In 1960, the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, would create a historic moment in cinema when he unleashed Psycho upon the world. The film would change the way people took showers and looked at that strange, quiet neighborhood boy who lived next door. Norman Bates would soon become a household name, and would be the driving force behind the franchise which spawned three sequels and one dismal remake.
The Psycho Legacy is a documentary which celebrates the Psycho franchise as a whole. The film contains interviews with many members of the cast and crew of all four Psycho films as they share their moments of working on the films and their experiences with one another on and off the sets. There are also interviews with some of today’s generation of horror filmmakers as they talk about how the Psycho films influenced them as filmmakers and share their fondest moments when they first saw the film. As a whole, we get a good mix of classic Psycho moments, a lost interview with Anthony Perkins and features clips and stills of the films.
I am a friend of the filmmakers of Icons of Fright Productions, so I knew a few things that went on when this film was being made. A lot of time and effort went into it and years of tracking down talent to be interviewed for this film finally paid off. While it is not entirely what I envisioned it to be, what I walked away with after watching The Psycho Legacy was more knowledge and a better understanding of what it took to get Psycho and its sequels made. The film is a celebration of the history of the films and the people who made them.
The documentary can be slow at times, however, just like history class, you’re always learning something new about the franchise and you are there in the moment reliving the experiences that happened on the set of these films with the cast and crew. I had envisioned the film to be different with director Robert Galluzzo being part of the story and documenting his experiences and adventures of tracking down the talent. However, what I got was an important history lesson about the films. A documentary that should be used in films schools based on its information alone.
The DVD comes with two discs. Disc One has the documentary and extended and deleted scenes. Disc Two has a lot of great goodies. There is rare footage of a full panel discussion with Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins. There is also the Psycho Reunion Panel interviews from Fangoria’s weekend of horrors. The disc also has two Psycho II features; Revisiting Psycho II where writer Tom Holland and Psycho Legacy Director Robert Galluzzo look through old blueprints, newspaper clippings and possessions left behind by Psycho II director Richard Franklin. There is also an interview with Psycho II cinematographer, Dean Cundey. There are also a few other short features such as A visit with Psycho Memorabilia collector Guy Thorpe, A tour of the Bates Motel, Psycho on the Web and a visit to the Hyaena Gallery and the Serial-Killer inspired art. The disc also includes a collage of interviews where talent talks about Robert Block and his Psycho novel which stated it all.
The Psycho Legacy is an influential piece of cinema. It’s a documentary that shares the history of the greatest horror franchises ever made. If you have seen Psycho and all its sequels, then you know that even the three sequels were very well made films and did the original film justice. The Psycho remake is not mentioned at all in this documentary for those of you wondering. This documentary is a celebration of the original Psycho franchise and I highly recommend it to fans of the films and especially inspiring filmmakers.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
