Blu-ray Movie Reviews

A wayward traveler (Janet Leigh) comes upon the Bates Motel and makes the fatal decision of stopping for the evening and partaking in a shower. In one of the most memorable scenes in Hollywood history, she's sliced and diced by a mysterious psychopath (Anthony Perkins).

The Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, lulls his audience into a state of comfort throughout the first act of the film only to shock them with the famous shower scene and then slowly unwind the mystery over the last hour. I'm generally not a fan of horror films, but I've seen Psycho countless times over the years and Norman Bates still sends a chill down my spine. One thing's for sure, Hitchcock certainly knew how to keep an audience on the edge of their seat.

Video Highlights

• VC-1/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Thin veil of grain
• Stable contrast
• Occasional print damage
• Image can look a little flat

Audio Highlights

• Remastered DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Limited dynamics
• Chilling score
• Intelligible dialog

At 50 years old, I wasn't sure how well the black and white film would appear in 1080p, but it's pretty impressive. Other than the occasional nick and scratch, the print is in good shape although the depth could have been better. The remastered score doesn't sound too hokey and stays faithful to the original mono track.

Bonus Materials (all in SD)

• Audio commentary with Stephen Rebello
• The Making of Psycho featurette
• Psycho Sound featurette
• In the Masters Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy featurette
• Audio from a Hitchcock/Truffaut 1962 interview
• Vintage newsreel footage
• The Shower Scene comparison
• The Shower Scene storyboards
• Psycho publicity archives

Named number one on AFI's 100 Years…100 Thrills list, Psycho certainly is one of the most chilling films ever made. The Blu-ray presentation is commendable, but doesn't look as good as some of the classics from Warner. Regardless, if you're a fan of the film it's worth the upgrade from DVD.

Release Date: October 19, 2010
Studio: Universal

Movie: 9/10
Picture: 7/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics