Resolutions for 2016

Ahoy-hoy!

It's been some time since I've posted on here! I wanted to do so much, but as soon as I got some free time for blogging I got sick and am still sick! But I will be well soon and back on schedule with blogging.

I wanted to share my goals for 2016. A lot has happened this year: I graduated from college, got a job at Scholastic, and many good things have happened to my family and friends as well. And while a lot of good has happened in 2015, it has also been one of the toughest years of my life. I'm going to be honest,  right after I graduated from school, I had a typical Graduate moment (I didn't have an affair with a Robinson, don't worry) but I felt very lost and sad and didn't quite know where I was going with my life. I don't want that to be this year. I want to be more confident and happy this year, working towards all the career and life goals I want and not worrying to the point where I feel uninspired and scared to do the things I want.

I feel like sharing resolutions helps make you more accountable, and so I want to share mine because I really want to stick to them this year.

Some of my 2016 goals include:

1. Write. And write and write.
2. Be happy and work hard in the temporary jobs I have as I work toward my real career.
3. Be smart with money. Save, save, save.
4. Work on my relationship with God.
5. Walk everyday. Explore new places.
6. Get a new camera and take lots of pictures.
7. Drive more.
8. Practice guitar everyday.
9. Stay clean and organized in every aspect of my life.
10. Be nicer to people.

I hope you all have a wonderful 2016. I hope you are happy and are able to accomplish all the things you want to accomplish!

CFF: Krampus (2015)

Krampus is still in theatres, which means it's too early to determine if this film will even be a cult film, but I wanted to write on it. After all, Michael Dougherty's other movies, notably Trick 'r Treat, have huge cult followings, so we may expect the same result for this creepy Christmas film.
Starring Adam Scott, David Koechner, and Toni Collette, this film centers around the Austro-Bavarian demon creature from Alpine folklore called Krampus, who is the antithesis of Santa Claus. I would consider the film to be a black comedy and it has so far received mixed reviews from critics. It wasn't a perfect film, but I liked a lot about it that I felt a blog post was necessary.

The story finds a regular suburban family preparing for the holidays. One of the children named Max still believes in Santa, even though his faith in ol' St. Nick is slipping. Emjay Anthony portrays Max and I was quite impressed by his acting in this film. His family and extended family fight so much, focus too much on work, or make fun of him for liking Santa Claus that he finally just gives up on Santa and sending him a letter. The house is then attacked by Krampus, the mythical creature who punishes unbelievers, as opposed to Santa Claus who rewards those who believe. The family must then battle Krampus and his creepy minions.

Where the plot was imperfect in parts, the design completely stole the show. Upon first reading about the movie, I heard that there were going to be "creatures" in it and I thought "ugh." More CGI nonsense, unrealistic and inartistic, that is found in so many films today. But I was pleasantly surprised. Krampus' helpers were haunted with a holly jolly twist and so many of them seemed like real, hand-made characters. Besides the rather lame computer animated evil gingerbread men, the snowmen, the elves, the teddy bear, doll/angel concoction and especially the Jack-in-the-Box monster were all designed so wonderfully. Each creature took a traditional Christmas object and made it beyond creepy. A demonic teddy bear with two rows of sharp teeth. A Christmas angel with bulging eyes and huge wings who tries to hang someone with Christmas lights. Snowmen with unsettling faces that just keep appearing outside the window. Elves with masks that were a mix between a Jack-in-the-Box and something worn at a masquerade ball. And finally, the Jack-in-the-Box itself. It reminded me so much of No Face from Spirited Away. It began in the film as just a simple toy, but it grew a gigantic mouth and it would grow bigger and bigger as it ate people. Creepy dolls, puppets, or toys really get me and this one was just about freaky as it gets.

Another design element I really liked was Grandma's story of when she first encountered Krampus. The entire scene was done in either stop-action or CGI trying to imitate stop-action. It was very different from the rest of the film; I wasn't expecting an animated sequence in an adult comedy horror film but it was so well done. It was like a mix of Tim Burton and the Deathly Hallows story scene in the next to last Harry Potter film.

I am also a huge fan of black comedies and this film takes such a dark turn on Christmas. The opening scene is simply slow motion shots of Black Friday with calm, joyous Christmas music playing. People getting trampled, kids arguing over toys, and policemen wielding tasers. There is another scene where a beautiful rendition of Silent Night is heard while three parents are sucked into the snow by one of the awful creatures, leaving the kids alone. The film uses dark comedy to satirize the commercialization of Christmas and loss of holiday spirit in the modern era. It wasn't laugh-out-loud hysterical like some other black comedies, but it still had some good moments that all added to the general spirit of the movie.

