest is a good Hitchcock movie. Cary Grant is a doll. Then Notorious, with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. It's black and white. Spellbound with Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. Another black and white masterpiece.
I first saw this at at a friend's house about 5 houses away at night. I had to run home ,and didbt shower for several days after that .they told people not to give away the ending .watch the man who knew to much, and lifeboat.......
Psycho is my favorite Hitchcock film and in my top 5 films of all time. My next two favorite Hitchcock movies that I highly recommend are North by Northwest and Strangers on a Train.
I remember when I first watched this I knew everyone talked about the shower scene so I walked out of the room until my hubby said it was over. But it let me take showers without fear afterwards LOL! Alfred Hitchcock certainly was a master of getting an image onto film. Great reaction! Loved that you didn't know the twist. Can't wait to see the next one.
A year or two before this role Anthony Perkins was in a great film that has been overlooked by reactors. "On The Beach" also starred Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, and Fred Astaire (in a non-dancing dramatic role), and is a chilling story about the aftermath of a nuclear war. Hope you may be interested in being the first to react to it.
Speaking of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Cassidy in PSYCHO is played by Frank Albertson, who was Sam (“Hee-haw”) Wainwright in the other film, his $25K now inflated to $40K.
At the time Psycho was made, people would often ignore the start time for a movie and just walk in on the middle of it. They'd watch the beginning of the next screening to get the whole show. Hitchcock asked theater operators not to let people do this with Psycho, so as not to spoil the surprises. He also asked audiences not to reveal any of the movie's secrets (this was a long time before the term "spoiler.") Hitchcock played a trick on the audience with this movie. The first part of the plot seems like one of his typical suspense stories. There was no clue that a murder would take place, so it was a big shock when it happened. They say women were afraid to take showers for years after Psycho came out. The score was by the great Bernard Hermann. It's so good that orchestras sometimes play it as a stand-alone piece of music, without the movie. Other Hitchcock movies I'd like to see you watch: Vertigo North by Northwest Rebecca Shadow of a Doubt Notorious Strangers on a Train Dial M for Murder
It's hard to go wrong with a Hitchcock movie. Great reaction you guys. It's so great when people don't know the whole story. This is my favorite Hitchcock. My second favorite is Dial M for Murder....good twists in that one too. Vertigo is a must.
I had a cop follow me for several blocks in 1960 when I was 17. He turned when I turned, making it obvious I was being followed. When he stopped following me, I followed him for several blocks. Seven years later, I was a city cop, and had a car follow me. He was an FBI agent with nothing better to do.
Wow.."Psycho" being viewed by a boy and his best friend (Mom); how appropriate. I enjoyed it a lot, since you are very observant, without being TOO picky and over-analytical, which can ruin a film like this. LIKE THIS?? What am I saying?.there ARE no other films like this! I recall my own mother seeing it with her friends in fall of '60 (I was 8) and being stunned. Audiences were expecting another big colorful Hitchcock suspense/thriller with big name stars (which Janet Leigh was), and instead saw a "B' black & white, low-budget pic..elevated by Hitchcock, Stefano (writer), cinematographer, editor, Herrmann (composer) to the status of high art. Very sharp to catch the young Ted Knight as the cop at the end. And yes, the line-reading of mother at the end was fabulous. I believe that was actress Virginia Gregg; in order to further mis-lead the audience Hitchcock use two different actresses for Ma's voice...Ms Gregg and the distinguished Jeanette Nolan (she played Lady MacBeth in Orson Welles' 1948 film), whom I believe did the mother's voice in the first (motel window) scene, and probably the "You think I'm fruity??" scene as well. Ms. Nolan was married in real-life to John McIntyre, who played Sheriff Chambers (but who did not do one of the heavenly voices in "Wonderful Life"..but he sounded very similar). And speaking of "Wonderful Life", NOBODY recognizes actor Frank Albertson (Cassidy w/ the $40K) as Sam "Hee-haw" Wainwright from "Wonderful Life" (though I see it listed here). Anyway, great job...reminding us again of the brilliance of "Psycho" and its continuing ability to shock and amaze us...even after 65 years of cinematic gore that it inspired. Often imitated, NEVER equaled!
I've seen the DVD commentary on this movie. I think what Janet Leigh said there, was that she •FILMED• the scene (and nailed it), and was fine with taking showers after it. HOWEVER, when she SAW THE COMPLETED FILM IN THE THEATER - it was at THAT point that she was freaked out (as were, it seems, many other women), and declined to take showers only after that. (which is so interesting!! She, of all humans on the earth, was in a position to know that it was all fake, that the stabbing didn't really happen, that she was watching two actors on a set... but it didn't matter in the least!)
