Wednesday, June 16, 2010

"PSYCHO" TV

Still on vacation, but kicking back in the cottage and this really should be addressed before the day is out.

Fifty years ago today (June 16, 1960) Alfred Hitchcock's classic "Psycho" premiered and arguably changed the cinematic experience forever.

Of course, this should be considered something of interest for the movie universe. But it's important for Toobworld as well. The pilot for a proposed series inspired by the movie, and working within the reality of the events in "Psycho", was broadcast in 1987. In "Bates Motel", Bud Cort starred as a disturbed man who once roomed with Norman Bates in the sanitarium and was now running the place.

In 1990, "Psycho IV: The Beginning" was broadcast with Anthony Perkins making one last appearance as his infamous screen legend Norman Bates, and with Henry Thomas as the young Norman.

Because of these two made for TV films, 'Psycho', 'Psycho II', and 'Psycho III' can be culled from the "Cineverse" and considered to have taken place on Earth Prime-Time. (It also is part of Skitlandia, the sketch comedy TV dimension, thanks to the 'Saturday Night Live' fake commercial for the Norman Bates School of Motel Management.)

It can also be claimed that even though those movies are now part of Toobworld, they can still be considered movies by TV characters. Or at least, that Alfred Hitchcock still made that original movie based on the "actual" events. This will cover any Zonks that may crop up when TV characters talk about the movie, "sing" the signature soundtrack music, or mimic the most infamous scene in the movie - when Janet Leigh takes that shower. (Another famous scene that was recreated, to fatal effect, was Martin Balsam's climb up the stairs, as seen in an episode of 'Psych'.)

It also splains away why TV characters can visit the famous movie set which can still be seen on the Universal lot in Hollywood (as happened in an episode of 'Murder, She Wrote'.)

Happy anniversary, 'Psycho', and enjoy the new lodgings in the TV Universe.

BCnU!

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