Skulls and "Norma Bates"

Iksnamhcok

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Dec 24, 1997, 3:00:00 AM12/24/97

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I read with great interest in "The MacGuffin" Website the news that some prints
of Psycho contain an earlier superimposition of a skull on Norman's face -- in
the scene by the swamp, as Norman's name is being called by Sam.

Do you see this superimposed skull in any of the video versions of Psycho now
available? The new widescreen letterboxed version, by any chance?

Also: "I am Norma Bates." No kidding! I've seen the flick probably 35 times
and always heard something, but never bothered to try to make it out.

BillyBond

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Dec 25, 1997, 3:00:00 AM12/25/97

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>From: if...@opni.com

>>Do you see this superimposed skull in any of the video versions of Psycho
>now
>>available? The new widescreen letterboxed version, by any chance?
>

>I am fortunate enough to have taped a version off a late-night showing
>on television that has the superimposed image at the end of the film
>as Norman looks up at the police station. I think these are rather
>hard to find.....

According to Rebello's book, as I recall, the superimposed skull (actually the
face of the stuffed mother) is on ALL prints of PSYCHO, but on some of them it
is very, very brief.

Bill Warren

Michael Gottuso

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Dec 25, 1997, 3:00:00 AM12/25/97

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Is the superimposed skull in the last scene of PSYCHO when Norman Bates
sits with a blanket wrapped around him?

Michael

Iksnamhcok

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Dec 25, 1997, 3:00:00 AM12/25/97

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>Is the superimposed skull in the last scene of PSYCHO when Norman Bates
>sits with a blanket wrapped around him?

Yes, but that's not the superimposed skull I was asking about. I've always seen
that skull, in any TV or theater showing I've come across. And also in Mark
Crispin Miller's interesting examination of that sequence in, what was it, The
Atlantic Monthly (?) a few years back. I guessed I've assumed that that skull
appears in all prints of the film (along with the dissolving-in towing chain
forming a noose around Norman's neck!).

What I was asking about is the skull you can supposedly see on Norman's face as
he stands by the swamp, while Sam is looking for him around the motel and
house. A note on The MacGuffin Website says this skull appears in some prints
of the film.

Has anyone in this newsgroup seen said superimposed skull, and if so, where?

Does it, by any chance, appear in the new "widescreen" Psycho video?

BillyBond

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Dec 26, 1997, 3:00:00 AM12/26/97

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>From: iksna...@aol.com (Iksnamhcok)

>What I was asking about is the skull you can supposedly see on Norman's face
>as
>he stands by the swamp, while Sam is looking for him around the motel and
>house. A note on The MacGuffin Website says this skull appears in some prints
of the film.

I've never heard of a skull in that shot, and I for one would tend to doubt
that it exists in >any< print of the film; after all, at that point we're
supposed to think that the only thing Norman is guilty of is protecting his
mother.

Bill Warren

Clay Waldrop, Jr.

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Dec 26, 1997, 3:00:00 AM12/26/97

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> Iksnamhcok wrote:
> >What I was asking about is the skull you can supposedly see on Norman's
face
> >as
> >he stands by the swamp, while Sam is looking for him around the motel
and
> >house. A note on The MacGuffin Website says this skull appears in some
prints
> of the film.

BillyBond wrote:
> I've never heard of a skull in that shot, and I for one would tend to
doubt
> that it exists in >any< print of the film; after all, at that point we're
> supposed to think that the only thing Norman is guilty of is protecting
his
> mother.

I just did a frame-by-frame viewing of the two swamp scenes with
Norman from my VHS tape of "Psycho" (taped off Encore) and saw
no skull superimposed, and agree with Bill that Hitch would not have
wanted to give the audience that obvious a hint at that point in the
narrative. It does strike me that Perkins' face is photographed in the
first of these (when burying Marion's car) so as to leave his eyes in
heavy shadow, suggestive of the empty eye sockets of a skull. He
is also photographed in this scene from below and makes several
rapid head movements suggestive of a bird. So maybe the hints
aren't that obvious, but they're still there.

Clay

BillyBond

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Dec 27, 1997, 3:00:00 AM12/27/97

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>From: "Clay Waldrop, Jr." <NOSPAM...@concentric.net>

>It does strike me that Perkins' face is photographed in the
>first of these (when burying Marion's car) so as to leave his eyes in
>heavy shadow, suggestive of the empty eye sockets of a skull. He
>is also photographed in this scene from below and makes several
>rapid head movements suggestive of a bird. So maybe the hints
>aren't that obvious, but they're still there.

Hints yes, skulls no.

Bill Warren