Psycho

I’ve heard from more than one that I need a new blog post. I remember when I could invent new posts when nothing was happening, but it’s become a challenge now.

Nevetherless, last weekend Nicolette and I were lying around languid like a pair of pet shop skinks. Turns out “Psycho” was on TCM channel and somehow N. had never seen it. In addition, the movie hadn’t already been spoiled for her by much previous knowledge of the plot.

I discovered that it’s still a very entertaining movie for me. Very goofy and wacky.

From the start of the movie, when Janet Leigh is in the hotel room with her boyfriend, her character is basically flesh for wicked fantasy. That’s her purpose, she is supposed to make you want to do bad things with her but keep your exterior respectability like she does. Back at the real estate office, after her nooner, the rich guy keeps trying to insinuate himself with her and he is creepy ahoy. Everybody wants to get at the raw meat! At the Bates Motel, crazy Norman checks her out through the secret peep hole – he thinks he’s looking at the display window at the butcher shop!

Nicolette was surprised that Janet Leigh didn’t make it through the movie. I think that N. supposed the shower scene would be the climax at the end. Pa told me that even now it’s still unnerving to him to see Janet Leigh slain. I forgot that just before her shower she had decided to straighten out, return the stolen money and fly right. O, irony! The movie doesn’t give her a chance to turn over a new leaf. The movie doesn’t even care about the stolen money that sinks into the swamp, it has different priorities than you and I. That’s because the movie is crazy.

I also forgot that at the very end when the last shot of Norman/Mom is fading, there is a skull subliminally superimposed on his face. What more could one ask for from 1960?