78/52

source: 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene

This looked interesting but unfortunately the music - which is supposed to be background is very much in the foreground and very very distracting (cello and violins) All these directors and film makers having their say - and we can't hear them. Hitch's films are great and still being talked about and he is so entertaining in interviewers and in Hitchcock's Presents. I wouldn't describe him as 'creepy' as one of the younger film makers does. What is it with film makers and the music - background is background and shouldn't be drowning out the dialogue. I hope this is edited and re-issued as it's something I'd be interested in hearing the views.

My Rating : 7/10 This is certainly not bad as some other reviewers think. Yes - if you don't care much about Hitchcock's body of work then of course it's not for you as it digs into some details that only the fans would like to know more about. I am a diehard fan of Hitchcock so it's great to hear the behind-the-scenes trivia - I didn't know that there was an extra who was standing in as double for Janet Leigh in some of the shots - also it was not Anthony Perkins behind the shower curtains. Not everyone will care for this - I'm glad I watched it being an avid fan of Hitchcock and movies in general.

I wasn't particularly interested in seeing this, wondering just how much mileage they could get out of discussing one specific scene in the Hitchcock classic PSYCHO, but it turns out they do a pretty good job. There's a lot of depth here, a lot of mentioning of the rest of Hitch's career, and plenty of good clips to illustrate the points. The famous talking heads are also a cut above the average, making this a fun one to view.

No it's not about any sport - if that was not included in the Box Set I bought I might not have known from the title alone what this would be about. But I reckon someone very knowledgeable about Psycho does know - if you don't or haven't seen Psycho: do not read on! And of course do not watch the documentary. Because the title of the documentary is of course something that is attached to a very special scene in Psycho. And I'm talking about the shower scene. It may seem weird to make a documentary just about one scene in one movie (and it not even being the big twist at the end of the movie), but here it is. And it is a really good one. A lot of filmmakers and actors are in this and they talk about Psycho but also about Hitchcock in general. So you get some of his other movies mixed in here, while again primarily focussing on the shower scene. And it is a great one - still getting people excited or afraid. And when the actress from back then says she never showered again (true or not, only she knows), it's just amazing ...

This is a mostly fascinating and entertaining documentary, especially for students and fans of Hitchcock, and the film Psycho in particular. It contains some surprising and novel analysis, and some cherished choices of interviewees (Marli Renfro, Danny Elfman, Illeana Douglas, Jamie Lee Curtis), amidst the familiar and somewhat stale contributions from Hitchcock sycophants like Peter Bodganovich and Eli Roth. It's the sort of innovative documentary I would ordinarily enjoy rewatching time and again-were it not for the ghastly and ineffably inept inclusion of a relentless, grating, pseudo-Victorian string quartet that powders you with fleas from start to finish, while you're trying to listen to the insights of the otherwise dignified cast it is drowning out. It's the kind of misguided, sophomoric soundtrack that Bernard Herrmann would have furiously chucked right out the window, and I would have gladly helped him-especially if I could have thrown out Elijah Wood (?!?) along with it. If I can ever find a copy with that sonic detritus removed, I'll watch it over and over. But someday I'd love to ask the producers of this otherwise brilliant effort what qualifications they thought Elijah Wood and Bret Easton Ellis had to offer to this subject-my only guess is that they were loafing around the studio hoping that someone would make them happen again...

This documentary about the infamous shower scene in Psycho has a technical title. 78 camera setups and 52 cuts that took seven days to film. Contributors include Elijah Wood, Bret Easton Ellis, Peter Bogdanovich, David Thomson, Richard Stanley, Sam Raimi, Walter Murch, Eli Roth, Mick Garris, Guillermo del Toro and Jamie Curtis who talk about the shower scene and how it was put together. Bogdanovich also does his trademarked mimicry. There are important aspects discussed such as how to get round the censors. Shooting in black and white helped as you do not see any red blood. We even find out how influential the violence in Psycho was for other films. Italian filmmakers took it to a visceral horror art level. Martin Scorsese even mirrored it in Raging Bull. However at 90 minutes it does feel a bit overlong, there was a lot of waffle and Psycho has been examined to death already.

Man man man, I really love this subject but the completely over the top, loudly mixed, overbearing soundtrack that just goes on and on and on and smothers everything made it unwatchable. Just had to turn it off after 30 minutes.

78/52 (2017) **** In depth and informative doc on the making of the infamous/notorious shower sequence of Alfred Hitchcock's classic horror film "Psycho" (the title refers to the 78 camera set ups and 52 edit/cuts for the scene) and its forever influence on filmmaking and pop culture. Talking heads include filmmakers Peter Bogdanovich, Guillermo del Toro, Mick Garris and actors Jamie Lee Curtis and Oz Perkins (her mom Janet Leigh and his dad Anthony were the stars of the film), Elijah Wood and composer Danny Elfman (who forever was in debt to the film's composer Bernard Herrmann's indelible and iconic shrieking score). For film hounds a valentine to an epic film and to the newbies and scholars quintessential viewing of how to create a true cinematic moment forever. (Dir: Alexandre O. Philippe)

Watched this on train journey back from Scotland. It whiled away 90-minutes, but doesn't add a great deal. Made me want to watch Psycho, and frustratingly i was on a train!