After I saw the film, I was really interested in knowing more about the "real" story of Krampus. There isn't actually too much about him that I could find, and so it makes sense that the director felt like he could take some liberties with the character. The origin story is quite unclear as well, but from my research has found (am I not Dorothy Ann from The Magic School Bus?), the film's Krampus was very similar in design. The horns, hooves, claws, sharp teeth, chains, and bells engraved with "Greetings from Krampus" in German were all present in the film. Krampus is also sent out to punish children, just like the stories say, and Krampus will take naughty children to the underworld. This was a part of the film I really thought they had just made up, but according to National Geographic, Krampus would beat misbehaving children and then throw them into hell.

This movie definitely called for discussion to determine exactly what happened and what everything meant, but sometimes that's a good thing in a film. It calls for repeated viewings and deeper thinking. It isn't the best horror film or black comedy or even Christmas film, but it is something different. And if you're looking to make Christmas just a little more twisted this year, I would definitely go and see Krampus. 

Dear Diary: Copeland/Eisley Concert

Nearly ten years ago, I, a gawky thirteen-year-old lass who had just recently been introduced to the indie music scene, had the opportunity to see Eisley in concert. Throughout the years, it had always been my favorite concert experience (yes, even better than Neutral Milk Hotel) until now. I was recently able to see Eisley and Copeland in concert and it blew my friggin' mind and I want to write about it.

*History Segment History Segment*:
Eisley was really the first indie band I ever heard. A friend introduced me to them so I went to their website and watched the music video for "I Wasn't Prepared" (which is still my fave song by theirs today). I had never heard anything like it. I immediately fell in love and I began to learn about music that just wasn't on the radio or stuff my parents had shown me. A lot of that stuff is good but I soon found out that there is more wonderful music out there that doesn't get heard by a lot of people. Because of Eisley, I then discovered a band called Copeland. I also fell in love with this band, and like Eisley, their music had such a great effect on me. Their albums kept getting better and better until they broke up. I was devastated. No more new music and certainly no chance of ever seeing them live. Then in 2014, they got back together, made a new album called Ixora, and a few months ago, decided to go on tour with Eisley. I think it's safe to say that when I found out these two incredible bands were going on tour together I crapped my pants. I bought tickets the day they went on sale in September and in December, my sister and I went to see them.

The first band that played was a small Canadian band called We Are The City that I had never heard of before. I am so glad they were able to join Copeland and Eisley on their tour because they were such an enjoyable band. They had such a great energy and were just cool, funny guys. I purchased their newest album after the show. Some of the songs they played from this album that I really liked were "Heavy as a Brick," "Keep on Dancing," and "Kiss Me, Honey."

Next was Eisley and I was stoked but a little skeptical. Immediately I realized that only two of the actual band members were playing. The others on stage was a sister of a band member and three other replacements. But they all sounded wonderful, just like the records, and were all great performers. It was actually kind of cool because the only original band members playing were Sherri and Garron, the only two members I had met when I first saw them so many years ago. When I first saw in Eisley in 2006, they had only one album to really work with. Now they had four albums to create a diverse set. They played a lot of songs from their newest album Currents, including "Shelter" and "Blue Fish." They also played songs from all of their albums. My favorite songs they played were from their first, and my personally favorite, album Room Noises: "Brightly Wound" and "I Wasn't Prepared" (my favorite song by them). I feel so lucky that I got to hear that song live twice. It's so magical and beautiful.

Finally, Copeland played and the world just seemed to become a better place. The stage was decorated so nicely and the band had a cellist, a violinist, and a violist play with them. Aaron Marsh, the lead singer, played this cute white piano for most of the show. I had been hoping for a long time that Copeland would play my favorite song, "Should You Return," but I wasn't sure how popular of a song it was for them and so I tried not to get my hopes up. But when he started singing it, I literally teared up. That song means so much to me, I still remember the first time I heard it. To hear it live was something else. It was just like when Neutral Milk Hotel played my favorite song of theirs, Two-Headed Boy Pt. II. My eyes got a bit glassy, I can't help it. Copeland played a wonderfully long set and performed a wide variety of songs from all of their albums. Some of my favorites that played were "Chin Up," "Love Affair," "Disjointed," "When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out," and "Brightest." Aaron Marsh, who in my opinion is one of the greatest vocalists in music today, was so kind and cool. And what's really weird as well is that I recognized the bassist playing with them as being in another band called New Heights that made a YouTube video with David So.