It was considered safer (and was safer) to get out the passenger side - so you are not opening the door into passing traffic - and with bench seats one could - so it becomes a habit.
This movie is based on the book by Robert Bloch. That book is based on Ed Gien of Wisconsin who was the basis of this movie, The Texas Chainsaw Murders, Two on a Meat Hook and other assorted movies. He killed few people but how he lived is beyond description. He died in an insane asylum.
Great reaction to this classic. Really enjoyed watching you two react to this one 😄 Some other great classics from Hitchcock to check out are Notorious, Vertigo, Rebecca and Rope. The last one, Rope, is very interesting, as it is filmed as if it is one long take without any obvious cuts.
We do still use the word transvestite. Not everyone who crossdresses is trans. Why do people expect the "famous scene" to be at the end? The "protagonist" can die 1/3 of the way into the movie, but if she does, then she isn't the protagonist, is she? I'm not sure this movie has a protagonist.
Since the early '30's, starting just a few years after sound was added to movies, there was the Hays Code. The code was very restricted, including even a married couple could not be shown sleeping in a double bed (!) Extra-martial affairs could only be hinted at, villains could never get away at the end, etc. During the '60's, the code slowly began to get ignored or gotten around. In 1968, it was finally lifted, when the current movie rating system of P, PG, R, and X replaced it. One of the things that led to the end of the code was that tv was killing the movie industry. Thus by allowing more scandalous things in movies, they could offer something different from tv. (Also about the same time, the Supreme Court allowed people to own pornography.) Hitchcock obviously chaffed at the restrictions so he was always pushing the envelope. In this movie, he opens with an unmarried couple clearly dressing after an afternoon of "illicit" sex. This was also the first time in films they showed a toilet flushing. I think Hitchcock was deliberately trying to shock the audience to keep them off-guard. Marion's being seen in her underwear and them glimpses of her naked in the shower pushed the code to its current limit at the time. When the sister and boyfriend go to register at the motel, not only was it suspicious that Norman didn't have them sign in at first, but also, they didn't have any luggage. At the time, it was illegal to allow an unmarried couple to share a room in any type of lodging, as the hotel, motel, dorm, or boarding house could be charged with running a "house of ill-repute." This is why there were "lovers' lanes" where unmarried or cheating couples could go to neck. Of course, some lodging places were willing to look the other way when a couple wanted some place more comfortable, but would charge more for a couple without luggage (or not having a marriage license to show), so it was very suspicious to Sam that Norman didn't try to charge the extra $.
There aren't many Hitchcock films I wouldn't recommend. Dial M for Murder is one of my favourites, but I really recommend Strangers on a Train. Both great movies. And as a somewhat more light hearted follow up, you can watch Throw Momma from the Train (Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito) which is filled with Hitchcock references.
Fun reaction to this absolute classic! Yes, the Loomis name in Halloween is a direct homage to this film by John Carpenter as was, to a degree, the casting of Jamie Lee Curtis. If you haven’t seen Halloween H20 there is a huge, fun cameo homage to Psycho that includes Janet Leigh. Interesting historical note: prior to this film, people could come and go in movie theaters at will continuously. Hitchcock mandated that for Psycho no one be allowed in the theater after the film started so as to make sure people saw the film from start to finish. So for the first time, people had to line up outside the theaters for the next showing to start and that’s how all theaters operate today. But that was revolutionary at the time. You can see some of the publicity re: this in old newsreels and promos on TH-cam. I HIGHLY recommend Shadow of a Doubt (Hitch’s personal favorite of his films), Strangers on a Train, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo and North By Northwest, all Hitchcock masterpieces. There are many other great Hitchcock films, too, of course.
Hitchcock movies you should watch: A classic: North by Northwest Hitchcock's favorite: Shadow of a Doubt Often overlooked, but great (in my opinion): Rebecca
Another example of Hitchcock abusing the women in his films. Check out the attack in The Birds, and the murder in Frenzy. One wonders what his demons were.
That was my first time seeing a first time reaction to this movie. Great one guys. I ❤Hitchcock. Rope, North by Northwest and Vertigo are some of my favourites. Thanks Nick and Jen. ❤
A timeless masterpiece watched by a mother and son! Glad you guys enjoyed!!!
