R ‧ 1960 ‧ Horror/Mystery/Thriller ‧ 1h 42m

Get ready for another blockbuster Classic Movie Night at the Odeon. Psycho is considered one of renowned director Alfred Hitchcock’s best films and is arguably his most famous work. It is often ranked among the greatest films of all time and has been praised as a major work of cinematic art by international film critics and scholars due to its slick direction, tense atmosphere, impressive camera work, a memorable score and iconic performances. The 1960 film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Janet Leigh and Best Director for Hitchcock. The film also stars Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam. In 1992, the Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected it for preservation in the United States Film Registry.

A departure from his prior film, North by Northwest (shown at a previous Classic Movie Night), Psycho was filmed on a lower budget in black-and-white by the crew of his television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Nearly the whole film was shot with 50 mm lenses on 35 mm cameras. This provided an angle of view similar to human vision, which helped to further involve the audience. The film was initially considered controversial and received mixed reviews, but audience interest and outstanding box-office returns prompted a major critical re-evaluation. The murder of Leigh's character in the shower is the film's pivotal scene and one of the best-known in all of cinema.

In the film, Phoenix office worker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to sneak around with her lover Sam, and they cannot get married because most of Sam’s money goes to alimony. One Friday, Marion is trusted to bank forty thousand dollars by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, she leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into the Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother.

Admission is free for the Odeon’s Classic Movie Nights, but donations are appreciated.