‘Psycho’ still demonstrates its terrifying power

The 1960 thriller that made, and largely has kept, many people wary of taking a shower – thanks to the fate of Norman Bates’ (Anthony Perkins) motel guest, embezzler Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) – “Psycho” is the Alfred Hitchcock movie many people think of first. The still-chilling film helps Turner Classic Movies wrap up its annual “31 Days of Oscar” month Friday, March 31.

The picture was remade in 1998, and its most indelible image remains the conclusion of that shower scene, truly one of the iconic shots in screen history (underscored by Bernard Herrmann’s brilliant score in a way that’s both understated and powerful at once). Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam also are in the cast.