78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene

“Alexandre O. Philippe's terrific documentary 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene adds an important conversational piece to Psycho's lasting importance. It's a hugely insightful piece that packs a ton of information in ninety-two minutes…The deleted extended interviews with del Toro and Murch on this Blu-ray are well worth watching. 78/52 is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to all movie fans.” – Dr. Stephen Larson, Blu-ray.com

“Janet Leigh’s water-soaked cultural zeitgeist is explored from every possible angle, and comes out of it with a newfound appreciation for its subject. One could almost say that it’s required viewing, particularly for film schools as a reminder of how powerful a well-edited film can be. And Scream Factory’s presentation of it is a welcome addition to their catalogue.” – Tim Salmons, The Digital Bits

"A LANDMARK DOCUMENTARY. Exceptional and provocative." — Leonard Maltin

"Captivating. Does full justice to how Psycho changed the heartbeat of the world." — Owen Gleiberman, Variety

The screeching strings, the plunging knife, the slow zoom out from a lifeless eyeball: in 1960, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho changed film history forever with its taboo-shattering shower scene. With 78 camera set-ups and 52 edits over the course of 3 minutes, Psycho redefined screen violence, set the stage for decades of slasher films to come, and introduced a new element of danger to the movie-going experience. Aided by a roster of filmmakers, critics, and fans — including Guillermo del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Jamie Lee Curtis, Eli Roth, Danny Elfman, and Peter Bogdanovich — director Alexandre O. Philippe pulls back the curtain on the making and influence of this cinematic game-changer, breaking it down frame by frame and unpacking Hitchcock's dense web of allusions and double meanings. The result is an enthralling piece of cinematic detective work that's pure nirvana for film buffs.