The legendary shower murder scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho shocked audiences (although little was actually shown on screen) and influenced filmmaking for decades to come. The title of this documentary refers to the 78 camera set-ups and 52 cuts during the three-minute sequence, which reveal an astounding attention to detail. Director Alexandre O. Philippe digs deep into every aspect of the famous scene, from the storyboards and filming (which took seven days), to the powerful use of sound and music, to its reverberations through other American movies, along the way calling upon a vast gallery of commentators. In addition to filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Peter Bogdanovich, other interviewees include horror movie champion (and newly-minted Oscar winner) Guillermo del Toro, film editor Walter Murch, and Marli Renfro, the model and one-time Playboy bunny who served as the body double for Janet Leigh. More than just an analysis of a scene, this documentary offers an appreciation of the film as a whole as well as a history lesson that makes the case for Psycho being the first modern horror movie, upending expectations of moviegoers by defying conventions and crossing boundaries that were previously respected in mainstream movies. Extras include extended interviews with del Toro and Murch, and a "Stabbing Melons" featurette on how Hitchcock used melons for sound. An entertaining and obsessive documentary for fans of the film, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Axmaker)
78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene
(2017) 92 min. Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.99. Shout! Factory (avail. from most distributors). SDH captioned. Volume 33, Issue 4
78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene
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