A Boy's Berst Friend is His Mother".
"A son is a poor substitute for a lover."
@@jamesalexander5623 dangit! You stole my comment! 😂
@@OceanKingNY😂😂😂😂
In Scream, Billy Loomis also quotes Norman by saying "We all go a little mad sometimes."
That final smile on ''Mothers'' face and seeing the corpse overlap with Normans was bone chillin' + as you mentioned when they brought up Marion's car you question HOW many more are down there forgotten by time. Anthony Perkins was an amazing in this movie. Had to lock the bathroom door whenever I showered for weeks after I watched it back in 2010 (was 16). This movie opened up my eyes for the older horror/slasher movies 🖤
There are PLENTY of great older films that are not slasher movies. I wish more younger people would watch older films. You have no idea about the great stuff you’re missing. They didn’t call it the golden age of Hollywood for nothing.
Millions of women were afraid to take showers after this movie, just like millions of people wouldn’t go in the ocean after seeing JAWS! This was a first for its time, resulting in slasher movies in the 70’s. 😮
I'm so glad you two didn't know the twist!
Great reaction!
There is so much foreshadowing in this film but most people don't recognize it. The first time you see Marion in her underwear it's "pure" white and after she steals the money it's black. Also, all of the references to birds. The birds all over the office. Her name is Marion Crane and Norman tells her she eats like a bird. Finally, Norman is into taxidermy. He "preserved" his mother the same way he did the birds. Great reaction!
More references to birds: 1) Marion comes from Phoenix, a fabulous bird of legend. 2) As Sam leaves Lila at the hardware store to go look for Arbogast, for a moment, Lila is juxtaposed against the upside-down rakes at the hardware store. It creates a visual impression of Lila being some kind of giant human peacock, with rakes fanning out around her as if they were her tail-feather-like appendages. ... finally, 3) norman knocks a picture of a bird off the wall in Marion's motel room, when he first discovers the body, as 'norman.'
For me, it's the line Norman says about his mother: "she's as harmless as one of these stuffed birds". So funny because we later come to find he freakin' stuffed her like a bird! 😂
Notice that Norman told the detective that his mother is an invalid, which means that she would be handicapped. How could someone who is not just handicapped, but also elderly, wind up killing anyone? Yet, because of Norman's mental health issue, he truly thought it was his mother that was killing people, all the while thinking she was an invalid. I can't comprehend Norman's mind, and I wouldn't want to. Mental health problems are very sad to be honest, and there are so many people, even nowadays, who aren't as understanding of people with mental health issues as they could be. I can't imagine how scary it is for people with those kinds of issues.
I think part of him claiming she is an invalid, is an excuse - for anyone who asks - as to why she can't come out of the house and can't be seen by anyone. I think Norman actually thought "mother" was capable of murder, and the claim she couldn't get around was a lie, only to be told to others.
4:06 “Oh no.” 😮
“Who’s that?” 🤔
“HER BOSS.” 😨
“Oh, Jesus!” 😂
My father was an excellent violin player, and he knew my mother only saw “Psycho” once and it terrified her. The first time she took a shower at his apartment he stood in the hallway outside of the bathroom so she couldn’t see him (the door was open) and he played the Psycho shower scene song on his violin. She freaked out and from then on locked the bathroom door. Not that she was afraid of him, but the song just freaked her out too much.
That's hilarious!! I imagine your Mom gave him hell over that.
😂😂😂Your father had a wicked sense of humor.
The story of how Jen never watched Psycho till now would be as interesting as the movie
That look on his face at the ending is EVERYTHING!!! Thanks for another great reaction guys!!
Thanks! That expression will haunt my dreams for weeks!
The prologue gives this movie so much more depth. This film is so far ahead of its time and take so many risks. You generally only see this when directors have full creative control.
Yeah, Psycho was a major inspiration for John Carpenter when he was making Halloween. Janet Leigh's daughter playing Laurie Strode, naming Loomis after a character in Psycho. It all comes full circle.
Everyone always mentioned Janet Leigh as Jamie Lee Curtis' mom but they don't mention that she had a famous father too. He was actor Tony Curtis. He played in Some Like It Hot along with Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe.
Tony Curtis also starred in one of my favorites "Trapeze" with Burt Lancaster and Gina Lollobrigida, but I'm sure you knew that "Mommie Dearest".
Watching the two of you watching this movie kind of reminds me of another young man and his mother.