When the concert was over, I decided to go and buy merch, which I usually don't do. I got a shirt with the tour dates on it, We Are the City's newest album, and the Eisley album Currents on vinyl. Completely satisfied with the concert experience, my sister and I walked out to find Aaron Marsh meeting with people and taking pictures. I never thought I would get to meet him and I got so terribly nervous but I decided to go and talk to him. He was so nice, and there was so much more I wish I could have told him when I met him, like how his music has not only inspired me as a musician but has helped me with my anxiety and has just been some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard, but I was far too nervous. I'm still excited I just got to shake his hand and get a picture with him.

This concert was the by far the best concert I have ever gone to. I have never had such an all-around good concert experience as this one. As my anxiety had developed, it's been harder for me to do things like go to concerts. I really have decided that I can't do any big venues or go see any artists that play music that would generate something like a mosh pit, so that cuts out a lot of bands to go see live. Musicians that play more peaceful music is better for me. There are incredible bands that perform in smaller venues and you can have a more calm, intimate experience with these bands. You have more of a chance to be able to get a good view of the performance and meet the artists. This concert was perfect for me and I feel so incredibly lucky that I have been able to see two of my most favorite bands live and learn about another great group.
And if you haven't listened to any of these artists yet, go do that right now.

BT: Tyrants

This week I read a delightful nonfiction book called Tyrants: History's 100 Most Evil Despots & Dictators. It was written by Nigel Cawthorne. I love reading about political history and I think most people interested in history are strangely fascinated by the seemingly psychotic and infamous rulers of the past, from Napoleon to Hitler.
Set in chronological order, this book covers leaders from the ancient to the modern world. The book was originally published in 2004 but I read the 2012 edition so it was a bit more updated.
Tyrants gives a short biography on each leader covered but mostly focuses on the leadership style, "accomplishments," and crimes. I found it a fascinating read. It gave just enough information to make you want to read more about the people listed. I also learned about several leaders I had never even heard of before. Overall, I liked the writing style: quick and concise. Although, sometimes I wish the author had spent more time on some leaders, and, in my opinion, had left some out. For example, there were only a few paragraphs on Kim Il Sung, without even an individual article for Kim Jong Il. If this book was updated in 2012, then Kim Jong Un was already in power and by that time there had been several books published with more information on North Korea. Although, I suppose it was up to the author's discretion to pick which dictators he felt were the worst. Another thing that was strange was the publishing. There were multiple errors, like letters missing in words, that seemed strange to me. Again, that seems more like a publishing error. I still wouldn't discount this book as having useful information. The author notes that any over-the-top stories about any of the leaders lacking evidence as just rumors and not actual historical fact.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Tyrants. It was interesting and informative. For anyone interested in political history or history in general, this book is a good starting off point for more research. Plus, who doesn't want to know all the ways Elizabeth Bathory tortured her servants or the many creative ways Genghis Khan killed people? Happy reading!

CFF: The Craft (1996)

"We're the weirdos, mister" seemed to be the theme this past year on the Internet. Growing up, I had never even heard of The Craft. The somewhat sudden resurgence of this film on Tumblr and YouTube has gained it a whole new cult following of modern movie audiences and social media users. The 1996 film is more than a fun Halloween flick; it's now a year-round cult classic that has found a place in the hearts of spooky young adults everywhere.

What makes this story about four teenage witches so appealing? The dialogue includes some silly lines and there a few plot holes. The graphics reflect the limitations of the time and sometimes the audio even seems a bit off. But that's what's beautiful about the cult film genre: don't expect a perfect movie. There are some films that have a certain quality to them that make them lovable despite its flaws.

The story centers on Sarah, a new girl at school with a troubled past. She finds herself becoming friends with three outcasts who happen to be witches. The four girls start to use magic to try to make their lives better but get wrapped up in their own selfish desires and lust for power.

