Fitting to recent real life soulless wonders in many ways, I’ve witnessed a double play of cinematic creepiness this week.
First, I’m glad to say that people have become hip to the Sarasota Film Society’s vintage warehouse at 500 Tallevast Road as it was packed last Saturday for Hitchcock’s Psycho from 1960.
And confession, I had never seen the movie all the way through, simply knew of the iconic shower scene.
And of course, Hitchcock was as amazing for first timers almost 60 years later (trippy how time flies, right?). His artistic vision to land unforgettable scenes is simply unparalleled. I can still clearly see Janet Leigh’s entire face, dead and wide eyed laying on the bathroom floor. Art is far more acceptable than gore and gratuitous violence. If only the current horror numbskull writers could reckon with that, I might start trying the genre again.
Anthony Perkins had enough vulnerability to dupe someone into thinking he deserved sympathy and the fact that Janet’s character had just stolen 40 grand made her more susceptibility blind to ‘Norman’s” red flags.
Sure, the screenplay’s a tiny bit slow in spots, and much like Hitchcock wondered, I thought the psychiatrist’s explanation was a bit long-winded. But as I read, people working on the film felt the need to explain Norman’s wickedness. Unfortunately today, mad men (and women) have become more common place with the advent of mass shootings. And in truth, there’s no explaining people (are they really human?) who care nothing for human life.
One other comment I’ll make here is that as a huge Ted Knight fan, I loved seeing him in a bit part at the end of the film. As usual, Gus Mollasis did a fine comedic turn as Q & A moderator post film.
If you live in the Sarasota Area, get thee to a showing, the next one on July 26th at 6 pm.
And here’s a hint to Part ‘Dos’ of Creepy Films, this one from 2018 starring an actor who use to date Emma Stone…..
A Double Feature of Creeps: Part Uno
