Movie Review: Psycho (1960)

        For this blog entry, I want to briefly talk about my viewing experience of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Firstly, I should mention that I had watched Bates Motel, a television series inspired by Psycho, prior to watching the movie. As a result, seeing that I was familiar with Norman Bates's character, I was genuinely curious to observe how he would be portrayed. 

        As Dr. Hammond mentioned in class, the film focuses on the character of Marion Crane for about the first 45 minutes until her death. While watching, I was surprised that after detailing Marion's love and work life, she was abruptly killed in the classic shower scene. At that moment, I was unsure as to how the movie would proceed since the main character, up until that point, was killed off. As the movie progressed, Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins, became the center of attention and I was instantly reminded of my fascination with Freddie Highmore's (played Norman Bates in Bates Motel) portrayal of the character. From Perkins's facial expressions/looks of uncertainty to stuttering when asked about Marion Crane, many examples of Norman Bate's peculiar attributes can be found within Psycho. Having watched Bates Motel, I had assumed that something shocking would finally be revealed about Norman given his unique mother-son relationship as well as his more-than-a-hobby of taxidermy. 

        Overall, I appreciated what the film had to offer for a variety of reasons. Not only did Psycho remind me of why I liked Bates Motel so much, but it was able to set up a story, go in-depth about the abnormalities and struggles of a character introduced almost halfway into the film, and include a mystery aspect in which a case needed solving. Ultimately, the movie kept my attention all the way through and it is definitely one that I will be recommending to others. 

Tristan Hilson

        

My light

Luna

Although to some she is bad luck 

to me she is comfort 

Someone I can go to for a smile or a cry

she makes me feel whole when I am with her 

and dreary when she's not around

Her graceful strut around a quiet home 

makes me realize I am not alone

her big yellow eyes are like the sun 

they glisten in the light 

and shimmer in the night

she gives me a sense of responsibility 

with her I have the ability 

to grow and learn my way through life

thank you Luna 

you are my light.

George Méliès- Grace Lavery

 

From the assigned movie "Hugo", I noticed that George Méliès' film set was portrayed as a giant glass box and I wondered if that was actually true. This image captured in his Montreuil studio shows that in fact it is true. Due to the lack of advanced light sources during this time natural light was the best option for previous filmmakers. Mélèis' techniques were interesting during this time with his use of a giant glass box and his method of the zoom comprising of moving the set rather than the camera.

What George Méliès is most known for, however, is that he accidentally discovered editing believe it or not. This is a huge deal for the film industry as long shots can be strenuous for actors and the audience. He was one of the first to invent the fade in, fade out, overlapping, and lap dissolve. These techniques are still popular in modern filmmaking today and without Méliès' discovery we may never know if films would have amounted to the technological advancements of today! While his films weren't the best continuity wise it paved the way for filmmakers down the line such as Edwin S Porter to delve in continuity editing. George Méliès was one of the many who made the foundation for modern film. 

Kaleigh Hoole-Harman

 

1979, New York City

    This photograph was taken by American photographer, Bruce Gilden. Through Gilden's work we see a vision of New York Street life. This photo in particular comes from a lost set of photos from Gilden's New York apartment that have now been unearthed and put in a collection with about 74 other photos. There was about two thousand rolls of film from the 70s and 80s. 

    The photo featured above captured my interest because of the women yelling on the phone. When first viewing the photo it made me laugh, I find humor and interest in the idea of people being in their own word. My other thought was how New Yorkers are stereotypically rude or mean. I also though the sort of quiteness of the background was really intriguing, New York is typically loud and busy but there is not too much going on in the background. We can see that the eye is drawn to this women in the foreground and everyone else blends into the background. Looking at Gilden's other work, which I'll include below, this serves as a constant throughout them. 

    Gilden viewed street photography as the ability to feel what is going on the picutre, he said in his book, "You feel the dirt, you feel the sweat, you feel the sleaziness, you feel the tension, you feel.... New York." In my opinion, Gilden is apt at doing this, you get a sense of what these people are feeling and it just feels so raw and real, and speaks even though we don't really know what is going on. 

    Here are a few of the other photos from the collection. 

Riley Coleman

This photograph by Edward Honoker portrays "depression". The photograph was purposely taken in black and white. Black and white can symbolize darkness and sadness. If there was color, the photo could have appeared more happier. The subjects face is not visible. The way it is distorted helps show that with depression, your mind is often in a fog. You do not know what is going on in someones head. His body is in a suit. He appears to be well dressed and put together on the outside, but you do not know what the subject is exactly dealing with in his own head. Also, the way his head is distorted can symbolize how confusing depression can be to people who do not have it. Depression is a real and common mental illness.

Napalm Girl Photograph - Redieat Abebe

    This picture by Nick Ut, a Vietnamese photographer, depicts children running away from their village after a napalm attack. The picture appeared in American newspapers in 1972 and spurred great controversy. It was very shocking to viewers and President Nixon even questioned its authenticity. The photographer went on to defend the authenticity of the picture for years. He states that his picture truly depicts the horror of the Vietnam War. This caused many Americans to question the nation's involvement in the Vietnam War. 

    The composition of the picture reflects Ut's disapproval of the war and his concern for its victims. The focal point of the picture is the naked, little girl—identified as Kim Phuc—who is screaming in horror after having her clothes burned off her body. Her two brothers are running on the left side of the image and her two cousins run holding hands on the right. The terrified expressions of the children contrast dramatically against the stoic and calm demeanor of the troops. Moreover, the smoky background provides some context for what the subjects are running from. This photograph not only shows the suffering of the specific subjects but also captures the tragedy of the whole Vietnam war. 

    After the picture was taken, Ut helped the little girl by rushing her to a hospital. Doctors predicted Phuc would die but the popularity of the photograph raised money for her recovery. She later emigrated to Canada and stayed in contact with Ut, even calling him "Uncle Nick".