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Episode Description
From a chance viewing of Saul Bass' iconic 'Psycho' titles on TCM sprung this exploration of the straightforward, human experience of watching 'Psycho' with an eye and ear towards how audience expectations were stoked and then subverted by Hitchcock.
From the casting of Janet Leigh to the surprise departure of her character not even halfway through the film, the film toys with audience expectations and loyalties, and makes them complicit in the voyeurism and violence and judgement that unfolds.
Hitchcock's decision to attempt a relatively low-budget thriller of the sort directors like Henri-George Clouzot (Diabolique) were having success with resulted unexpectedly in his defining film, a film that changed film language and construction and that influenced every director of note subsequent to the film's 1960 release.
From the legendary shower sequence to no-less-stunning dialogue sequences, the film is so much more than it's origins. It still stands the test of time today, and will forever be a part of Hitchcock's enduring legacy.
