Psycho (1960)
Directed By Alfred Hitchcock

10/10

It's sad when a mother has to speak the words that condemn her own son. I couldn't allow them to believe I would commit murder. They'll put him away now as I should have years ago. He was always bad and in the end he intended to tell them I killed those girls and that man, as if I could do anything but just sit and stare like one of his stuffed birds. Oh, they know I can't even move a finger and I won't. I'll just sit here and be quiet just in case they do.... suspect me. They're probably watching me. Well, let them. Let them see what kind of a person I am. I'm not even going to swat that fly. I hope they are watching... they'll see. They'll see and they'll know, and they'll say, 'Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly.'


    So says the mother of Norman Bates: A disturbed and socially distant man from Mr. Hitchcock’s great film, Psycho. To start off, shame on you if you have not seen this film. If you have, you really don’t need me to tell you about what a marvel and jewel this is (why are you still reading then?).
    Psycho begins with the tale of defiance, as a desperate woman (Marion Crane) makes a reckless decision that forces her to flee from her city, taking with her a large sum of money that isn’t hers. On the run, she stops at lonesome motel; the Bates Motel. Back in town, Sam Loomis (Marion‘s Lover) and her sister (Lila Crane) begin a manhunt for her but find no clues. They do however receive help from a detective (Milton Arbogast) who had overheard their predicament and together they find themselves coming to the Bates Motel. Suspicion about Norman Bates’ mother rises and Norman himself seems to be hiding something. Eventually things take a turn for the worse and we come to the grizzly conclusion and revelation.
    The camera work is the greatest deliverer of fear in this film. If you just pay attention closely, you will notice that the shots and pans are set up in a very ‘stalker-like’ fashion. Rather than standard setups, the camera will be setup through windows, peepholes, and such. When it’s not stalking characters, it’s creating a distorted uneven frame that makes you feel uneasy. This is used best in the staircase seen with the detective. Still gets me every time.
    You’ve heard the infamous string screeches before. It’s been parodied time and time again, after all. I cannot imagine what if would have been like to hear those violins screaming at the audience for the first time in theaters. The score itself is also a masterpiece all on its own, having been performed time and time again internationally by different orchestras. They are the sound of pure panic and desperation, terror and uncertainty, and that blackness that the movie taglines from the sixties rightfully boasted about.
    The writing is perhaps my favorite part of the film though. There are no single one-liners that a character will say which you will be quoting for weeks like you did after you watched the first half of Full Metal Jacket (and then forgot what the other half was about). But every conversation is free of any superficial or unneeded filler: The characters make their points in a beautiful craft of language that resonates like a truly great horror story narrator. But the dialogue isn’t even the best part of the writing, as Mr. Hitchcock always took a minimalist approach to that aspect of writing. No, the true magnificence of the screenplay lies in its pacing and in the raw context of the story itself. Every plot twist is genuine and engrossing, every scene change is always at the correct time, and every event builds upon itself, never letting go of your attention.
    I have nothing bad to say about this film, and I could go on about how much I adore it. It is in actuality my favorite horror film of all time, one of my favorite movies of all time, and my favorite movie by Alfred Hitchcock. This review should not have convinced you to have watched it as either A) You already did watch it or B) There is nothing that I’ve said it that hasn’t been universally stated, restated, and re-restated time and time again. If you haven’t made yourself watch it, you never will. Truly a pinnacle of art to behold.

  American Psycho (2000)
Directed By Mary Harron
8/10

         

            I live in the American Gardens Building on W. 81st Street on the 11th floor. My name is Patrick Bateman. I'm 27 years old. I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning if my face is a little puffy I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion. There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity. Something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there..

 

Now that’s an intro. 

 

          American Psycho takes place in the 1980’s NYC yuppie scene. A world of fast talkers, sharp suits, and fancy business cards. Our leading man Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is on the surface your typical high-life investment banker with a taste for modern furniture, new wave music, and expensive dining. Just under that however, is a bloody thirsty lust that becomes the subject of this film. Soliciting and murdering prostitutes, stuffing their remains in his fridge, handling business derivatives and still taking the time to film some amateur porn: How does this guy find the time?

          First off, holy crap. You gotta love Christian Bale in this. Probably my favorite role by him, he has this thing nailed almost as if this is how the guy really acts in real life. He tries to be smooth, but he‘s awkward at it, he tries to be clever, but he fumbles a bit-and I don’t mean it in a super obvious way. No, he does not go Michael Cera in this film. Rather, these occurrences are subtle and played out not for comedic relief, but to hint and give glimpses of his unstable psyche. You can literally feel this guy about to snap at any moment like a goddamned rubber band.

                The film pulls very few punches, giving you a more than the recommended daily dose of sex and gore. There is no attempt at trying to explain Patrick’s psychosis and that’s a good thing. Think of it like The Joker in The Dark Knight. You don’t really know what his story is but that’s not the point. Point is the guy is nutty and he’s gonna kill a bum and his dog cause well, why the hell not?

          This movie has some very memorable scenes, my favorite being the one where they exchange and critique each other’s business cards. It’s wonderfully intriguing to watch Patrick compare and contrast the indistinguishable font and texture of his card with the others because you start to get a feel for how this guy’s mind reacts. An obsessive and specific kind of mind that let’s itself know as sudden awkward bursts of franticness then and as a gory murder later. Speaking of gory murder, another great scene is the axe murder. Its disturbingly delightful for him and delightfully disturbing for us. I don’t have to mention the part with the stairwell and the chainsaw either, do I?

          If I have any kind of issue with this movie is it’s lack of noteworthy supporting cast. Sure they do their job, but I guess I’m kinda saying that Christian Bale/Patrick Bateman take the spotlight and lever leave chance for anyone else to shine as well. Though most would argue this was the point: An emphasis on just the psycho, I still have to say, when I think of this movie I think of the main character and no one else. I didn’t even remember anyone else’s name. Because he was such a great person to watch though, I’m not holding it as very noteworthy flaw (if it can even be called a flaw).

          I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to any movie fan. Though some more traditional movie goers might be put off by its depiction of violence and its lack of psychological backstory, those who look past that will find a whimsical (if unsettling) time with this film.