One of the most iconic scenes in cinema history, the shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is explored in-depth in Alexandre O. Philippe's new documentary 78/52, which recently made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. IFC Midnight has now acquired US rights to the film that Daily Dead's Heather Wixson calls "a thoughtful look back at Psycho's iconic shower scene and the genius behind it all."
IFC Midnight has not yet set a US release date for 78/52, but we'll keep Daily Dead readers updated as more information is revealed. Additionally, Dogwoof recently acquired the UK distribution and foreign sales rights to 78/52.
We have the official press release with full details below, and in case you missed it, check out Heather's Sundance review of 78/52 and interview with director Alexandre O. Philippe.
Press Release: NEW YORK, NY (January 27, 2017) - IFC Midnight announced today from the Sundance Film Festival that the company has acquired U.S. rights to the documentary 78/52, a meticulous deconstruction of Alfred Hitchcock's infamous PSYCHO shower scene which was written and directed by Alexandre O. Philippe. It features interviews with Guillermo del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Karyn Kusama, Eli Roth, Walter Murch and Peter Bogdanovich.
The film is an Exhibit A Pictures production, produced by Kerry Deignan Roy; and co-produced by Oliver Schwehm of ARTE G.E.I.E., Chad Herschberger of Milkhaus, Annick Mahnert of Screen Division, and Robert Muratore of EXA. Felix Gill of Sensorshot Productions, Joey Porcelli, and Randy Pharo served as executive producers.
An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO, the 'Man behind the Curtain', and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema, 78/52 references the number of setups (78) and the number of cuts (52) in the shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO. One entire week out of the four weeks scheduled to shoot PSYCHO -- a full quarter of the film's production schedule was dedicated to the infamous shower scene.
"It's a great honor to be partnering with IFC Films and working closely with them to bring 78/52 to horror and documentary fans across the U.S. Their love of smart genre cinema shines through in everything they do, and 78/52 will undoubtedly flourish with their savvy, forward-thinking support. Our team is very excited about this partnership," said director Alexandre O. Philippe.
"78/52 is a thrilling piece of work about one of the greatest films ever made. Alexandre Philippe has made a film that captures why all of us have become obsessed not only with PSYCHO but cinema itself. We are excited to work with the entire team to get this film out to the world," said Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, co-presidents of IFC Films/Sundance Selects.
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco from Sundance Selects/IFC Films, with Kevin Iwashina and Zac Bright from Preferred Content.
IFC Midnight is a sister label to IFC Films and Sundance Selects and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
Earlier today, Dogwoof, the U.K.'s leading documentary film distributor and foreign sales agent, announced via Screen Daily that they had acquired the film's U.K. distribution and foreign sales rights. A U.K. release date has yet to be set, but Dogwoof plans to introduce the film to foreign buyers in Berlin next month.
About IFC MIDNIGHT
Established in 2010 and based in New York City, IFC Midnight is a leading US distributor of genre entertainment, including horror, science fiction, thrillers, erotic art house, action and more. Recent releases include André Øvredal's THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE, Sean Byrne's THE DEVIL'S CANDY and Lucile Hadzihalilović's EVOLUTION. Some of the company's previous successes have included: Jennifer Kent's critically acclaimed THE BABADOOK; Ben Wheatley's unconventional hitman thriller KILL LIST and Rodney Ascher's acclaimed documentary ROOM 237. IFC Midnight is a sister label to Sundance Selects and IFC Films and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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