Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello

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Title: Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho

Author: Stephen Rebello

Genre: Biography / History

Length: 224 pages

Published: 2010

Publisher: Open Road Media

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) First released in June 1960, Psycho altered the landscape of horror films forever. But just as compelling as the movie itself is the story behind it, which has been adapted as a movie starring Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, Helen Mirren as his wife Alma Reville, and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh.

Stephen Rebello brings to life the creation of one of Hollywood’s most iconic films, from the story of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein, the real-life inspiration for the character of Norman Bates, to Hitchcock’s groundbreaking achievements in cinematography, sound, editing, and promotion. Packed with captivating insights from the film’s stars, writers, and crew members, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho is a riveting and definitive history of a signature Hitchcock cinematic masterpiece.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was a random book I found while perusing Amazon. It was fairly cheap so I was definitely intrigued and picked it up (the kindle version). All in all it wasn't too bad. It gave a lot of great information about how Hitchcock came across the story of Psycho (a novel by Robert Bloch), how the censors of the 1950s worked with movies, and how he directed this cult classic. 

There were a lot of references to other films, actors, directors, etc. and that made for some of the information to be a little distracting, but I can see why those references were necessary. I loved reading about Hitchcock's quirks. He was definitely a brilliant filmmaker. It was sad to see how he struggled after the success of Psycho. 

Definitely a must read for fans of the movie!

You can purchase Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.