When I was a kid I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house in Midwest City OK. PSYCHO had been re-released into theaters about a year before it was to premier on local TV. I recall the previews being morbidly humorous and more terrifying than anything I had previously imagined. When it was to be shown on television there was quite a buzz in the household. My aunt, only a few years older than me, was eager to see it.
When the broadcast came I was declared too young. I was very disappointed and protested that I was indeed old enough to watch this movie. I was probably six years old. My grandpa told me I could watch until I hid my eyes. If I had to hide my eyes then I had to go to bed. The shower scene was awesome, but didn't make me hide my eyes. Arbogast didn't bother me a bit, the scene was too weird to be frightening. But the tour through the Bates house was really giving me the heebie jeebies; by this time I was halfway up the stairs, watching the movie through the bannister rails.
When I met Mrs. Bates it was too damned late. Hiding my eyes wasn't going to help at that point. The epilogue seemed overdone, but I really liked the last scene of Norman and the shot of the car being pulled from the pond. I made it through the whole movie. This was to begin a lifelong devotion to the joys of horror, although I did not sleep well for several years after. I saw the film again recently in a theater, and found it remarkably dated particularly the soundtrack (which I revere) seemed way overwrought. Oh well, I still remember the first viewing fondly.
The first time I ever saw Psycho was in 83 when Psycho 2 came out. I saw it either right before or right after Psycho 2. I'm thinking they must have showed it on TV to coincide with the sequel.
I had seen the house at Universal studios as a kid but I hadn't seen the film.
I remember loving the movie but I was a bit disappointed by the reveal of mother at the end because I thought the corpse wasn't cool enough. I was very in to 80's type effects at the time and it was just too dry and
un-squishy for me.
Anyway, due to the mere chance of when I was born I really fell in love with Psycho 2 more than the first because I got to see it in the theater and it was such a memorable experience for me.
I had the PSYCHO 2 soundtrack on vinyl which had Herrmann's original theme on it and I played it all the time too.
Both films hold up for me and seem to get better with age but only one has the summer of 83 still breathing in it.
Very nice pictures used to illustrate the post. I still listen to the original soundtrack, and also have a copy of "Psycho 2" in my DVD collection. I love the ending. Thanks for your great website.
Probably what brought this memory to the surface was the recent passing of my grandmother. The house is up for sale now. http://centraloklahomaproperties.com/SiteContent/PropDetail.aspx?N=16&S=OKC&Id=1225580
Looking at the pictures sure took me back. Those are the bannister rails I watched the end of the movie through. Yours, Mike.