Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE) - Hailed as one of the most influential suspense movies of its time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho had a profound effect on how future filmmakers made movies and shaped audience expectations for generations to come.
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of one of Universal Studios’ most treasured and prestigious films, Psycho will debut for the first time ever on Blu-rayTM Hi-Def on 2nd August (UK), 15th Sept (France), 19th October (USA), rolling out to all International territories throughout 2010.
Additionally, Psycho will also be honored during its golden anniversary by the esteemed 2010 Festival De Cannes. Chosen as a Cannes Classic Selection, the film will be recognized as a restored masterwork from the past.
Meticulously restored for perfect digital picture and the purest DTS HD 5.1 digital sound, the
Psycho 50th Anniversary Edition takes audiences on a thrilling journey as an unsuspecting victim (Janet Leigh, The Manchurian Candidate, Bye Bye Birdie) visits the Bates Motel and falls prey to one of the silver screen’s most notorious psychopaths, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins, Murder on the Orient Express, Les Miserables).
Featuring one of the most iconic scenes in film history, the infamous 'shower scene', Psycho continues to terrify audiences today as much as it did half a century ago.
The Psycho 50th Anniversary Edition is packed with extras, including behind-the-scenes bonus features, documentaries, audio interviews and an in-depth look at the re-mastering process required for high definition viewing.
Sound reigns supreme on the Blu-rayTM Hi-Def disc and fans can now experience the terror of Bernard Herrmann’s controversial string-only orchestra during some of the film’s most pivotal scenes like never before.
When Hermann was writing the score for Psycho, the now famous shower scene had no music behind it; seemingly Hitchcock thought the scene would have more impact in its silence. Bernard Hermann wrote the music for the scene but did not submit it to the Director.
Instead, while they were scoring the film, he simply had the musicians play music live behind the projection. The effect was so powerful that Alfred Hitchcock was instantly convinced and that legendary piece of music went on to make motion picture history.
Universal Studios BluWave Audio (Universal's in-house post production sound facility) began the re-mastering process with the film’s previously preserved and restored soundtrack to create a 5.1 mix. BluWave then contracted Audionamix, a Paris-based audio technology company, to split the original mono music source into quasi-orchestral tracks.
Audionamix, a leader in soundtrack separation, then applied their breakthrough proprietary technology enabling BluWave to create a discrete 5.1 split music mix.
BluWave’s creative talent gathered the original sound effects from the Studios’ extensive effects library and, using these source materials, created a 5.1 up-mix to bring Psycho’s soundtrack up to the expectations of contemporary audiences while maintaining the original integrity of the filmmaker’s vision.
This cinematic achievement from the Master of Suspense is an essential addition to every movie lover’s library.
Tagged in Psycho