Based on the book by Robert Bloch, Psycho challenged the censors, changed how films were exhibited in theaters, and gave popular culture one the most memorable scenes in film history. With the character of Norman Bates returning to the small screen this month in A&Es Bates Motel, we thought wed take a look at the evolution of the franchise that almost wasn't, starting with the masterwork itself...
8. Psycho (1960)
Because no one wanted to make such a gruesome and controversial movie, Hitchcock self-financed the low-budget Psycho for under a million dollars, primarily using the crew from his television show. He made a deal with Paramount for distribution even as he moved his office and back lot production over to Universal, who owns the franchise. Paramount was convinced, like most others in Hollywood, that the film would be a disaster. In adapting Robert Blochs novel, Hitchcock and screenwriter Joseph Stephano made a critical change that would propel the film to cultural icon status. The fat, balding, unlikeable murderer of the novel was transformed into a sympathetic character, played by Anthony Perkins with an awkward boyish charm and innocence. It was the role that both elevated Perkins to superstardom and typecast him during the latter part of his career. Psycho made the director a fortune and captured the public consciousness in a way that no film of its type ever had before. It set the bar for every horror film to come after it, and established certain elements of horror style still in use today: the kitchen knife as a murder weapon, the psychotic Jekyll/Hyde persona, and the concept of a slasher murder.