We're back to the subject of YouTube movie reactions (see previous post for additional

twaddle). One of the most-reacted-to movies is the classic PSYCHO. Of course, it's

natural that young folk wouldn't have seen this 1960 release, might know nothing about

it. Still, to an oldtimer like me, it's an ongoing surprise that ANYONE can be ignorant of

this great movie. But it's true.

Here are some notable reactions.

Every single one has heard of Hitchcock, but some are not sure what his first name is.

"Albert?" "Alford?" And some aren't sure why they've heard of him, just that his name

is familiar.

Most of the folks know that there’s a shower scene, or at least, something to do with a

shower.

Everyone recognizes the shrieking violin music.

And Bernard Herrman’s music gets all of them right from the first note. Lots of “this

music is great” “this music is so tense/scary/driving”.

About half of them didn’t know the movie would be in black and white, and more than

half tell us that it will be their first monochrome film.

Several comment on the peeping Tom notion of Hitch’s camera entering through the

hotel window, but none of them connect it with Hitch making the audience into voyeurs.

Here’s a sign of the changing times: almost all of them are quite confused why Sam and

Marion would keep their affair secret. I want to gently inform these children that once

upon a time--including 1960--even the simplest, most uninvolved extra-marital sex was

a no-no.

Probably another thing not particular to the 21st century, but certainly more

pronounced: all the women (and nearly all these “reactors” are women) are genuinely

repulsed by Frank Albertson’s character, the contributor of the $40,000 to the story, the

man who buys off unhappiness, and the guy who flirts (to put it nicely) with Janet

Leigh. I’m sure he was never seen as a pleasant character, but now he’s a Me Too

nightmare.

When we first meet Norman Bates, everyone agrees that “he’s so cute” or “he’s so

sweet”. It’s the dinner scene in the stuffed birds room when everybody realizes he’s

not so sweet after all.  One lady blurted out “he reminds me of Andrew Garfield!”

And I guess I can see that.

Another example of 21st century women’s view: Norman reveals the peephole and

spies on Janet Leigh. I expected this reaction, but I didn’t expect it to be this universal.

I figured the reactions would range from “Ugh, what a creep!” to “oh, that’s scary.”

Instead, every single reaction started this way, “Eeuuwwww!”

Each and every one assumes that Janet Leigh is the star (even though most don’t know

who the actress was) and no way she’ll be killed. A couple of them were even certain

that she wasn’t really dead. One reactor wasn’t sold till her body was locked in the trunk,

and even then she said, “Is she…is she REALLY dead?” And when the car sank in the

swamp, she offered, “maybe she’s going to come back as a zombie.”

They also all totally bought into the importance of the 40K and all were surprised,

shocked that the money went into the swamp. One young lady, in truth, seemed much

more shocked by the loss of the money than by the murder of Marion.

One person’s main complaint about the movie: Too little blood in the shower scene.

Everybody was shocked--like “jump scare” shocked--by the murder of Arbogast.

But they were already shocked that the detective entered the Bates home without

knocking.

Hitch would have been so happy. Even after the “who’s that woman in Greenville

Cemetery?” scene, nobody catches on. Almost all assume that Mrs. Bates is truly

still alive and not a single one yet suspected Norman.

And the so-often criticized wrap-up by psychiatrist Simon Oakland, actually pleases

EVERYONE. Even the one girl who seemed to understand Norman’s psychosis as

soon as she saw him in the dress still needed Oakland’s help to get it all straight.

The only complaint any of them expressed about that monologue was one lady who

thought Oakland “was so full of himself.”

All in all, each and every one of them thought it was a genuinely great movie.

And it played, to all these folks who didn’t know what to expect, just exactly as

Hitchcock would have hoped it to play 63 years earlier.

Congratulations, Albert!