Hitchcock Has Arrived

Last month, director Sacha Gervasi’s highly anticipated Hitchcock was finally released in theaters. Set in 1959, the film follows the famous moviemaker Alfred Hitchcock as he stubbornly pursues a project that no one else believes in, Psycho. In a powerful performance by Anthony Hopkins, Alfred Hitchcock’s personality and love of mystery is captured on screen once again.

With Hitchcock now in theaters, there’s no better time for fans of the great filmmaker to read or reread some of Overlook’s best Hitchcock books, whether it’s Psycho, the movie at the heart of Gervasi’s film, Alfred Hitchcock Poster Art, or The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock, David Freeman’s firsthand account of Hitchcock during his final project. 

Psycho by Robert Bloch

Before it became the classic thriller known today, Psycho had already begun to captivate readers through Bloch’s novel. Inspired by a real-life psychopathic murderer, the story follows Norman Bates, a motel owner who lives alone with his mother. After a beautiful woman checks into the hotel, Norman spies on her while she’s undressing. But mother is there too with her butcher knife, and she is not about to let her son fall prey to his filthy desires.

Hitchcock Poster Art by Tony Nourmand

In this lavishly produced book, Wolff and Nourmand have collected all the best promotional art including posters, lobby cards, and other marketing materials from Hitchcock s entire career, including items so rare that the copies photographed for this book are the only known versions in existence. Among the treasures displayed: an American poster for "Woman to Woman", the 1923 film for which Hitchcock wrote the screenplay and served as assistant director and art director; a poster for the first film he directed, "The Pleasure Garden" of 1925; and material from classic films like "Strangers on a Train" and "To Catch a Thief". The collection consists of at least one item for each of the thirty-nine movies Hitchcock directed and art from America, Great Britain, Europe, and Japan. Hitchcock Poster Art is an indispensable reference for all enthusiasts of Hitchcock and film in general, providing a fascinating look at the international scope of the master s influence and appeal.

The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock by David Freeman

In this record of one of Hollywood’s most fascinating cinematic geniuses, David Freeman delves into a side of the famous director that never made it onto the screens. Through in-depth conversations with Hitchcock about his life experiences and his poor health condition, Freeman captures the final days of the director’s life, as well as his final film, "The Short Night," which was left unfinished upon Hitchcock’s death in 1980. The entire script, as well as pictures and a filmography, are all included in this enlightening and detailed read.