Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho shocked audiences upon its release in 1960. The director's previous movie was North By Northwest, a film that is a technical marvel, but it seemed safe. Critics took note and Hitchcock went dark with his next picture. He chose beloved horror icon Robert Bloch's novel, Psycho, as his new project.
Some people consider Psycho to be the first slasher picture. Others cite Michael Powell's Peeping Tom, but I always went with Psycho.
Twenty-two years passed before there was a Psycho sequel. Australian director Richard Franklin did a fine job with it. I always enjoyed and respected Psycho 2, even if I felt that Bloch was cheated out of involvement. Bloch's own Psycho 2 novel had absolutely nothing to do with the movie, and I like it more. Still, Franklin did Hitchcock justice with his movie, and everyone I know enjoyed seeing Anthony Perkins' gleeful return to his iconic character.
The eighties were a decade of sequels, and horror was red hot in 1986. Another Psycho sequel was made, this time with Perkins in the director's chair as well as playing Norman bates again.
Eighty-six was a monumental year for horror. I saw as many movies as I could in theaters, and I loved 'em all. The Fly, Aliens, The Hitcher, Vamp, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives, April Fool's Day, Night of the Creeps, From Beyond, House, Maximum Overdrive, Deadly Friend, Critters, Witchboard, Slaughter High. Great, great times.
I saw Psycho 2 at a walk-in theater, and I enjoyed every frame of it. This time the filmmakers didn't seem to be trying to emulate Hitchcock, but rather went for a fun, slasher-type experience.
This was Perkins' first film as a director, and while it certainly isn't any cinematic masterpiece, Psycho 3 is a game effort, with some interesting shots and a few truly disturbing sequences. Sir Alfred would have undoubtedly hated it.
Perkins chews the scenery with gusto once again, and Diana Scarwid is reasonably good as a suicidal nun who is having a crisis of faith. She winds up at the Bates Motel, and she and Norman begin to develop a hesitant romance. It will come as no spoiler to say that Mother will object.
The Psycho 3 cast is rounded out with genre favorite Jeff Fahey as a sleazebag transient working for Norman, and Roberta Maxwell as a cynical reporter looking to exploit Norman.
Psycho 3 is a fun, sometimes funny and sometimes grisly little treat. It's anything but subtle, as evidenced by the very first moments of the film, as Scarwid screams out "THERE IS NO GOD!".
It was successful enough to warrant another sequel: Psycho 4: The Beginning. I like director Mick Garris, but I never cared for this one at all. Its premier was on Showtime. A TV series called Bates Motel ran from 2013 to 2017. I've heard good things about it, but I never bothered.
I can't imagine Robert Bloch could have foresaw how long his unstable character would survive in popular culture. But then again I think back to his final line in Psycho 2...
Norman Bates will never die
Written by Mark Sieber
Some people consider Psycho to be the first slasher picture. Others cite Michael Powell's Peeping Tom, but I always went with Psycho.
Twenty-two years passed before there was a Psycho sequel. Australian director Richard Franklin did a fine job with it. I always enjoyed and respected Psycho 2, even if I felt that Bloch was cheated out of involvement. Bloch's own Psycho 2 novel had absolutely nothing to do with the movie, and I like it more. Still, Franklin did Hitchcock justice with his movie, and everyone I know enjoyed seeing Anthony Perkins' gleeful return to his iconic character.
The eighties were a decade of sequels, and horror was red hot in 1986. Another Psycho sequel was made, this time with Perkins in the director's chair as well as playing Norman bates again.
Eighty-six was a monumental year for horror. I saw as many movies as I could in theaters, and I loved 'em all. The Fly, Aliens, The Hitcher, Vamp, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives, April Fool's Day, Night of the Creeps, From Beyond, House, Maximum Overdrive, Deadly Friend, Critters, Witchboard, Slaughter High. Great, great times.
I saw Psycho 2 at a walk-in theater, and I enjoyed every frame of it. This time the filmmakers didn't seem to be trying to emulate Hitchcock, but rather went for a fun, slasher-type experience.This was Perkins' first film as a director, and while it certainly isn't any cinematic masterpiece, Psycho 3 is a game effort, with some interesting shots and a few truly disturbing sequences. Sir Alfred would have undoubtedly hated it.
Perkins chews the scenery with gusto once again, and Diana Scarwid is reasonably good as a suicidal nun who is having a crisis of faith. She winds up at the Bates Motel, and she and Norman begin to develop a hesitant romance. It will come as no spoiler to say that Mother will object.
The Psycho 3 cast is rounded out with genre favorite Jeff Fahey as a sleazebag transient working for Norman, and Roberta Maxwell as a cynical reporter looking to exploit Norman.
Psycho 3 is a fun, sometimes funny and sometimes grisly little treat. It's anything but subtle, as evidenced by the very first moments of the film, as Scarwid screams out "THERE IS NO GOD!".
It was successful enough to warrant another sequel: Psycho 4: The Beginning. I like director Mick Garris, but I never cared for this one at all. Its premier was on Showtime. A TV series called Bates Motel ran from 2013 to 2017. I've heard good things about it, but I never bothered.
I can't imagine Robert Bloch could have foresaw how long his unstable character would survive in popular culture. But then again I think back to his final line in Psycho 2...
Norman Bates will never die
Written by Mark Sieber
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