I'll eschew the spoiler tags as most people have seen the first hour of Psycho.

Basically, when Hitchcock made the movie, Janet Leigh was a star on the rise, kind of like a modern Reese Witherspoon or such. Naturally she was well publicized and everyone thought she was the star. Obviously they were shocked when she got killed off forty-five minutes into the movie.

I was wondering, since today's audiences don't like being fooled that much, would he be able to pull off such a stunt nowadays?

One word: Scream

Yeah, but Drew Barrymore wasn't that big when she made that, and she a lot of people didn't know that was her.

I think they could, they just don't because these stars are paid alot to appear in these films and the movie banks on them, and if they are killed off too early you risk bad word of mouth examples that come to mind are

Scream Trilogy used it as mentioned above, actually became a device in the next 2 movies
Executive Decision

15 Minutes

LOTR:FOTR
In most other movies I could mention, the star wasn't a top billed so it wouldn't really fit here

SE7EN's

The real question is, would they be able to replicate the "No one... BUT NO ONE... will be admitted to the theatre after the start of each performance" gimmick Hitchcock used?

Good question. If not, both he and William Castle would have struggled with today's movie-going audience.

She wasn't as big as she is now, but she was as big (if not bigger) than Janet Leigh was when she made Psycho.

Closest I can think of was The Crying Game. It wasn't until the Oscar nominations that year that spoiled the lead actress was actually a man. Hitchcock would have loved that gag.

Not sure how this movie was marketed, but how about

Spoiler......maybe....











Executive Decision

It could be done, it just wouldn't be nearly as shocking to modern audiences because by today's standards it is old hat.

The thing that Psycho did that couldn't be done in today's theaters is promising a horror film and then holding off and not having anything scary for 40 minutes.

I don't know...what about The Blair Witch Project. I liked the film...but nothing "scary" really happens until quite a ways in.

That is true Groucho, but at the same time that film has garnered quit a bit of backlash from people who think it just plain isn't a good film. That it leaves you hanging for the first half because it sucks, not because of any gifted artistic ability.

Still, I won't deny the box office success of that film. However we could start a whole new thread: Would the filmmakers have been able to pull a "Blair Witch" maneuver in today's films?

Or, in other words, was it just a one trick pony that works extremely well once, but can never be duplicated.

Some excellent points, Pants. One trend I've noticed in modern horror is that if there is a slow buildup to the "scary parts" in a film, an intense "prologue" will be added to the begining to hook people in. The Ring is a good example of this. Come to think of it, that film actually had very few horror scenes, and consisted more of old-fashioned sleuthing.

I've always argued that horror isn't in the "horror scenes" but in the buildup to those scenes, which may never materialize, and neither do they have to.

As for the comparison between Janet Leigh and Drew Barrymore, bear in mind that Scream didn't lead us to believe the film was about her. The opening tasted like an appetizer from the beginning, which isn't to say that there's something wrong with that.

As I recall the original advertising before the film hit big and was hyped to death, she was promoted as a lead in the film and featuring prominantly in the poster art. I remember a lot of friends at the time who were shocked that she was killed off in the opening sequence, and expected her to be the heroine, since she was the biggest name in the film.

Yes, but once you see the giant alien mechanical-biotic "Mountain Demon" that had caused these killings, that's when everyone gasps!

It makes a lot more sense to say what movie you're going to spoil OUTSIDE of the Spoiler Tag, that way people know what it is you're going to spoil.

Like 15 Minutes

Don't worry, LBPound.. You're not missing much.

He means 15 minutes was pretty lack luster.

As for this topic, Yes, they can indeed kill off the main star quickly. They are banking on the name to get the public yes, but they are the mercy of the director.

As for the "no one is allowed to enter if the show is going" act... look at the arch light in hollywood. worth the 13 buck ticket.

What must have been incredibly shocking to audiences in 1960, was that people weren't expecting a horror film. The posters promised "A new - and altogether different - screen excitement" and prominently featured Janet Leigh in a bra and a slip. (See it here.)

Though Hitchcock was known as the Master of Suspense, his previous film was North by Northwest (and before that Vertigo). And the first 40 minutes of Psycho could easily lead viewers to believe that they were seeing something along the same lines. The set-up of Marion Crane's situation, the theft of the money, her drive from Phoenix, and the encounters with the Highway Patrolman, are very much in keeping with Hitchcock's earlier films. Then, she stops at a deserted motel for the night and it all changes -- and with a brutality that audiences hadn't seen before.

The rug has been pulled out in a big way. Suddenly, the apparent main character and "star" of the film is gone, and all viewers were left with was the nice young man (with the batty mother). Norman becomes the focus of the film from that point on. (One of Hitchcock's most brilliant ploys was having Marion's car pause briefly while Norman is trying to sink it in the swamp. At that point, the viewer wants the car to sink, effectively putting us in Norman's shoes.)

But Hitch has still got a few more tricks up his sleeve...

Skorp: I guess you just summed up what I was trying to make into words.

Could a modern filmmaker get a studio to do the same thing today with such a trick up his sleeve? Would audiences embrace it or give it bad word of mouth?

(Actually, though the previews gave a hint of what was to come, Vanilla Sky did kind of do that. It started like any other Cameron Crowe movie then took a totally different route.)

As far as Scream goes, the promotional material all featured Drew Barrymore prominently.

Have you seen the original trailer? Hitchcock walks around talking about murders and blood. At the end we see a woman (actually Vera Miles) screaming in the shower.

Plus, what would you expect from a film called "Psycho"?

I'm sure its possible......but would it be asurprise is the bigger question. We live in the Internet age.....everybody would know that she'd be dying half way through months before they bought there tickets.

While, I'm not doubting Drew Barrymore's star power at the time (certainly not as big as it is now)....I don't recall ever seeing here in the promo material....I don't even recall knowing she was in the movie till afterwards (I didn't recognize her in the prologue.)

I don't think the same correlation exists, but if done right, I think you could pull it off, not that many filmmakers currently posses that ability.