The description of witchcraft in this movie was more appealing to me than in other movies. I liked how it was more focused on nature than on devil worship; it seemed more unique to me. The irony of witches who also happened to be students at a Catholic high school was also awesome. It was also refreshing to see a film that didn't try to sexualize the witches. That seems to a predominant feature in a lot of movies or TV shows about witches. The witches in this film were like regular teenagers: they dealt with boys, insecurity, parents, the works.

Probably one of my favorite things about this movie was the fashion. Every outfit used was the epitome of cool '90s style, and I definitely plan on doing a Fashion Victim post on the girls from The Craft. I could go on forever about the clothes but I won't do that here, don't worry.

The unofficial leader of the coven Nancy, played by Fairuza Balk, is also a strangely alluring character. Balk's acting in this film is quite good, in my opinion. Nancy has such great one-liners and her excursion into insanity makes her a scary and fascinating character. She's the witch that wants to be most connected to nature, but she wants to use its magic only for her own gain. Power-hungry and down-right murderous, Nancy is more than just your average high school mean girl.

The Craft is cool because it's a '90s teen film that gained a cult following via the Internet. Like Clueless or even more like Heathers, it's a weird, spooky film that found favor with those who enjoyed films that are creepy with a dash of campy. That perfectly describes The Craft. This isn't a Wes Craven or Alfred Hitchcock horror film and it doesn't have the fine comedic writing of Mean Girls, but it's got enough wicked witchery, snappy dialogue, and '90s teen vibes to make it a cult classic and an overall fun movie to watch. Don't wait for Halloween to watch The Craft, enjoy it now!

BOOK TALK: The Outsiders

In the seventh grade, I had to read The Outsiders for English. After reading just the first two chapters, I hated the book. My wee baby self hadn't ever read anything that violent and sad before and it made me almost sick to read it. But the more I read, the more interested I became, and by the end it had become my favorite book of all time. Then I had to read As I Lay Dying in high school and now there is a bit of a power struggle between the two novels, but still, The Outsiders changed my life and propelled my love of reading and the type of books I like to read.

The story is set in the 1960s and is about the class struggle between the Socs (short for Socials) and the greasers. Socs are privileged, wealthy kids and greasers are kids who live in the poorer neighborhoods and tend to be hoods. The novel is told from the point of view of Ponyboy Curtis, a fourteen-year-old greaser. Although he is a greaser, he makes incredible grades, loves cinema, reading and nature, and doesn't go out of his way to break the law; this makes him generally misunderstood by his two older brothers and the rest of his gang. In the novel, Ponyboy describes his conflict with Socs, and how one night things get out of hand and he ends up on the wrong side of the law.

There are a lot of dynamic elements to the story which make it interesting. But the story behind the writing of the book itself is worth noting. I remember having to read an article about it in English class the year we read the book; I still remember it. I even remember the picture of S.E. Hinton. Actually named Susan Hinton, this author was encouraged to use her initials instead of her real name so people would take it seriously and actually be willing to buy the book. What's more amazing is that Hinton began writing the book when she was fifteen years old. She was inspired by her own high school and things that happened to her own friends. In 1967 Hinton turned eighteen and her book was published, and this young, unknown, female author instantly became popular.

The Outsiders is an overall very well-written book. It appealed to me as a thirteen-year-old and I still love it now. After just re-reading it as a 22-year-old, I will admit that some of the writing can be a bit goofy, but remembering that a teenager wrote it, it makes sense. I personally can relate to Ponyboy in many ways, and I think a lot of people can, which is why the book has such a lasting effect. But his vivid description of his greaser friends could leave any reader identifying with someone in the novel. The book also just leaves you feeling inspired and better about the world. As someone who tends to read darker books, it's refreshing. S.E. Hinton wrote the book, hoping the audience would sympathize with the greasers. But by the conclusion, you feel for both the Socs and the greasers. You realize that everyone has problems and everyone is dealing with their own demons. It's no excuse to justify and allow immoral behavior, but it is important not to generalize groups of people. You need to get to know people individually and judge them by individual actions.

I can easily say that the seventh grade was the year that I was obsessed with The Outsiders. I read and re-read the book and watched the film over and over and over again with my best friend. It completely opened up new genres of books for me and shaped how and what I read. I became more open-minded and more willing to read books that had controversial content to dig deeper and find a message. The Outsiders is constantly argued over by scholars and educators due to its controversial content and is often on banned book lists. However, it still ends up on middle school reading lists decade after decade for a reason. The simple and clever writing style, the relatable characters, the message of hope and friendship mixed with the dark and violent content makes this book stand out. If you didn't have the pleasure of reading The Outsiders as a teenager, I highly suggest reading it now.

