The nearly shot-for-shot remake was heavily criticized at the time. And while I agree it is unnecessary and simply doesn't work, it was at the very least and interesting project... and certainly more worthwhile than many of the remakes that we've had to deal with in the past decade. Click to visit previous blogs on the original Psycho, Psycho III, and the new Bates Motel series, as well as my Bates Motel bathroom!
First up, the filmmakers actually went to the same exact spot up in Gorman to shoot the background plates and scene where Marion is awakened by the police officer....
Screenshots...
Next up is the car dealership Marion visits to switch out automobiles. They used a different one than the original in this case...
Screenshots...
For the hardware store scene, they used an actual store but it is now a different business...
Screenshot...
The swamp in the original was filmed on the Universal backlot. For the remake, they found a suitable replacement right next to the spot where Marion is woken by the police officer in Gorman. The actual "swamp" is on private land, but this is the road a dozen yards in front of it and looks out onto the the freeway in the distance...
Screenshots from the film and the behind the scenes featurette....
And the Bates motel and house itself still sits on the Universal lot. For the remake, they gave the motel an makeover and built a two-sided facade in front of the original Bates house. Since that time, they facade has been removed and the motel reverted back to its original style...
Marion '98, Anne Heche!
"While I agree it is unnecessary and simply doesn't work, it was at the very least an interesting project."
ReplyDeleteThanks, I absolutely agree. It was an interesting project, and Gus Van Sant obviously has considerable reverence for the original film. But the original is simply too utterly iconic in look and feel for a shot-for-shot remake to work.
I watched the original "Psycho" on TCM, and stumbled across your website while trying to find a photograph on the highway location in Gorman where Marion Crane pulled over to sleep. Yours in an interesting project.