Some people thought "Psycho" was going to be a horror or "slashet" movie. It's actually a psychological thriller. Anthony Perkins was absolutely brilliant as Norman Bates. I love Alfred Hitchcock's movies. Great director!
Ok, I've seen countless reactions to this but this is the first mother and son reaction... absolutely delightful and I'm so glad you guys didn't know the twist! Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock film and I really recommend that, as well as North by Northwest. Rope is great, too.
These three movies would my choices too.
@@jillwanlin9558 Or 3 of his best Early films, "Rebecca", "Shadow of a Doubt" and "Notorious"!
@@jamesalexander5623 Oh I love those 3! The cinematography of Rebecca is stunning, which won Best Cinematography at the Oscars. I love Teresa Wright in Shadow of a Doubt. Notorious is sizzling with the chemistry between Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, not to mention a sympathetically portrayal of the "bad guy" by the great Claude Rains!
Alfred Hitchcock thought Bernard Hermann's Music was so pivotal to the film that he placed his name in the opening credits where the Producer's name would be, just before the Director's...
Wrong. Credits were placed in order differently in that day and age.
You mentioned "It's a Wonderful Life." The actor in "Psycho" who's waving around the $40,000 is Frank Albertson. He also played Sam Wainwright, the guy who says "Hee-Haw" all the time, in "Wonderful Life."
There are some people who like to believe that the Sam Loomis in the Halloween movies is this Sam as an older man. Also in Scream, Billy Loomis quoted a line from Psycho... "we all go a little mad sometimes" & then also mentioned "Anthony Perkins, Psycho"
John Carpenter named the doctor in Halloween after Sam in honor of Hitchcock. The same was done with Billy getting the same last name.
@@joshuayeager3686 Marilyn Monroe plays the conniving Rose Loomis in Niagra from 1953.
NOTORIOUS (1946) is one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films (IMO). It stars Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, and Claude Rains.
Great film! I would also recommend “Rebecca”, “The Lady Vanishes”, Strangers On A Train”, and “The 39 Steps” among other films of his.
The Motel and House are located on the Universal Back Lot in Hollywood.
For the A&E series "Bates Motel" the Motel and House were recreated about one hour outside of Vancouver Canada.
The house was built on the Universal grounds (along with the motel), based on Edward Hopper's well-known 1925 painting, House by the Railroad Tracks, which was based on a real house at Haverstraw, NY. The motel section was torn down but the house still stands. That and the Munster house, also on the lot, gets used for SO MANY movies and tv shows, including often in Murder She Wrote. Each time, it gets filmed from a different direction, and they place trees and other foliage around it to disguise it.
The Bates house was reproduced in HO scale for model railroads by Polar Lights. (I think they also did the Munster house and either they or another company offer a model of the Addams house.)
Thanks for the reaction. Great to see that this movie is still so appealing to people. In 1990, I saw a documentary with people who had watched it when it premiered in cinema in 1960, 30 years earlier. There had been a lot of advertising on telly about this movie, so everyone was anxious, expecting the biggest thrill & suspense ever. Almost all of them told how bored they got, some people started to complain, some almost fell asleep, and then the shower scene happened. They all jumped up in their chairs and some screamed, because it was such a shocking scene & the main character got killed, too. During the rest of the movie, it was dead silent in the cinema room. They all realized that they were watching something special.
Alright. If you two are going to do more Hitchcock, Vertigo is an absolute must and I heavily recommend Rope as well. You’ll be fascinated by the almost only one shot used for that film.
Needless to say, this was probably one of the best reactions to Psycho seeing a mother and son view it for the first time.
Great choices!
Rebecca, his first US film. Lifeboat
"Rebecca" won Best Picture! But Hitchcock never won a "Competative" Oscar! Seriously!
I've watched several different "Psycho" reactions, and it's always kind of a let-down when the reactor knows the twist, so I'm glad the two of you didn't. Also love that you got some of the references ("if it doesn't gel, it isn't aspic") that I don't think I've seen anyone else pick up on. If you want another Hitchcock movie, my vote is for "Rope" (It's loosely based on the real life Leopold & Loeb murders in 1920's Chicago, the whole movie is shot in only 10 shots, and it has Jimmy Stewart), or "Strangers on a Train".
Those two suggestions are great, Rope (1948) being his first color film.
The $40,000 in “Psycho” is a MacGuffin. Alfred Hitchcock coined the term MacGuffin to describe an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. The MacGuffin is usually revealed in the first act and thereafter declines in importance. It can reappear at the climax of the story but may actually be forgotten by the end of the story.
