It’s Janet Leigh day on Turner Classic Movies! I adore Janet Leigh, from her work in The Manchurian Candidate to Touch of Evil and my favorite movie of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, she’s one amazing lady. And of course, I’m going to use this an excuse to post Psycho videos!! There’s one below and more after the jump (including the infamous shower scene)

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It’s Friday the 13th! In celebration, here’s my take on the top 10 scariest movies ever. The overtly sensational horror flicks today riding on their reputation for the best in blood, guts and gore are no match for these classic thrillers. I’ve included some of my favorite clips below - enjoy the roller coaster of horror after the JUMP Don’t forget to leave comments and let us know if I’ve left any of your favorites out!

1) The Shining (1980) - All work and no play makes Jack a dull axe-wielding lunatic. Think fast Shelley!

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Another Mother’s Day has passed (I hope you had a good one) but luckily for you the Top 10 Movie Moms are available all year round - here’s the final Top 10 - including 2 new ones not yet profiled! Keep in mind these Moms may not be the most typical (they’re all actually pretty unique) , but they are definitely the most dynamic and interesting to watch on the screen.

10. Carol White in Todd Haynes’ Safe

A disturbing and eeery portrait of a California housewife and step-mom that suddenly turns sick from the chemicals in the air is in part an attack of suburban culture and in part a more general metaphor for the AIDS epidemic. But these social critiques aside, Julianne Moore’s turn as Carol White is a fascinating look at a woman who wants more that to run a house. The scene of Carol at a pals baby shower, when a young child is sitting on her lap as she starts to experience an attack will sit with you for some time… As will the last moment of the film. It’s a true testament to the side our mother’s keep to themselves…

And even though Carol may have had other problems, to ensure we all have clean air to breathe!

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Mother’s Day is quickly approaching so for the next few days leading up to the Sunday celebration, I’m going to do little profiles on my favorite movie moms. At the end of the week I’ll compile them into a easily digestible Top 10 List. For now, here’s my one of my all time favorite movie moms:

Mother/Norman Bates as “Mother” in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho

Psycho is admittedly my favorite movie of all time and if you’ve never seen it you’ll probably want to stop reading here. From the minute Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane arrives at the Bates Motel it is obvious that something is up with the little old lady living in the house near the motel. And sure enough something is up, or rather down as Marion’s sister eventually finds the real mother (and soon her imposter) in the basement of Norman Bates’ house.

Interestingly enough Hitchcock used a variety of voices to make the mother’s voice, not wanting to give away his secret by simply having Anthony Perkins pretend to be a woman. He also used someone other than Perkins as the body during the infamous shower scene, so as not to give away his tall lanky figure.

Click click click for some great Psycho mother moments

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. We brought you some excellent top 10 lists this week on art, technology, director Errol Morris, and naughty celebs who should rethink their eco-lifestyles. Don’t forget to catch up with some of our other most popular articles of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Bush’s War: PBS Frontline Brings the War to a Computer Near You

Inverted Areola, Asymmetrical Breasts, & the Miss Bimbo Game

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Nicole:

Where the Wild Things Are: Top 10 Art Blogs

Dark Water: Artist Explores Consequences of Three Gorges Dam Project

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Giulia:

A Pregnant Man?

Is the Lebron / Gisele Vogue Cover Racist?

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Gina:

Top 10 Technology Blogs

Errol Morris’ Top 10 Films

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Kerry:

Top 10 Celebrities Who Need a New Cause

Dead Bats Flying: Mysterious Fatal Illness Alarms Scientists

Back in 2002, film magazine Sight and Sound had an impressive list of directors name their top 10 films of all time. One of those directors was Errol Morris, the man behind the upcoming Standard Operating Procedure. His list was one of the more unique and I am happy to say features my all time favorite film (number 10 for him) and a film by one of my most favorite directors (his number 2). I’ve always been of the mindset that the best way to learn about cinema is to find out what films the folks you admire like.

So if you’re looking for a good film to watch, check out his list below and if you’re feeling in an especially cinematic mood and see what the other directors thought. Also below Errol’s list is my own (although it’s always changing!) - make yours and leave it in the comments section. If I get enough comments I’ll post other’s choices next week:

ERROL’s TOP 10 (From 2002)

1. Detour (Ulmer)
2. There’s Always Tomorrow (Sirk)
3. Make Way for Tomorrow (McCarey)

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