Template:Featured film (Week 18, 2006)



Psycho is a 1958 pulp fiction novel by Robert Bloch, which details the life and crimes of the profoundly disturbed Norman Bates.

Bloch's novel was adapted into an acclaimed black-and-white feature film in 1960 by Alfred Hitchcock. The affecting, subtly humorous screenplay was written by Joseph Stefano, and, overall, is quite faithful to the novel. Commonly regarded as one of Hitchcock's best films, Psycho has also been acclaimed as one of the most effective horror films. The film spawned several sequels, though they are generally seen as works of lesser quality.

In 1998, Gus van Sant's remake of Hitchcock's Psycho was released. Though van Sant utilized an unusual aproach (his Psycho followed Hitchcock's nearly shot-for-shot), his version of Psycho received mixed reviews, and was awarded a Golden Raspberries Award.

The book had Mary Crane from Dallas, Texas as the leading lady. Since a real Mary Crane exists, Alfred Hitchcock changed her into Marion Crane from Phoenix, Arizona. The original film version of Psycho starred Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Martin Balsam, John Gavin, Vera Miles, and Simon Oakland.

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