GREAT REACTION and I was so glad you didn't get the twist until the right moment. Here's the answer to the question everyone has long awaited for. Why, in the old movies, did actors slide out of the passanger side of the car instead of the driver side? First of all, cras were bigger and roads were narrower than now. Getting out of the car on the driver side would certainly guarante your driver door to be knocked off its hinges and you in the hospital. Another reason is, back in the days, the front car seats, like the back seat, were bench seats. You could slide out easily from the driver side to the passanger side with little effort. Nowadays, cars don't have a front bench seat but have two separate seats with the middle where one can find the autonatic shift or the standard shift. Sliding out via the passanger seat was ideal for Hitchcock because he preferred to continue a shot without moving the camera to either follow the actor or to have the actor walk between the camera and the car.
Dr. Loomis is indeed a tribute to Sam Loomis in Psycho. Janet Leigh, who plays Marion, is also Jamie Lee Curtis's real-life mother.
This was also the first time a toilet was shown in an American movie.
Fantastic reaction. I've seen this movie so many times and never even thought about the fact that Arbogast as a PI would have no authority to even seek a warrant. Also "Well, this took a turn" after the shower scene is the highlight of my week.
Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis were still married at the time she filmed Psycho and both were popular box-office movie actors and Hollywood sweetheart stars. Audiences in 1960 were shocked to have who they perceived to be the 'star' of this film killed off after only 40-45 minutes into the story and in such a brutal way. I'm sure many sat in stunned shock and didn't truly comprehend the rest of the story as the movie continued.
40 k in 1960 equals 374,545 today.
You can see the Bates motel, at least the house on the hill on the Universal tour in LA.
I have 'Bates Motel' matchbooks from there..
Yup! It was Dr. Samuel Loomis in Halloween, by John Carpenter. Which starred Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh's daughter. Then, Scream had Billy Loomis... and Scream 5, Billy's daughter... Samantha Carpenter, like John Carpenter or if she took Billy's last name, she would be Sam Loomis. Like Dr. Loomis. 😂 😂 it's a whole horror homage circle. 😂
@ 21:51, possibly THE greatest jumpscare ever put to screen. The eerie silence immediately undercut by those violent Bernard Herrmann strings plus the odd overhead angle... horror done to perfection/
Chocolate Syrup was never so scary!
The other woman working at the bank is Hitchcock's daughter, Patricia. And, at age ninety-four, Vera Miles is the soul survivor from this film. Bonus: Mrs. Bates is voice by character actress Virginia Gregg.
Vera is literally the final girl
This movie ranked at #4 in the 100 scariest movie moments on Bravo
$40,000 in 1960 is worth about $400,000 today.
Your faces with the twists! 😂 You might have just earned a subscriber here
My mom let me watch this when it first came on broadcast TV. I was 9 or 10, so it would have been 1970 ish. I loved it but I had older cousins who never took a shower again. Still holds up so well.
North by Northwest and Vertigo are must watches at some point.
This movie did things that no other movie had done before. Showing a woman in her underwear, showing a toilet flushing... yes very scandalous
Showing a couple who are not married (to each other) who, obviously, had sex beforehand.
Been waiting for you guys to watch this one since subbing to the channel! I think you're the only mother/son duo to react to this on youtube. Love your reactions and will continue to support.
Thank you so much!
The reaction to this innovative film in 1960 was sensational. It was talked about for years and years afterwards. Of course, over 65 years it’s been much copied and mined for Hitch’s genius directorial tricks and games so it just can’t have the same impact for us as we’ve seen these elements all our lives. This was the first time in Hollywood that a toilet bowl was filmed and flushed and Hitch had huge problems getting that past the censor. Also that our sympathies lie with a woman carrying on a lunchtime affair with a married man and that Janet Leigh was a thief seen in her brassiere. The killing off of the star lead 1/3 into the movie had never been done before nor had there been such a grotesque killing of a woman shown at such extended length and in detail. When another visionary British director, Michael Powell, made Peeping Tom which is in not a totally dissimilar genre, it ended his career. Hitchcock was brilliant and because he appeared in his own movies and fronted Alfred Hitchcock Presents on TV in his quirky style he was well known and beloved.
Tidbit : The other Girl working in the Office is Hitch's Daughter Patricia! She has a nice part in "Strangers on a Train"!
