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Released by: Shout! Factory
Released on: 10/19/2010
Director: Robert V. Galluzo
Cast: Anthony Perkins
Year: 2009
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The Movie:
Made over three years by Psycho die-hard Robert V. Galluzo, The Psycho Legacy takes a look at the four films in the series though wisely ignores Gus Van Sant's odd shot-for-shot color remake of Hitchcock's original picture. The documentary begins by giving us a primer on the original film, explaining what made it different, why it had such an impact, and how it launched star Anthony Perkins into the mainstream only to see him quickly typecast in a part he'd never be able to escape, though eventually become both appreciative of and thankful for.
We move through the first film fairly quickly, which considering the amount of material already available both in print form and on Universal's various video releases over the years, maybe isn't a bad thing. The film, to a certain extent, does assume that you have a basic knowledge of that picture - it is, after all, targeted to horror fans, but even if you don't you'll get a quick crash course here before moving on to the sequels, none of which have ever received the sort of supplemental love the first film has.
From there we move through the different sequels that turned the first film into a series and are treated to interviews both new and archival that generally do a pretty good job of telling the story of the later films in the Psycho franchise. Not everyone involved in these films is still around, Hitchcock and Perkins being the two most obvious examples, but Richard Franklin who directed Psycho II has also passed on, but Robert Galluzo has done a pretty good job of rounding up a decent selection of people who worked on these films as well as modern independent filmmakers who were influenced by the movies under discussion. That said, there are few obvious omissions (they couldn't get Meg Tilly to talk about Psycho II?) that keep this from being the definitive statement many had hoped it would be.
We're treated to some interesting stories about working with Perkins both as an actor and as a director. Most involved speak quite kindly of him, though we're told a few times that he didn't seem to enjoy working with the aforementioned Ms. Tilly on Psycho II and there are some interesting speculations offered up as to why. Jeff Fahey pops up and offers some recollections from his time on the set of the third film while various writers and crewmembers provide some insight into what they did and how. The filmmakers interviewed don't really offer up all that much, save for Mick Garris who has a personal connection to the series, and their input could have easily been chopped out if it had been replaced with some of the more interesting recollections from those involved that pop up in the deleted scenes. One can probably safely assume they were included as an attempt to demonstrate the series' influence, which carries over well into the modern day, but their input is generally not quite enough to really offer much specific information. That's a minor complaint, however. This may not be as polished or as slick as Never Sleep Again (so comprehensive that it has to be the new standard by which documentaries like this shall be judged!) but it's affectionate, enthusiastic, and interesting enough to work.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The video quality for this release is generally fine though you have to know going in that some of the archival clips, particularly those taken from worn and aged VHS tapes, are going to look a bit worse for wear. That said, the newly shot footage and the clips from the films themselves all look just fine. The result is a transfer that's a bit erratic but that's understandable when you consider the source and it's hardly a detriment to this release.
The English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track on the disc isn't fancy but it gets the job done. The interviewees are all easy enough to understand and while some of the older clips have a bit of hiss here and there, again, you can't really fault anyone for that. The Psycho Legacy's sound quality is perfectly good on DVD.
Shout! has gathered up a surprisingly vast collection of supplements for this release starting with a full panel discussion with Anthony Perkins from a convention appearance where the late actor answers questions from various attendees. At forty minutes long this tape sourced supplement may not look so hot but it does offer some insight into Perkins' personality and his take on the series and is absolutely worth watching - it is hands down the best of the extras in this set. Similar is the footage from The Psycho Reunion Panel, though this is handled by way of audio excerpts only and really just scratches the surface of the legendary film's history.
Up next are a few nifty featurettes, the first of which is Revisiting Psycho II: which lets writer Tom Holland and Robert Galluzzo show off different newspaper articles, magazine articles and assorted bits and pieces relating to Psycho II that were at one point in the possession of the film's late director, Richard Franklin. It's interesting to see what they dig up and Holland's input adds some welcome context to all of this. Also of interest is a twenty minute interview with cinematographer Dean Cundey called Shooting Psycho II in which he discusses his work on the film and talks about his relationship with Franklin and Perkins.
Rounding out the extras is a collection of extended and deleted scenes, a modern day tour of the Bates Motel set, brief featurette interview Psycho memorabilia collector Guy Thorpe in which he shows off an amazing collection of Psycho-related stuff, a bit about Psycho fan sites, and a still gallery of serial killer inspired artwork. Menus and chapter stops are also included on the DVD.
The Final Word:
Those not so enamored with the series probably won't get into this release as much as those who are, but generally speaking, despite some periodic misfires, Galluzo and his cohorts have put together an intelligent and interesting documentary. Shout! Factory's release looks and sounds just fine and contains some welcome extra features too.