Pre-Order Psycho (1960) 60th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

[Colin Jacobson]

You don't have to see anything for it to be graphic, the act of murder is graphic and violent enough.

Do you need someone to attack you the next time you shower in order to fully understand?

Human blood doesn't come in any other color, so that makes no sense that the MPAA would even say that.

Those PG-13 films don't come anywhere on Psycho's level. Violence doesn't have to be depicted on screen, done right referencing and mentioning it can be just effective.

By your rationale, a whole bunch of "G"-rated Disney movies should be "R"!

As others noted, there are plenty of movies with lots more murder and violence that got "PG-13".

MPAA rates on what you see on screen, not the suggestion.

Thanos kills billions in "Infinity War" - and we see them evaporate into ashes.

You think a few quick slashes of a knife in a shower is more "graphic" and violent than that?

 

[Worth]

If you're looking for some kind of consistency in the ratings system, you're bound to be disappointed.

 

[Johnny Angell]

You don't have to see anything for it to be graphic, the act of murder is graphic and violent enough.

Do you need someone to attack you the next time you shower in order to fully understand?

Human blood doesn't come in any other color, so that makes no sense that the MPAA would even say that.

Those PG-13 films don't come anywhere on Psycho's level. Violence doesn't have to be depicted on screen, done right referencing and mentioning it can be just effective.

IMHO, Psycho is an R film. I think the murder of the detective alone, would get it the rating. The murder of Leigh and the Balsm Charactaers have emotional weight. The murders hit the audience hard. If I may paraphrase, “I may not be able to define an R film, but I’ll know it when I see it.”

 

[Colin Jacobson]

IMHO, Psycho is an R film. I think the murder of the detective alone, would get it the rating. The murder of Leigh and the Balsm Charactaers have emotional weight. The murders hit the audience hard.

Again: so do murders in Disney movies. ET's (brief) death made me cry like a baby - it's an "R" movie?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

If you're looking for some kind of consistency in the ratings system, you're bound to be disappointed.

This is correct! The MPAA has a few semi-consistent rules, but they work in mysterious ways.

As I think I said in an earlier post, I'd not be surprised to learn Universal lobbied for "Psycho" to be "R" so it'd seem "edgy" among the 1980s slasher movies.

Among those 1980s horror flicks, the violence in "Psycho" looks tame and downright quaint!

 

[ahollis]

I’m not even sure why it matters what the rating for Psycho is. If you have the Blu or DVD, you just let whoever you want to see it. If it’s in a theatre that follows the rating system strictly, then thank goodness, for I would have no desire to watch it with underage kids.

I worked for over 40 years in the theatre exhibition industry and worked hard with the MPAA and NATO to make sure our theatres complied with the policies, but at this point I not sure I see the relevance of the rating system today.

 

[TravisR]

I’m not even sure why it matters what the rating for Psycho is.

Solid point.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I’m not even sure why it matters what the rating for Psycho is.

It doesn't, really - one assumes we're all over 18 and can watch it without parental permission!

It was just a discussion that arose here...

 

[ahollis]

It doesn't, really - one assumes we're all over 18 and can watch it without parental permission!

It was just a discussion that arose here...

Oh I know and it’s been going on and on and on.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Oh I know and it’s been going on and on and on.

Beating subjects to death is what we do!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Or some of us just like to be argumentative and/or are obstinate in their stated opinion.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Or some of us just like to be argumentative and/or are obstinate in their stated opinion.

YOU'RE argumentative and stubborn!!!


Because I KNOW you didn't mean me!

 

[Johnny Angell]

Again: so do murders in Disney movies. ET's (brief) death made me cry like a baby - it's an "R" movie?

ET’s death didn’t come with terror. I found all the death and gore in Starship Troopers to be a bit on the cartoony side. Sure there was enough of it, along with the nudity, to finally get an R, but none of it, IMHO, has the emotional impact of Psycho.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Presumably the version of Psycho submitted in 1984 to the MPAA was the edited version. That means the full cut is unrated.

 

[darkrock17]

ET’s death didn’t come with terror. I found all the death and gore in Starship Troopers to be a bit on the cartoony side. Sure there was enough of it, along with the nudity, to finally get an R, but none of it, IMHO, has the emotional impact of Psycho.

E.T.'s death didn't affect me, but I can see how it can be very emotional to others. Starship Troopers was supposed to be cartoony, it was send up of the 50's Sci-Fi B movies.

Psycho scared so many people when it premiered in 1960, the iconic opening theme by Bernard Hermann frighten the audience before anything even happened. I couldn't see Psycho being anything less than R as well.

Everything about the shower scene is terrifying, the whole idea of being attack at your most vulnerable strikes at lot of nerves with people.

 

[Malcolm R]

Psycho scared so many people when it premiered in 1960, the iconic opening theme by Bernard Hermann frighten the audience before anything even happened. I couldn't see Psycho being anything less than R as well.

Similar to Jaws in 1975, which is rated PG, yet has blood and dismembered body parts floating by the camera, geysers of blood when the Kintner boy is killed, Quint's graphic death in the finale, all in full color, plus the opening scene with Chrissy which is perhaps the most terrifying in the film because so little is seen other than her screaming struggle.

 

[darkrock17]

Similar to Jaws in 1975, which is rated PG, yet has blood and dismembered body parts floating by the camera, geysers of blood when the Kintner boy is killed, Quint's graphic death in the finale, and the opening scene with Chrissy which is perhaps the most terrifying in the film because so little is seen other than her screaming struggle.

If Jaws was was resubmitted today it would get an R. I just saw a few days ago that an article that said that.

 

[TravisR]

If Jaws was was resubmitted today it would get an R. I just saw a few days ago that an article that said that.

Spielberg MIGHT have the clout to get the MPAA to give it a PG-13 today but yeah, pretty much anyone else would end up with an R on Jaws now because of the blood when Quint dies. Editing a few seconds would probably get it down to PG-13 though.

 

[darkrock17]

Spielberg MIGHT have the clout to get the MPAA to give it a PG-13 today but yeah, pretty much anyone else would end up with an R on Jaws now because of the blood when Quint dies. Editing a few seconds would probably get it down to PG-13 though.

Editing a few seconds from Quint's death wouldn't get a PG-13, Jaws has too much blood throughout, especially Alex Kintner's death

 

[battlebeast]

I'll be getting this one. I don't have it on Blu, and I liked it the first time I saw it. A must have.