78/52

Cue Bernard Herrmann’s iconic shrieking chords, and everyone knows Janet Leigh is about to die in the shower. It is one of the most famous and studied sequences in all of cinema. 78/52 (signifying the sequence required 78 camera set-ups and 52 cuts) intensely examines both the cultural and cinematic importance of “Psycho’s” most terrifying and culturally ingrained scene. Gathering together a diverse and articulate panel of filmmakers and historians, the film delves deeply into the crafting of the shower scene. Beginning with the possibly subversive motives of director Alfred Hitchcock, the panel gleefully proceeds to dissect, frame-by-frame, every nuance of its construction. With a collection of supporting clips from pre- and post-“Psycho” films, this marvelous documentary shows what led to this seismic moment in film and its effects to this day. Prepare to be fascinated, challenged, and terrified all over again as we join the experts in trying to unravel how Hitchcock managed to do it and, equally as important, why. —C.R.