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Our movie thread is so HUGEthat I decided to start a new one, dedicated specifically to movies/series which were based on novels, plays, comic books, etc.
The main difference is that we can discuss and compare both books and movies here, and also give recomendations on movies-related books.
I'll start with Hichkok's "Psycho" which I watched a few days ago.
I was very disappointed by it. I really tried to like it but probably I expected too much, because it's such a renowned film. I definitely did not expect some scenes to be so comical, almost like they came from "Scary Movie" (especially the scene in the end, when Normann bursts in clad in dress and making ridiculous faces).
The famous scene in the shower was shot in a way that completely confused me. I HAD KNOWN that the girl died in this episode, but all this silly knife-waving and abrupt cuts gave an impression that she got only a couple of superficious cuts, and for half a minute I thought that she was not murdered after all. Maybe this scene shocked people in 1960, but now it's just.. chaotic.
What is worse is that the only character who acts with a semblance of common sense is (ironically) Normann Bates. The others make unmotivated choices and unrealistic plans.
It's also sad that Marion turned out to be (in my opinion) so unsympathetic. I did not feel for her, and anyway she seemed to be just a prop, someone for Bates to kill. from this point a view the first part of the movie is a waste of time.
The things I enoyed most were Anthony Perkins' superb acting, the scene with Normann and Marion eating together and talking, and, surprisingly, the scene at the end with the psychologist explaining Normann's "problem". I know that this scene is considered unnecessary and badly made, but the man was so animated and it gave me a little insight into what the 60's audience might have thought and how they probably persieved what had happened on screen.
But I want to be fair to this classic picture, so I keep researching.
I'm reading Bloch's novel right now (and so far I like it better), and a very interesting and thorough book by Joseph W. Smith III "The Psycho File. A Comprehensive Guide to Hitchcock’s Classic Shocker".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psycho_(film))
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psycho_(novel))
Amazon.com: The Psycho File: A Comprehensive Guide to Hitchcock's Classic Shocker
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