Welcome to The Attic. Good evening, I am the Dark Princess…

I absolutely love Alfred Hitchcock and my favorite film of his, Psycho. When I found out they were going to make a film about his time making the movie, I was both hesitant and excited. I knew it would be fascinating to watch but it was also a great task to try and fill the shoes of the Master of Suspense himself. As soon as I saw Anthony Hopkins on the movie poster, I knew they picked the right man for the job.

The movie, entitled Hitchcock, is actually based on the amazing book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello. I’ve been reading this book recently and it has been nothing short of a joy to be able to look back at everything that had to come together to make this film happen, through the eyes of someone who lovingly and thoroughly covered every detail and aspect he could. I will cover the book more thoroughly once I finish it but it is important to note that without Rebello, we would not have this movie either.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7vYhtfNM9U&w=560&h=315]

The film starts with a focus on Ed Gein, who I have covered in more detail before. He is the monster who inspired not only Psycho but also Silence of the Lambs and Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The man they got to play Gein, Michael Wincott, is absolutely amazing. He looks so much like him, and while I’ve never heard Gein speak, he sounds exactly how you’d imagine. This is not our only time seeing this man… as the inspiration to Hitch throughout the process, he makes more appearances throughout the movie in a very interesting and sometimes disturbing way. After we get our first quick glimpse of Gein, Hitch appears and makes his introduction in classic form… I felt myself grinning from ear-to-ear during this scene. Anthony Hopkins is nothing short of brilliant as Hitch. He moves like him, he looks like him, and he sounds like him.

After the premiere of Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, reporters are not only questioning if maybe he should quit while he is ahead, but also suggesting that perhaps the Master of Suspense has been dethroned. There are other filmmakers coming along that are starting to step on the toes of Hitch, and he finds himself highly frustrated by this. He needs something new, something to show everyone he is still the master. Upon researching and reading newspapers he comes across a book called Psycho by Robert Bloch. This book has taken a lot from the story of Ed Gein and ran with it, but taking out the more grotesque aspects. Hitchcock was not only fascinated by this story, but also enthralled. He convinces his wife and business confidant, Alma Reville, to get on board. She trusts her husband’s instincts and ability, but also questions why he’d want to take on some silly horror movie. He sits on the edge of his bed, eyes staring off into the distance, and asks the question that would change modern horror forever: what if someone really good made a horror picture?

While presenting the idea for his next film, he gleefully passes out photos of Gein and his atrocities to a large group of fancy-pants Hollywood people. They are repulsed and yet he is giddy at their reactions. They cannot look away from these photos that are disturbing them, and that is his first sign that he is on to something. He is so excited about his new film and the shocking conclusion that he makes a point to buy out and hide all copies of the Psycho novel that he and his people can find so that no one will have the ending revealed.

One thing that is very fascinating about this movie is the realization that Hitchcock and his wife put everything on the line for this movie. They paid the bill to make it happen, he waived his director’s fee.. everything was riding on this, but he showed no fear or hesitation. Next was the task of finding the screenwriter, and they did in a young newcomer to Hollywood. Joseph Stefano was exactly what Hitch needed, and they collaborated well together.

Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins were brought on as the leads in Psycho. Scarlett Johansson and James D’Arcy are both great in their respective roles. Scarlett shines as Leigh, and you can tell she really studied her part well. Her small half-smiles and the way she moves and speaks really shows that she didn’t take this task lightly. D’Arcy has this amazing scene with Hopkins in which he is playing Perkins speaking with Hitch about the role of Norman and how he feels that while he can play it, it may hit too close to home. The way D’Arcy is uncomfortable sitting and smiling awkwardly screams Perkins… I made a note while I was watching this movie that James is a better Perkins in these few minutes than Vince Vaughn is playing Bates in the entirety of the Psycho remake.

While there are some very serious and sad marital issues between Hitch and Alma through the storyline, by far the most interesting parts to me is watching the movie being made. I loved seeing Mrs. Bates’ chair on set, as we all know he actually did that to not raise suspicion about the character… or lack thereof. Watching the director begin to unravel at times really shines a light on his frustration during the filming, and some of his brilliance seems to be born out of the need to vent this hidden anger. His personal life is a struggle and every executive in the city thinks he’s making a huge mistake. Even when the movie itself is completed there are more roadblocks that they hit. The scene where Marion flushes the scrap paper is a huge problem, as a toilet has never been seen flushing in an American movie before. Hitch worked his magic and got it in anyway.

Even when it came time for the theatrical release, Paramount barely helps him get this movie into theaters, so he hashes out a plan to raise the hype on his own. He sends out audio and written instructions to theaters telling them that no one is allowed in after the start of the film. He asks that they have guards to keep the mass of people in line. There is a huge interest that is piqued from this, and he draws an incredible amount of people into theaters. He instructs moviegoers to not reveal the shocking ending to their friends. He does not want this secret to be revealed by anyone. Through the publicity of Psycho, Hitchcock proved that he is not only still the Master, but he can manipulate his audience before they even enter the theater. It was an absolute joy watching this film about a classic I adore, and I recommend it to anyone that loves Hitchcock half as much as I do.

Stay scared,
Dark Princess