Adding to My DVD Collection: Psycho

When I first began this project or goal of adding to my measly DVD collection, I knew that a secondary goal would be to add to my Alfred Hitchcock collection. A collection that I only started adding to recently when I found out my sister hadn't seen a few Hitchcock staples. The first official Hitchcock purchase during my new goal of course had to be the Hitchcock film that meant the most to me--Psycho.

My love affair with Hitchcock began when I was in the 2nd grade, on a trip to Universal Studios during school vacation week. Obviously Universal Studios presented several rides of sheer terror that I knew to avoid *cough* JAWS., but it also excited me in its movie history nature. The most notable being when my parents took us to the Alfred Hitchcock experience or whatever it was called---a kind of display of the intrigue of Hitchock and most importantly the most groundbreaking Hitchcock film of all: Psycho.

I had never heard much about Psycho prior to 2nd grade. The "ride" highlighted the shower scene, and re-enacted it in live performance form (the Janet Leigh character donning a nude body suit and horrible blonde wig). I was terrified and intrigued all at the same time. Therefore it was much to my excitement that my parents suggested we rent Psycho upon returning to the hotel. The film was like nothing I had ever seen before. Black and white, violence, cross dressing sociopaths, dead bodies in fruit cellars. I didn't realize the extent of my excitement until I had to take a shower the next day. It took me probably double the amount of time it usually would because I couldn't stop looking out from the curtain to make sure a man wearing a wig wasn't coming at me with a giant knife. And also I was 98% positive that my older sisters were going to play a mean joke on me.

From that moment on--I was hooked. I immediately began acquiring a fascination for all things Hitchcock. I rented just about every Hitchcock movie from my public library that summer and absorbed myself in the fabulous Hitchcock book my parents bought me for Christmas that year.

So naturally, when wanting to add to my Hitchcock collection, Psycho was the film that I had to have immediately. It means so much to me as both a horror fan and young lover of movies. I would frame it if I could, like one of those infuriating toy collectors who keeps all the good stuff locked away from prying hands. I won't of course--because I need to watch it at least once a month, so I can stay captivated and intrigued for the rest of my life.

Adding to My DVD Collection: Martyrs

Sometimes you need to take a 3 year break before you watch a movie for the 2^nd time. Martyrs is one of those films. My new goal that involved growing my DVD collection back again took its start about a month ago when I purchased Martyrs.

Martyrs is probably the film that has affected me the most since I first watched it back in 2009.  Therefore, it made perfect sense that I would choose it to be the first new film to add to my horror collection. As it so happens, although I watched it only once in 2009---the film not only shot to the top of my most disturbing movies list, it also crept into my top 3 horror films of all time list.

The experience of re-watching the film was a journey in and of itself. I was terribly excited to finally re-watch it, but there was also a part of me that dreaded the 2^nd watch. The film if you don’t know, is extremely heavy. Filled to the brim with explosive ideas about life, religion, morality and pain—the film is almost like an entire lifetime of agony summed up in an hour and 40 minutes. It’s one of the most tiring movie watching experiences you’ll ever go through.

Yes it’s gory, and hard to stomach at times. But it’s also beautiful in its own grotesque way, sad, hopeful and insane.

 It takes twists and turns down extremely windy and dangerous roads. You’ll never anticipate where the film is going and you’ll be surprised, intrigued and perplexed by the time the credits roll. You could spend a whole year going over the film and unraveling the possibilities but I doubt you’ll ever come to a conclusion that you’ll be happy with.

There’s so many ways to interpret the film—especially the ending. People have been discussing and arguing about it ever since the film premiered. I even fight with myself about the ending on a daily basis. There I’ll be in my shower lathering up my hair and actually trying to defend both sides of the coin. It’s so frustrating! Now after my 2^nd watching I am more lost than ever. I went into it with a very clear idea of what I thought and now I come out of it with shaken view points on the afterlife.

God damnit Martyrs. You’re so damn complex. Suffice to say—I am 100% pleased that I made this my first movie purchase. I may just watch it again in another 3 years and then cry a little thanks to the probably new set of questions and concerns I’ll have.

Plus, I still haven’t given up on making my Halloween costume be Lucie with a shotgun.

What’s not to love? It’s warm, casual and I get to play with fake blood. Hooray!