Alfred Hitchcock’s horror masterpiece is 50 this year and Sydney sure knows how to mark a milestone. The Opera House is hosting an amazing tribute to Psycho and the two men who made it great, celebrating the collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock, master of suspense, and Bernard Herrmann, one of cinema’s greatest composers.
On the 5th January in the Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall, the digitally projected film will be accompanied by a live soundtrack from the specially assembled all-strings Sydney Lyric Orchestra. Featuring the Principal Violinist for the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Adrian Keating.
Not simply a film experience, this performance recognises the importance of musical scores to give films added dimensions, proved by the remarkable Psycho; “the sound of Bernard Herrmann’s music with its piercing strings underlying every jab of violence really is one-of-a-kind and well ahead of its era, and truly creates the excitement, tension and fear” Conductor-Nic Buc.
This is a unique opportunity to not only see but also hear this 1960 classic as never before.
Never one to miss a chance to make a list or pay respect to filmic brilliance, here is Trespass’ Psycho Memorial List, in homage to the film which switched most sensible people to glass shower doors.
Top 5 Films with a Twist
(don’t worry we won’t spoil the endings…)
5. The Crying Game (1992)
Though it has been spoofed often, director Neil Jordan should take theses pale imitations as the highest form of flattery. By imploring film reviewers and cinema patrons not to reveal the twist- film distributors, Miramax ran an ad campaign that has gone down in marketing history.
4. Fight Club (1999)
The first rule of Fight Club is that you do not talk about Fight Club. So we’re keeping our lips sealed about this Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter film that proves sometimes the film version is better than the book.
The first rule of Fight Club is that you do not talk about Fight Club. So we’re keeping our lips sealed about this Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter film that proves sometimes the film version is better than the book.
3. Oldboy (2003)
This Korean flick was part of a trilogy of films made by Chan-wook Park. With an ending that is more disturbing than the scene where star, Min-sik Choi eats a live octopus, Oldboy is high on shock value in what is a very violent and twisted look at revenge.
2. Usual Suspects (1995)
Bryan Singer could dine out on this film for the rest of his life. Starring Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne and a beautiful mumbling performance from Benicio Del Toro this film is an impressive reworking of the classic who-dunnit.
This beautiful film from Nicolas Roeg is a chilling look at loss and grief. Starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, the film was adapted from a short story by Daphne Du Maurier (of The Birds and Rebecca fame - which were turned into classic Hitchcock films). The ending is something you will never ever, not in your wildest dreams see coming (unless you’ve read the book and that’s cheating).