One of the best movies ever made!!! Hands down. So glad you watched this. Rope and The Birds were faboulas too X
The money is the McGuffin, the object we all think everyone is chasing but it only drives the plot. If she never stole the money, she would have never met Norman. Still griping and shocking after 64 years, Hitchcock was a genius!!
You may have read this already. The shot where the detective gets murdered Hitchcock had Martin Balsam sitting in a chair that they rigged and moved down the staircase while he flailed his arm. Great moment.
"A boys best friend is his mother" 🤪🤪🤪
A few of my favorite Hitchcock movies are "North by Northwest," "Vertigo," "Suspicion," and "The Lady Vanishes."
Here is a tip for figuring out the value of money in older films: They always give you a comparison. The $40,000 that Marion steals is the purchase price of a (presumably up scale) house. Simply figure what such a house would cost today and you have an approximate equivalent in today's currency. This trick saves a lot of needless calculation and works in nearly all older films. For example: In It's a Wonderful Life, the Bailey Building and Loan loans Ernie the taxi driver $5,000 for a house. Later in the movie, Potter offers George $20,000 a year or the equivalent of four houses.
‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’ is also another great one to watch.
Which version since there's 2
I wish you could have seen me smiling and laughing while you guys were coming up with theories lol.
So jaded are audiences now that it's rarely noted that Psycho was the first time a toilet was flushed in an American film. This was nearly as shocking as the shower scene at the time.
Not just flushed. It was the first time a toilet was shown, period.
The shower scene was on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments, as well as the twist ending.
Also, director Alfred Hitchcock had a cardboard cutout of himself letting audience members know to not have them spoil the ending to the movie.
I LOVED that you hadn't a clue. I didn't the first time I saw it either. MInd blown. Glad you enjoyed.
Watch Hitchcock, the movie about the making of this. It was his wife Alma who was the writer.
North by Northwest is a good Hitchcock movie. Cary Grant is a doll.
Then Notorious, with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. It's black and white.
Spellbound with Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. Another black and white masterpiece.
Finally, someone noticed Ted Knight. Great reaction!!!!
I first saw this at at a friend's house about 5 houses away at night. I had to run home ,and didbt shower for several days after that .they told people not to give away the ending .watch the man who knew to much, and lifeboat.......
Psycho is my favorite Hitchcock film and in my top 5 films of all time. My next two favorite Hitchcock movies that I highly recommend are North by Northwest and Strangers on a Train.
Yeah. Great choices.
I remember when I first watched this I knew everyone talked about the shower scene so I walked out of the room until my hubby said it was over. But it let me take showers without fear afterwards LOL! Alfred Hitchcock certainly was a master of getting an image onto film. Great reaction! Loved that you didn't know the twist. Can't wait to see the next one.
I saw this movie as a teen and was terrified to take showers afterwards! I locked the bathroom all the time, to the annoyance of my sisters!
A year or two before this role Anthony Perkins was in a great film that has been overlooked by reactors. "On The Beach" also starred Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, and Fred Astaire (in a non-dancing dramatic role), and is a chilling story about the aftermath of a nuclear war. Hope you may be interested in being the first to react to it.
Speaking of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Cassidy in PSYCHO is played by Frank Albertson, who was Sam (“Hee-haw”) Wainwright in the other film, his $25K now inflated to $40K.
Yes!! My favorite movie of all time, I was waiting for this!
R.I.P To Some Of The Actor's Who We're In This Movie,Are No Longer With Us Still Miss You All
At the time Psycho was made, people would often ignore the start time for a movie and just walk in on the middle of it. They'd watch the beginning of the next screening to get the whole show. Hitchcock asked theater operators not to let people do this with Psycho, so as not to spoil the surprises. He also asked audiences not to reveal any of the movie's secrets (this was a long time before the term "spoiler.")
Hitchcock played a trick on the audience with this movie. The first part of the plot seems like one of his typical suspense stories. There was no clue that a murder would take place, so it was a big shock when it happened. They say women were afraid to take showers for years after Psycho came out.
The score was by the great Bernard Hermann. It's so good that orchestras sometimes play it as a stand-alone piece of music, without the movie.
Other Hitchcock movies I'd like to see you watch:
Vertigo
North by Northwest
Rebecca
Shadow of a Doubt
Notorious
Strangers on a Train
Dial M for Murder
Vertigo is a good follow up to this, done 2 years earlier and considered by many critics his best film.
This is one of my favorites horror movies!!
