Psycho

1998 Mystery & Suspense

Independent film director Gus Van Sant attempts a first in American film history: a shot-by-shot remake of the classic 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho. With a few minor, modern-day changes (including filming it in color), his version is essentially the same film with a different cast and the same Bernard Hermann music. Psycho was and still is the story of Marion Crane (previously played by Janet Leigh and now by Anne Heche), an adulterous woman who steals a stack of money from her boss and hits the road hoping for financial freedom. Pulling over in an old motel for the night, she meets the creepy owner of the Bates Motel, Norman Bates (Vince Vaughn doing his best Anthony Perkins), who lives with his jealous nagging mother. Most people know the film Psycho for what happens next -- the shower scene, where Marion is brutally stabbed in the most over-analyzed scene in movie history. The money, the car, and Marion's remains are quickly sunk in a nearby swamp. As a detective (William H. Macy) and Marion's sister Lila (Julianne Moore) come looking for her, they begin to uncover the dark mysterious secret lurking in Norman Bates' life. more..

Director: Gus Van Sant

Starring: Anne Heche, Vince Vaughn, Viggo Mortensen,William H. Macy, Julianne Moore

Reviews

  • The film is shot in color and includes an amped-up Danny Elfman version of Bernard Herrmann's haunting score.

    Ty Burr - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • Norman Bates is alive and well, and just a tad kinkier than you remember him.

    Edward Guthmann - The San Francisco Chronicle

    26 April 2013

  • Untantalizingly reverent remake.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • It's so slavishly similar to its predecessor - right down to the symbolic lettering on Marion's license plates - that there's little to spark fresh discussion except the acting.

    David Sterritt - Christian Science Monitor

    26 April 2013

  • Van Sant's film feels as dated as Hitchcock's, and Hitchcock's has the better excuse.

    Maitland McDonagh - TV Guide

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Supporting Actress

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (1999)

     
  • Best Supporting Actor

    Boston Society of Film Critics Awards (1998)

  • Worst Director

    Razzie Awards (1999)