The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re abluting with trepidation. It used to be that taking a shower was relaxing. We could just pull that curtain closed and enjoy the jets of warm, cleansing water. Since watching Psycho, however, we can’t help but keep one eye open while showering. That wouldn’t be so bad if we didn’t keep getting shampoo in it. Still, it probably beats the alternative.






Main Topic: Psycho



We’re following our recent discussion of psychological horror by exploring one of the defining works of the genre. It’s no exaggeration to say that Psycho transformed horror, in both cinema and fiction, pretty much creating a new subgenre. It is one of the most imitated films of all time, spawning countless pastiches, parodies, and blatant rip-offs. But what is it that makes Psycho such an enduring favourite, even 65 years on? Why does it still make us afraid to draw the shower curtain? And which aspects of it have not aged so well?



Be warned that we spoil the hell out of the film. If you are one of those vanishingly rare people who have managed to avoid spoilers until now, we beseech you to watch Psycho before listening to this episode. Even so, its twists and turns have become so much a part of popular culture that they may still be familiar.



As well as digging into Hitchcock’s film, we also touch upon Robert Bloch’s original novel, and the many sequels each birthed. And, as ever, we look for aspects that might influence our games.






Links



Things we mention in this episode include:




* Psycho (1960)



* Psycho (1998)



* Alfred Hitchcock Presents



* Psycho by Robert Bloch



* One Around the Bloch by Robert Bloch



* Hitchcock (2012)



* Ed Gein








* Crossdressing Killer trope



* The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris



* Psycho II by Robert Bloch



* Hell! said the Duchess by Michael Arlen



* Homicidal (1961)



* Dressed to Kill (1980)



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