9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 5.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000. On the run she checks into the remote Bates Motel, run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Janet Leigh, Martin BalsamHorror | 100% |
Mystery | 96% |
Psychological thriller | 85% |
Thriller | 53% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS:X
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS 2.0 Mono
French: DTS 5.1
Russian: DTS 2.0 Mono
Czech: DTS 2.0
English SDH, French, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Hindi, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Swedish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (A, C untested)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
Note: This version of this film is available as part of Arrow's The Psycho Collection.
Psycho would hardly seem on its face(s) to be a property that would be easily "franchise-able", which may be why it took so long for the
first sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's memorable original to come out. One way or the other, though, the four Psycho films aggregated in this
handsomely packaged new(ish) set from Arrow have what I personally consider to be some remarkably facile "updates" to a story that is by now so
well known that even those who
haven't seen the 1960 classic (and I found out after I posted my review of Universal's first Blu-ray release of that film that there were an inordinately
huge amount of folks who hadn't) know the "big secret". However, knowledge of that "big secret" arguably partially informs the at least
intermittently
rather smart attempts at revisiting the inimitable character of Norman Bates in Psycho II and Psycho III, if admittedly that same
intelligence may not extend to the
made for television Psycho IV.
Psycho is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow has included the same booklet for its 4K UHD and 1080 sets, and that booklet includes the following information on the restoration:
Psycho is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with mono and DTS:X audio. The film was scanned, restored in 4K and graded in SDR and HDR10 by NBC Universal.I was generally quite pleased with the look of Universal's now ancient first 1080 release, but as Marty Liebman mentions in his Psycho 4K Blu-ray review, which included a remastered 1080 disc which is more or less duplicated here, there are noticeable upticks in this "new, improved" version. Some of what I assume were compression anomalies that I noted in my own Psycho Blu-ray review have been at worst ameliorated here but really I'd argue more or less eliminated, with subtle but distinct improvements in overall fine detail levels. Contrast is as appealing as it was on the first 1080 release for Region A, offering some sumptuously deep blacks and very well modulated grayscale. As seems to be "baked in" with this feature, at least judging by every home theater version I've personally seen, there are still some undeniable variances in grain resolution and clarity at some intermittent junctures, aside and apart from any opticals like dissolves.
As Marty mentions in his Psycho 4K Blu-ray review of the Region A release from Universal, the DTS:X track included on this disc may not radically reinvent a rather beautifully layered track that had already had a 5.1 rejiggering for Universal's first 1080 release from years ago (discussed in my review of the 1080 version). That may actually be one of this track's strengths, though, as it rather subtly opens up the soundstage, especially with regard to Bernard Herrmann's still commanding score. There are definitely some immersive moments in some of the spookier sequences, but the track doesn't go out of its way to be overly "showy", which I consider to be a good thing. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout.
Psycho is an unabashed classic, though as I mentioned in my review of Universal's first 1080 release for Region A, its pace may drive younger viewers in particular a little crazy (hopefully not quite as crazy as Norman, but I digress). Arrow provides a release with solid technical merits and excellent supplements. Highly recommended.
50th Anniversary Edition
1960
50th Anniversary Special Edition | Limited Edition
1960
1960
1960
60th Anniversary Edition
1960
60th Anniversary Edition
1960
The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K
1960
EverythingBlu BluPack Series #005
1960
1960
1960
(Still not reliable for this title)
2015
2003
1963
1988
1983
1972
2012
2003
2022
2004
Profondo rosso | Remastered
1975
2019
1982
Los ojos de Julia
2010
1980
1980
2004
Lenticular Cover
2009
Uncut
1980
2013-2015