Psycho

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
1960
Casts:
Anthony Perkins .... Norman Bates
Janet Leigh .... Marion Crane
Vera Miles .... Lila Crane
John Gavin .... Sam Loomis
Martin Balsam .... Detective Milton Arbogast
John McIntire .... Sheriff Al Chambers
Simon Oakland .... Dr. Fred Richmond
Vaughn Taylor .... George Lowery
Frank Albertson .... Tom Cassidy
Lurene Tuttle .... Eliza Chambers

Psycho is a suspense/horror film directed by auteur Alfred Hitchcock, from the screenplay by Joseph Stefano about a psychotic killer. The film shows the encounter between a secretary, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who is in hiding at a motel after embezzling from her employer, and the motel's owner, the lonely Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

It initially received mixed reviews but outstanding box-office returns, prompting a re-review which was overwhelmingly positive and led to four Academy Award nominations. Regarded today as one of Hitchcock's best films and highly praised as a work of cinematic art by international critics, Psycho is also acclaimed as one of the most effective horror films. It was a genre defining film, and almost every scene is legendary, and many have been copied or parodied. The film spawned several sequels and a remake, which are generally seen as works of lesser quality.

"The Shower Scene" has been studied, discussed, and cited countless times in print and in film courses much with debate focusing on why it is so terrifying and how it was produced, including how it passed the censors and debate over who actually directed it.