THE THREE FACES OF PSYCHO Psycho has no doubt become one of the most beloved horror stories of all times. It is an undisputed classic. It spins a well-known tale of how the person living next door, in the next room, or down the road just might not be all they seem on the outside. Psycho first came into the world as a literary novel in 1958. It would become Robert Bloch's signature piece. It told the story of a young woman named Mary Crane who was given the ultimate chance at the American Dream by stealing money from work and marrying the man of her dreams. It also told of her untimely demise at the hands of Norman Bates, quiet and shy hotel proprietor. The novel appealed to the public not only because of the suspense and horror of the story, but because the reader could easily identify with the characters. Mary-simply because everyone wants the American dream and will go to unreal lengths to achieve it at times. Norman-because everyone has had to live up to a parent's expectations and fallen short at one time or another. In these characters, we find a sense of loneliness and desperation. Shortly after the release and immediate success of the novel, Psycho, the master of film horror decided to introduce the book to the big screen. Alfred Hitchcock made Psycho into an instant horror classic in 1960. With an adapted version of the novel, a screenplay by Joseph Stefano, some character's names were changed and actors were hired, but the story remained the same. Almost forty years later, following the release of Hitchcock's Psycho, director Gus Van Sant brought the picture back to the screen. The big difference was that he added color and modernized the picture. Van Sant's goal was to remain true to the original picture, but took advantage of what the 90's culture had to offer. The base story of Psycho remains basically the same in the novel and film versions.
