281: Psycho (long cut)

This is the longer, unedited cut for backers only.

We’re following our recent discussion of psychological horror by exploring one of the defining works of the genre. It’s no exaggeration to say that Psycho transformed horror, in both cinema and fiction, pretty much creating a new subgenre. It is one of the most imitated films of all time, spawning countless pastiches, parodies, and blatant rip-offs. But what is it that makes Psycho such an enduring favourite, even 65 years on? Why does it still make us afraid to draw the shower curtain? And which aspects of it have not aged so well?

Be warned that we spoil the hell out of the film. If you are one of those vanishingly rare people who have managed to avoid spoilers until now, we beseech you to watch Psycho before listening to this episode. Even so, its twists and turns have become so much a part of popular culture that they may still be familiar.

As well as digging into Hitchcock’s film, we also touch upon Robert Bloch’s original novel, and the many sequels each birthed. And, as ever, we look for aspects that might influence our games.

A Weekend With Good Friends

A Weekend With Good Friends is about to begin!

This is the online gaming convention organised by our lovely listeners, taking place on the Good Friends Discord server between 1-3 March 2024.

Don’t worry if you missed the game signups. There will be pickup games running throughout the weekend. You can also sign up to be notified if anyone drops out of a prebooked game, leaving their space free.

There will be a number of panels throughout the weekend. discussing different aspects of horror gaming. Check our Discord server for the latest news.

We hope to see you there!

Arkham Book Released

The new edition of the Arkham sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu is now available in PDF, with the print edition following shortly. This is a heavily revised version, featuring new material by Arkham Gazette mastermind, Bret Kramer.

Blasphemous Tomes Latest Updates:

Blasphemous Tome Fanzines Update for $1 backers (Jan 2024)

Blasphemous Tome Fanzines Update for $3+ backers (Jan 2024)

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

• Psycho (1960)
• Psycho (1998)
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents
• Psycho by Robert Bloch
• One Around the Bloch by Robert Bloch
• Hitchcock (2012)
• Ed Gein
• Crossdressing Killer trope
• The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
• Psycho II by Robert Bloch
• Hell! said the Duchess by Michael Arlen
• Homicidal (1961)
• Dressed to Kill (1980)
• Sleepaway Camp (1983)
• Crystal Eyes (2017)
• Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
• The Birds (1963)
• North by Northwest
• “The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier
• The 39 Steps (1935)
• The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
• Saul Bass
• Re-Animator
• Psychological horror
• “Psycho’s Norman Bates & the Hidden Life of Anthony Perkins” by Matt Baume
• Reservoir Dogs (1992)
• Takeshi Kitano
• Jimmy Savile
• “When Louis Met Jimmy”
• The Reckoning
• Dissociative identity disorder
• Split (2016)
• Psycho II (1983)
• Scream 3 (2000)
• Psycho House by Robert Bloch
• Psycho III (1986)
• Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
• Bates Motel (1987)
• Bates Motel