Unlike a certain friend of mine who claimed this landmark Hitchcock thriller was just “fine” after they watched on a tiny airplane screen, those who catch Anthony Perkins’ career-defining performance as Norman Bates for the first time at the Paramount are sure to understand what captured cinemagoers so much when the film made its 1960 debut. The twists, the turns, and the taxidermy never cease to haunt American film culture and play beautifully on the big screen. And once you’ve properly enjoyed the 65-year-old feature, you’ll be ready to move on to its equally good sequel Psycho II. – James Scott
