‘According to Empire magazine, the film will explore Hitchcock's efforts to get Psycho made, while Hollywood bigwigs considered it beneath him. Directed by Sasha Gervasi, the film has also been described as a love story between the director and his wife Alma and is slated to be released next year.’ Daily Mail May 12, 2012

Charted here for the first time is the story of one of the true landmarks in the history of horror movies, from its grisly conception to its dramatic aftermath. Rebello takes us behind the scenes, drawing upon Hitchcock’s private files, and in-depth interviews with the stars, writers and technical crew, to give a unique and unparalleled view of the master at work.

‘Meticulously researched and irresistible…required reading not only for Psycho-philes, but for anyone interested in the backstage world of movie creation.’ Anthony Perkins, actor.

‘“Once you cast a star in a part,” the director had often groused, “you compromise your original intention to a great extent.” On Psycho, Hitchcock had determined that he and the story were to be the stars. “Hitchcock’s thing about actors was very strange,” observed screen-writer Joseph Stefano of the director who had gotten so much press coverage out of calling actors “spoiled children” or “cattle.” Even two of the director’s blue-ribbon specimens did not escape his scorn. In private, Hitchcock referred to Ingrid Bergmann, the lustrous heroine as Spellbound, Notorious, and Under Capricorn, as “so beautiful, so stupid.”’ (Casting: from Chapter 6.)

Stephen Rebello is an American journalist, who writes for GQ, L.A. Style and Movieline. He has worked on screenplays for animated feature film projects for Disney. He is the co-author, with Edward Marguiles, of Bad Movies We Love, also available from Marion Boyars, and is a frequent film and TV commentator.

ISBN: 978-07145-3191-5 Price: £ 8.99 Film tie in Paperback to be published 1st February 2013

ISBN: 978-07145-3003-1 Price: £ 12.95 Trade Paperback available now.

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