How did Hitchcock make the most terrifying scene in the history of cinema?

The shower scene in Psycho is one of the more famous moments in cinema, with its scandalously meticulous editing and unforgettable Brechtian score embedded firmly in popular culture. Director Alfred Hitchcock changed the course of cinema when he killed off his heroine at the end of the first act of his 1960 masterpiece, with the film’s 78 set-ups and 52 edits gaining a notoriety that would eclipse the film that housed them.

From its distinctive music to its accomplished shot construction to its brutal cuts, this documentary takes us deep into the most terrifying two minutes ever captured on film. Director Alexandre O Philippe (The People vs George Lucas) carefully dissects this sequence with the help of notable horror fans including Guillermo Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Jamie Lee Curtis, Eli Roth, Danny Elfman, Leigh Whannell, Bret Easton Ellis, and Janet Leigh’s stunt double in the scene, Marli Renfro.

A documentary that all true cinephiles cannot afford to miss.

'If you love Psycho, love Hitchcock, hell, if you love cinema, then 78/52 will feel like nothing so much as a cherished gift.' – Birth. Movies. Death.

As part of The Bigger Picture program, 78/52 will be introduced by Dr Wendy Haslem from the Faculty of Arts, The University of Melbourne.