I don't think that a discussion about horror movie themes would be complete without visiting one of the true classics- the main theme for the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film, "Psycho", which was composed by Bernard Hermann. This piece is not as simple in appearance as the ones for "Halloween" or "Friday the 13th".  It is very orchestral in nature.  There are layers of string instruments, percussions, and wood wind instruments.  Each layer is like a personality unto itself, with each dancing around each other, vying for dominance over the main... much like the conflict between Norman Bates and "Mother". The music flows from a calm, idyllic, though wary "Norman" type of personality to a more discordant, jealous, vengeful "Mother" type of sound.  The "Norman" parts are a great contrast with the "Mother" parts.  Really expresses the emotional conflict between the two halves of the Norman Bates. The stri...

Normally, sequels tend to get a bad rep- though there are a few rare ones that either do as well as (or better than) the first installment. After 22 years in a mental institution, Norman Bates is finally coming home.  As he tries to put his life back together, and move forward into a healthier future, a shadow stalks him and the house.  Soon, the killing begins.  Has Mother returned as well? Considering that the original " Psycho " was such a hit- and is considered one of THE greatest horror/suspense films of all time, you certainly wouldn't be able to blame Universal for wanting to see if they could capture lightning in a bottle again.  But would someone OTHER than Hitchcock be able to pull it off? Fortunately, Director Richard Franklin does a great job tackling this franchise.  Of course, it helped that the story itself was interesting, and took a look at Norman from a totally different angle: as the victim.  This approach brought a depth and ful...

When it comes to movies, the horror genre is one of the few where houses are as much a character as the humans.  Certain houses are immediately identifiable with certain movies: The Meyers house from John Carpenter's " Halloween "; Nancy's house from Wes Craven's " A Nightmare on Elm St "; Norman Bate's house from Alfred Hitchcock's " Psycho "; and The Lutz home from any " Amityville Horror " movie. George and Kathy Lutz have just moved into 112 Ocean Ave- where a brutal mass murder had occured just the year before.  Soon, however, their dream house becomes a house of horrors and the couple must fight to protect their children from the evil that resides with them... and keep it from causing history to repeat itself... There has always been controversy regarding the background for the movie, since it's based on a book documenting the experiences of the real-life Lutz family.  Because of this controversy,...

In " William Castle Tribute II: Crime and Westerns ", I outlined a bit about William Castle's early films, which were mostly in the Crime Drama and Western genres.  I finished the article by stating that in 1958, he began to work his way into the hearts of horror fans. I said it because it's true. Up until that year, Crime Dramas and Westerns were popular- which was why many of Castle's early films were in those genres.  However, as the 1960's started to approach, the Horror and Suspense/Thriller genres were starting to gain in popularity... and the man that would become a staple of the Horror Industry went with that flow. William Castle's first foray into my favorite genre was with what most critics consider a Suspense/Thriller rather than a horror... even though I consider both to be closely connected.  In order to take this step, he mortgaged his own house into order to independently produce the movie.  The 15th of August, 1958 saw the first scen...