Amazing reaction guys 😊
It's hard to go wrong with a Hitchcock movie. Great reaction you guys. It's so great when people don't know the whole story. This is my favorite Hitchcock. My second favorite is Dial M for Murder....good twists in that one too. Vertigo is a must.
I had a cop follow me for several blocks in 1960 when I was 17. He turned when I turned, making it obvious I was being followed. When he stopped following me, I followed him for several blocks. Seven years later, I was a city cop, and had a car follow me. He was an FBI agent with nothing better to do.
I'd say definitely react to Vertigo, that's my favourite Hitchcock =)
The reason there were so few bills in the envelope is in 1960 $1000 bills were in circulation.
"Get it, girl." Damn.
R.I.P To A Great Director Alfred Hitchcock
Another vote here for Rope and North by Northwest 😊
Many critics consider "North by Northwest" the first "Bond" Film! And Grant was actually offerd the part of James Bond.
Wow.."Psycho" being viewed by a boy and his best friend (Mom); how appropriate. I enjoyed it a lot, since you are very observant, without being TOO picky and over-analytical, which can ruin a film like this. LIKE THIS?? What am I saying?.there ARE no other films like this! I recall my own mother seeing it with her friends in fall of '60 (I was 8) and being stunned. Audiences were expecting another big colorful Hitchcock suspense/thriller with big name stars (which Janet Leigh was), and instead saw a "B' black & white, low-budget pic..elevated by Hitchcock, Stefano (writer), cinematographer, editor, Herrmann (composer) to the status of high art.
Very sharp to catch the young Ted Knight as the cop at the end. And yes, the line-reading of mother at the end was fabulous. I believe that was actress Virginia Gregg; in order to further mis-lead the audience Hitchcock use two different actresses for Ma's voice...Ms Gregg and the distinguished Jeanette Nolan (she played Lady MacBeth in Orson Welles' 1948 film), whom I believe did the mother's voice in the first (motel window) scene, and probably the "You think I'm fruity??" scene as well. Ms. Nolan was married in real-life to John McIntyre, who played Sheriff Chambers (but who did not do one of the heavenly voices in "Wonderful Life"..but he sounded very similar). And speaking of "Wonderful Life", NOBODY recognizes actor Frank Albertson (Cassidy w/ the $40K) as Sam "Hee-haw" Wainwright from "Wonderful Life" (though I see it listed here). Anyway, great job...reminding us again of the brilliance of "Psycho" and its continuing ability to shock and amaze us...even after 65 years of cinematic gore that it inspired. Often imitated, NEVER equaled!
ironic how the film is about the son and the mother and now its being reacted by a son and a mother
I would recommend Vertigo and North by Northwest to be next on your Hitchcock list.
They didn't rent a motel, they built one.
Although it seems the money was somewhat irrelevant to the story, it is actually important. The missing money is what gives urgency to finding Marion.
You mean if it wasn't for money, no one would search for her?
Your mom is so sweet! Love the reactions! 😇🙏🤗Blessings and happy thoughts! 🎊🎉
Thank you so much!! Same to you.
One of my top 5 favourite movies. Guys - you MUST check out the Bates Motel series. It’s some excellent tv.
This movie made a lot of women scared of taking showers. Even Janet Leigh stopped taking showers after filming the scene.
I've seen the DVD commentary on this movie. I think what Janet Leigh said there, was that she •FILMED• the scene (and nailed it), and was fine with taking showers after it. HOWEVER, when she SAW THE COMPLETED FILM IN THE THEATER - it was at THAT point that she was freaked out (as were, it seems, many other women), and declined to take showers only after that. (which is so interesting!! She, of all humans on the earth, was in a position to know that it was all fake, that the stabbing didn't really happen, that she was watching two actors on a set... but it didn't matter in the least!)
30k in 1960 would be like 300k in today’s value.. so it’s more impressive than you think.
It was considered safer (and was safer) to get out the passenger side - so you are not opening the door into passing traffic - and with bench seats one could - so it becomes a habit.
This movie is based on the book by Robert Bloch. That book is based on Ed Gien of Wisconsin who was the basis of this movie, The Texas Chainsaw Murders, Two on a Meat Hook and other assorted movies. He killed few people but how he lived is beyond description. He died in an insane asylum.
Great reaction to this classic. Really enjoyed watching you two react to this one 😄
Some other great classics from Hitchcock to check out are Notorious, Vertigo, Rebecca and Rope. The last one, Rope, is very interesting, as it is filmed as if it is one long take without any obvious cuts.
