Final Rinse:

'Mother! Oh, God, Mother! Blood! Blood!!'

Norman Bates

FH readers may remember that it took me awhile (too long) to embrace classic black and white films.  This meant I was well into adulthood before seeing Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece Psycho. Although I've featured actor John Gavin, and Viggo Mortensen' disappearing ass from the 1990 re-make, (HERE:) I've never paid tribute to the original classic.

Original Artwork from Classic Configuration

This year, my inspiration was Entertain Me's Michael, who sent me a hot shower shot. (below). Though the original image wasn't meant to pay tribute to Psycho, the mysterious man standing just outside the shower had me thinking of the classic thriller.

Michael 

The red shirt wearing stranger beside Michael in the shower ended up being model David Pevsner, (who I've previously featured HERE:) who Michael says is as good behind the camera, as he is in front of it.  With Michael's permission, I add a little blood rain to the image, to match David's shirt, and the murderous Halloween theme.

Image by Suntown Photo

There is a reason shower scenes in movies tend to be so memorable, Psycho being one of the greatest examples. The shower scene is not just remembered because of it's depiction of Marion Crane's grizzly end, it is also remembered because of the violent interruption of erotically intimate moment.

This interruption of intimacy, is one of the reasons shower scenes are so memorable. It is interesting to me how showers can bring on an added layer of exposure and intimacy. I have featured many shoots in which a model is first shot in a studio or location, totally nude, but also totally dry. Even without a stitch of clothing, they don't seem as naked or as vulnerable as they do, wet, and totally alone in the shower.

Image by Mike Tossy

Most showers don't provide an escape.  If there's a butcher knife wielding killer on the other side of the curtain, you either attack, or back into the shower tiles behind you.  You're trapped, wet, naked and defenseless against the blade of steel heading towards your exposed skin and extremities.

This erotically charged method of gutting a character has been a staple on screen since Janet Leigh slumped over the tub in 1960.  Anne Heche (above) backed into the tiles in the 1998 shot by shot remake Psycho.  Mel Brooks, (below) was attacked by Barry Levinson and a newspaper in 1977's High Anxiety, and even Charlene Tilton, (above) TV's  Lucy Ewing fought back to no avail in the 1994 parody, The Silence of the Hams.

High Anxiety (1977)

Many famous celebrities copied Leigh's famous shower scream for Instagram including her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis.  Curtis' copy was then copied by late night host James Corden.

Of course some of the best shots celebrating Leigh's last shower are done by non-celebrities, my favorites being from hot steamy hunks like Canada_Bry. (below)

Canada Bry

Bates Motel re-worked the scene in it's final season, faking out audiences members by first, making us think it would be Rihanna was destined for the knife.  It ended up being Austin Nichols who slumped over the tub for a bloody end.  Below, Austin shows us his flesh colored modesty undies in a behind the scenes shot.

Austin Nichols in Bate Motel

Of course no movie worth it's salt can be considered iconic without a porn parody.  There were several straight porn parody, but Dominic Ford's Boyfriends is the only gay porn parody that I could find.  As you can guess, it wasn't a butcher knife that penetrated this particular shower taker.

Let's end with one of my favorite tributes the the classic shower scene, this one by Instagram, and FH favorites, Rick n Griff.  No mother may I was requested or required.

Rick n Griff