Ep. 34: Psycho & Hitchcock

On today's podcast, we're paying tribute to "The Master of the Macabre", Alfred Hitchcock. On-hand to assist Lady P in dissecting Sir Alfred's filmography is renowned film historian, author, and Professor Emeritus from Indiana University, James Naremore.

For our first topic, we have the Sight and Sound Critics' Poll's 34th Greatest Film of All Time: PSYCHO (1960). Our guest, James, originally offered up his in-depth take on Hitch's infamous feature in his 1973 book Filmguide to Psycho. However, that was not the first nor the last time that PSYCHO would be broken down and analyzed. It's a film that audiences, critics, and film theorists have repeatedly come back to over the years. But for today's analysis, James and Lady P make their own inspection of the Bates Motel. They parse through the publicity, the politics, and the aesthetics of the film to help explain its notoriety and its cultural and historical importance.

Then, lurking behind the next segment-break is... Sir Alfred Hitchcock, again! This Thursday (August 13th) marks Hitchcock's 116th birthday. And while it's been almost 35 years since his death, on this podcast--like all arenas of film discussion--the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock is ever present. So, to mark the occasion, Lady P and Jim list their favorite Hitchcock films, and talk about some of his lesser-known masterpieces. Plus, they discuss why his persona continues to loom so large in both academic circles, and in the public's imagination.