Stay gold xx

PS: After you've read the book, watch the DIRECTOR'S CUT of Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film adaptation. You won't be disappointed.

Film Fashion Icons 1

There are a lot of things I love about movies, but I get pretty excited when I watch a movie that has a character with great style. There are a lot of great fashion icons in movies and this post is going to contain three (fourish actually) that I love.

1. Amelie from Amelie (2001)

Amelie is a great film for so many reasons. The cinematography, the writing, the acting - it's all amazing. The characters are all so lovable as well, especially Amelie. This introverted, well-meaning character struck a chord with a lot of viewers, I think, which is why this French film gained a lot of popularity with international audiences. Amelie also has such great style; I fell in love with all of her outfits!

The early 2000s was not a good time for fashion and I can say that from experience. But Amelie made it work and I think it's because her fashion sense was still being inspired by the 90s. Her cute, simple outfits usually included nice blouses, cardigans, knee-length skirts (which, in my opinion, are really hard to incorporate into a nice outfit), and chunky Dr. Marten-esque oxford flats.

Those shoes, though. They make the outfits. As Ferris Bueller would say, they are so choice.
Seriously, you could get a lot of these pieces from any thrift store and put 'em together and be just as cute as Amelie. Heck, even baby Amelie was a snappy dresser!

2. Allison Reynolds from The Breakfast Club

Not including her ~transformation~ at the end of the film, Allison Reynolds has only one outfit in this movie, but it kills. Her heavy, black ensemble actually matches her character development. She starts off in a huge heavy coat and doesn't take it off for a while. And for a while, we don't know anything about her. As we start delving more into her character, she takes off her coat and then towards the end she's in a tank top and her hair is pulled back and we understand her backstory and why she ended up in detention.
This outfit really is an 80s goth dream. Long, black sweater, skirt with grey tights, and converse with tall layered socks. Bam. This could be my everyday look.

3. Susan and Lucy Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

This might seem like a weird one but I love period pieces and I especially loves 1930s and 1940s fashion. Now you can complain about hipsters all you want but they did bring back the skirt, blouse, cardigan combo from those time periods and make them acceptable and trendy in modern fashion. Susan's and Lucy's outfits definitely give me inspiration to create outfits that are simple and can be worn to work or school but still look nice. They're versatile.

Seriously, I'm in love with this one on the bottom. Cardigans, dresses, and Peter Pan collars all the way.

So these are just three examples of films that contain a lot of fashion inspo for me. I plan on making a lot more posts like these so I hope you enjoyed this and I highly recommend any of the films I write about as well xx

HALLOWEEN + more updates!

The beautiful holiday has just passed and I wanted to share with you my spectacular costume.

I went as Pee-Wee Herman! The shirt, pants, and coat were bought individually from different thrift stores and I got the bow tie from Halloween Spirit. I was actually surprised at how many people recognized the costume and I wasn't the only who dressed up as Pee-Wee this year!

I also have exciting news for this blog. There will be a new format which includes a weekly schedule of different posts. Now  titled the Ghoul Power Variety Hour, there will be four posts a week each on different subjects. Wednesdays will be "Fashion Victim," in which I will do OOTDs, style posts, or hauls. Thursdays will be "Book Talk," where I will talk about a book I liked that I read that week or just a book I like in general. Fridays will still be "Cult Film Fridays" in which I will review one of my favorite cult films. And finally Saturday will be "Dear Diary" where I will actually blog about my life the past week, do a weekly favorites post, and/or just write about whatever's on my mind. I am excited for this new format. I will be able to write about a bunch of things I enjoy and there will be more variety! Let's do this.

UPDATE

Hello!

I have neglected this blog for a few weeks now and I feel bad about it. One thing I really wanted to keep up were the Halloween Movie Diaries but I fell behind (during October, any free time I have is spent watching Halloween movies so they started piling up!) But I want to get back in the swing of things and I want to do more than just fashion. One new segment I want to start is Cult Film Friday where I review one my fave cult films. A lot of my fave bloggers are cult bloggers. I love a lot of cult films and movies in general and I want to write about them more. So now I can do at least one blog post a week. I will also keep posting on fashion and will do a whole blog post on my Halloween costume.
This is more of a reminder for me than anyone else to keep up at this blog and make it a regular thing because I do love it and don't want to give up yet!

xx

Halloween Movie Diary: It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

This is going to be a shorter post, but I have to write on one of the best Halloween movies I've been watching since I was a wee baby child. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was a TV special that was based on the Peanuts comic strip. Watching it now, I am still laughing at the same jokes as I did as a kid whilst understanding jokes I didn't get when I was younger. That's how great this movie is; it stands the test of time and is enjoyable for both kids and adults. Plus, there's nothing greater than thinking there might be a Halloween version of Santa Claus.

