Signature Scenes: Supercut of Psycho Shower Parodies

According to my copy of Neil Sinyard’s The Films of Alfred Hitchcock, even though the shower scene is only forty seconds of screen time, it took a week to film because of all the technical jump cuts. The scene implies far more violence than it actually shows; go ahead and pause it: you see the knife, you see Janet Leigh, but you never actually see the knife in Janet Leigh.

Incidentally, this is the third film in a row in which Hitchcock hinges the story upon ambiguous identities; with Vertigo it’s Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton, with North by Northwest it’s Roger Thornhill / George Kaplan, and in Psycho it’s Norman Bates and his mother. Interesting, do we know any other directors who did three movies in a row which featured identity crisis for the main characters? Nah, probably a coincidence.

So enjoy this supercut of Psycho homages and parodies. And just think, where would the violin be today without this scene?

Wait, you’re still here? Oh, I see. You want to see the whole intact scene, with context, from Mel Brooks’ hilarious and loving tribute / parody of Alfred Hitchcock movies High Anxiety, don’t you? Yes, that is a special treat for Hitchcockians, isn’t it? Here you go:

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