We do still use the word transvestite. Not everyone who crossdresses is trans.
Why do people expect the "famous scene" to be at the end? The "protagonist" can die 1/3 of the way into the movie, but if she does, then she isn't the protagonist, is she? I'm not sure this movie has a protagonist.
Hindsight is 20/20 but the best ending to this video would have been Nick realizing Jen wasn't real
Since the early '30's, starting just a few years after sound was added to movies, there was the Hays Code. The code was very restricted, including even a married couple could not be shown sleeping in a double bed (!) Extra-martial affairs could only be hinted at, villains could never get away at the end, etc. During the '60's, the code slowly began to get ignored or gotten around. In 1968, it was finally lifted, when the current movie rating system of P, PG, R, and X replaced it. One of the things that led to the end of the code was that tv was killing the movie industry. Thus by allowing more scandalous things in movies, they could offer something different from tv. (Also about the same time, the Supreme Court allowed people to own pornography.)
Hitchcock obviously chaffed at the restrictions so he was always pushing the envelope. In this movie, he opens with an unmarried couple clearly dressing after an afternoon of "illicit" sex. This was also the first time in films they showed a toilet flushing. I think Hitchcock was deliberately trying to shock the audience to keep them off-guard. Marion's being seen in her underwear and them glimpses of her naked in the shower pushed the code to its current limit at the time.
When the sister and boyfriend go to register at the motel, not only was it suspicious that Norman didn't have them sign in at first, but also, they didn't have any luggage. At the time, it was illegal to allow an unmarried couple to share a room in any type of lodging, as the hotel, motel, dorm, or boarding house could be charged with running a "house of ill-repute." This is why there were "lovers' lanes" where unmarried or cheating couples could go to neck. Of course, some lodging places were willing to look the other way when a couple wanted some place more comfortable, but would charge more for a couple without luggage (or not having a marriage license to show), so it was very suspicious to Sam that Norman didn't try to charge the extra $.
There aren't many Hitchcock films I wouldn't recommend. Dial M for Murder is one of my favourites, but I really recommend Strangers on a Train. Both great movies. And as a somewhat more light hearted follow up, you can watch Throw Momma from the Train (Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito) which is filled with Hitchcock references.
Fun reaction to this absolute classic! Yes, the Loomis name in Halloween is a direct homage to this film by John Carpenter as was, to a degree, the casting of Jamie Lee Curtis. If you haven’t seen Halloween H20 there is a huge, fun cameo homage to Psycho that includes Janet Leigh.
Interesting historical note: prior to this film, people could come and go in movie theaters at will continuously. Hitchcock mandated that for Psycho no one be allowed in the theater after the film started so as to make sure people saw the film from start to finish. So for the first time, people had to line up outside the theaters for the next showing to start and that’s how all theaters operate today. But that was revolutionary at the time. You can see some of the publicity re: this in old newsreels and promos on TH-cam.
I HIGHLY recommend Shadow of a Doubt (Hitch’s personal favorite of his films), Strangers on a Train, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo and North By Northwest, all Hitchcock masterpieces. There are many other great Hitchcock films, too, of course.
The great a.hitchcock really loved building suspense....
What is scary is that Norman Was based on real life killer Ed Gein.
Hitchcock movies you should watch:
A classic: North by Northwest
Hitchcock's favorite: Shadow of a Doubt
Often overlooked, but great (in my opinion): Rebecca
I agree on Rebecca. Gothic, suspenseful, full of twists, and the cinematography is gorgeous!
Hitchcock’s daughter plays the other girl in the office.
Oh that was Pat Hitchcock! Cool!
Another example of Hitchcock abusing the women in his films. Check out the attack in The Birds, and the murder in Frenzy. One wonders what his demons were.
Me and my mom watch this at Mother's Day every year. 😅
That's hysterical!!
Yes sam loomis is the name of the doctor in halloween, also in Scream, Billy Loomis, they all a nod to this movie ;)
Andrew Garfield is fantastic in this
He would be great, if blaspheme of all blasphemes they attempted another Gus Van Sant debacle- could act circles around Vince Vaughn!
That was my first time seeing a first time reaction to this movie. Great one guys. I ❤Hitchcock. Rope, North by Northwest and Vertigo are some of my favourites. Thanks Nick and Jen. ❤
I hope you guys watch more Hitchcock movies! Many brilliant movies.