Halloween Movie Diary: Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Tim Burton is one my of all-time favorite directors and his movies are perfect for Halloween. His 1999 film Sleepy Hollow features Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane and Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel, the classic characters from Washington Irving's story. The movie also includes more stars (a Harry Potter smorgasbord if you will) including Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, and Richard Griffiths. Sleepy Hollow is the ultimate Tim Burton movie, showing off his trademark style. There is misty and dark cinematography, macabre humor, and plenty of over-the-top gore. But these are just a few of the reasons why this film is perfect for Halloween as well as just perfect in general.

First of all, look at this. This is easily one of Johnny Depp's most attractive roles, but he also captures the essence of Ichabod Crane so well. He's smart and reasonable, and yet cowardly and awkward, getting queasy at his own profession. And yet he tries to be open-minded to different ideas and is brave when the occasion calls for it. This picture also gives a good idea of what the movie looks like the entire time. A small, late-1600s town in New England is the perfect setting for a Tim Burton film. The quaint village vibe and overgrown forests give the film an eerie feel.

Christina Ricci also makes a wonderful Katrina Van Tassel. We know she can do creepy; she won our hearts twice as Wednesday Addams in the early '90s. She gives the character of Katrina more depth than we are used to. Ricci makes Katrina cute with a childlike sense of innocence mixed with a darker side that shows off the character's interest in witchcraft. If Sleepy Hollow were a blog on  Tumblr, Katrina Van Tassel would be the feature that brands it pastel goth.

If hexes and decapitation are something you are into, then Sleepy Hollow is the film you need to see this Halloween. Tim Burton truly outdid himself with this aesthetically pleasing, hilarious, and horrific movie. Plus, Christopher Walken is the Headless Horseman. I mean, it doesn't get better than that.

Halloween Movie Diary: Psycho (1960)

I love Halloween with a passion and part of celebrating Halloween is watching a ton of amazing movies. I've already started and one that I recently got to see in theatres as a special treat was the 1960 classic Psycho. This film is about a woman who has stolen a large amount of money and ends up at the mysterious Bates Motel where she finds she has more to deal with than just getting away with the cash. 
Alfred Hitchcock is probably in my list of top five favorite directors and Psycho is one film that I start to love the more I see it. Hitchcock had been making movies for decades before Psycho came along but it is arguably his most popular movie for a reason. It has amazing acting from Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and Janet Leigh; incredible cinematography; spine-tingling music; and great jump scares mixed with an actually interesting storyline.

Psycho was a different kind of scary movie for the day. It broke barriers (you can see the whole story on the making Psycho in the film Hitchcock) and made popular a new kind of villain in the horror movie genre. The bad guy wasn't a vampire, a werewolf, or a giant radioactive lizard. It was just a guy, a guy who seemed nice and normal, if not a bit awkward and shy. Hitchcock's films have always had a sense of realism mixed in with horror and suspense. These events could happen to anyone, anywhere, which in my opinion makes them scarier than a monster or ghost with supernatural powers. There is a Bates Motel in every town and anyone could be working there. In true Hitchcock fashion, the message of Psycho seems to be "don't judge a book by its cover; the seemingly nicest person could really be a serial killer dealing with some serious psychological issues."

Also, whether Hitchcock meant to or not, the film creates a meaningful discussion about the treatment of mental health. Norman Bates confides in Marion Cane that he could never send his mother to a mental hospital because of the awful way patients are treated. It leaves the audience wondering if mental institutions had been better, could Norman have been saved before things got out of hand. It also lets the audience question whether one should check into a creepy motel by oneself, especially if you've been inside the parlor filled with stuffed birds staring at you.
Psycho may be 55 years old this year and in black-and-white, things that many current movie-goers would call boring, but this movie is far from it. The dialogue is surprisingly relevant, the acting is still magnificent, and the story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Psycho is a must-watch during the Halloween season.