Retro Slashers

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Written by David Boyle. As a horror fan I’m grateful for the long line of films that have drawn me to the most unyielding sectors of reality— and my imagination.  Every time I go to see a scary movie, I find myself reliving the exact moment when I first felt a cold surge of fear [...]

Robert Bloch claimed the exploits of Ed Gein, Wisconsin murderer and grave robber, inspired him to write Psycho. After reading Bloch’s landmark novel for the article “The Forgotten Norman Bates”, I believe I’ve uncovered another inspiration for one of  Norman Bates’ personalities.  The Norman Bates who steals his mother’s body, dresses in her clothes, and murders Mary Crane [...]

Throughout his half a century career, Alfred Hitchcock had always resisted directing a sequel.

Norman Bates, Leatherface… they’re just characters, iconic villains from popular movies. But their genesis lies in truth

Director: Richard Franklin Writer: Tom Holland Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia Rating: R (USA), 15 (UK), M (Australia) Every sequel has a certain amount of expectation to live up to. The fanbase and familiarity that has built up around the original movie always causes both high expectations and brutal criticism when [...]

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Writer: Joseph Stefano Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin Rating: R (USA), 15 (UK), M (Australia)

Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO can be considered prime among the progenitors of the slasher genre. Many talk about its impact on the film world, but few pay attention to the second, third and forth chapters which each brought something unique to the compellingly tragic story of Norman Bates. Enter director Robert Galluzzo who has spent the [...]

This is a look at Robert Bloch’s literary character that started the slasher genre. We all know the cinematic version of Norman Bates and his misadventures in later sequels, but Bloch’s literary Psycho trilogy is rarely mentioned in slasher circles. The Norman Bates in Bloch’s 1959 novel is a heavy drinking, middle-aged man with three [...]