9 Un-Orthodox Christmas Movies To Liven Up Your Holiday

6. Psycho (1960)

It's easy to forget that the story of Norman Bates and his mother is actually a holiday flick, since the film only makes two allusions to this fact. The fact that the movie looks as if it takes place during the summer only adds to this film's holiday obscurity. The holiday evidence is there, however, although it passes quickly. There's not much that can be said about this classic horror flick that hasn't already been said, so I'm not going to say much. Suffice it to say that every person involved in the flick were at the top of their game. Anthony Perkins' portrayal of Norman Bates is transcendent; not only was Perkins typecast for life as a result , but his performance has also informed every actor who has ever played a madman since. Martin Balsam is also striking (as Arbogast), as is Janet Leigh (as Marion Crane). Director Alfred Hitchock planned to shoot the opening scenes of the film on location in Phoenix, Arizona. When Hitchcock and his army arrived in Phoenix, however, they were surprised to find the streets covered in Christmas decorations. Rather than take the decorations down, Hitchcock set the film in December (as evidenced by a title card at the beginning of the film) and shot the streets as they were. Hitchcock changed nothing else about the film, however. As in First Blood, the characters never allude to the fact that it's the holiday season. However, that doesn't stop the film from being a Christmas classic.