Be it in the secret activities of our neighbors or in a pack of pigeons staring down from atop a telephone line, nobody churns up fear in the mundane quiet like Hitchcock. For his 1960 masterpiece PSYCHO, he found it in the most mundane spot of all: pushover motel clerk Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his latest boarder (Janet Leigh). Based on a book of the same name by author Robert Bloch, who in turn took inspiration from the horrific murders of Ed Gein, the film plays off our society’s fear of respect for the “Do Not Disturb” sign crumbling away. That, or our fear that the guy we’re renting a room from is actually a psychopathic killer. Whatever.

The film was a hit around the world, going on to become Hitchcock’s most financially successful film and to ingrain its most famous scene firmly into modern culture. As such, the chances of you never having seen PSYCHO are roughly comparable to the chances that it was actually written and directed by a room full of monkeys. But, if you are one of those unlucky few (or a fan looking to see it 35mm on the big screen) now’s your chance! It screens at Somerville Theatre as part of their Centennial Programming celebration.

3/26 – 8PM
$10

Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square
Somerville, MA 02144-2908