Psycho IV: The Beginning

Elliott , ouuuuuch.

Anthony Perkins and Olivia Hussey both do a great job, and Henry Thomas And CCH Pounder are pretty good too. Overall I thought this was an interesting and reasonably convincing imagining of Norman’s pre-Psycho 1 days. While the original is obviously the best by some distance I’ve enjoyed my journey through the Psycho sequels and think that it deserves to be thought of as a horror “franchise” just as Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.

A step-up from the 3rd installment w/ far better performances all around & a completely different narrative structure, which may not always work but at least it's unexpected. The origin scenes are fairly predictable, but the actors make them work. In the "present" day, Norman's situation is easily the most unlikely event in the series, but it's refreshingly different for anyone tired of horror franchises insisting on formula. It's no exaggeration to say the end is groundbreakingly unpredictable.

Was really liking these Psycho sequels but this one kinda sucked.

I thought this was surprisingly good. Norman Bates recalls much of his earlier wrongdoings to a radio talk show host.

Men would really rather murder their mother, then spend years dressing up as her and killing women rather than go to therapy. I sure am glad we got to hear Norman's classic catchphrase one last time: "Just me and my trusty umbrella."

To their credit the Psycho films together tell one story about one troubled man. You generally can't say that about most horror franchises, but when you can, it usually is at the expense of the films themselves as Phantasm keeps rehashing things or Saw spends more time trying to tie the middle entries to the mythos than they do on traps. Norman Bates is fascinating and I love the house overlooking the motel. It's blueprint is ingrained in my memory. This is the weakest entry IMO but still fun.

Norman at the end feels more like Scotty from Vertigo than Norman Bates. This is not helped by the fact that older Anthony Perkins sounds a lot like Jimmy Stewart. Anyway, this was pretty bad.

44.

The TV version knocked closely to the theme they used later in 2013 TV series.

It's never good to explain too much.

Lame. Only good part is seeing Henry Thomas as the young Norman Bates. He still looks little-boy-cute, even when he's murdering somebody

_Norman Bates: The Wonder Years_. Well-intentioned but laborious prequel to the Hitchcock classic. The best scenes in this fourth chapter depict the malevolent Mama Bates (a great if cast-against-type Hussey) tormenting teen Norman (_ET_'s Thomas, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Perkins), all leading to his homicidal breakdown. The setting-things-up-for-another-sequel (_Norman's Baby_?) is the weakest link.

A cool idea, but has a plot that isn't always there. Anthony Perkins still does a great job as Norman, young Norman on the other hand needs a little more work on his acting.

terrible framing story that robs us of a real Perkins performance and instead gives us vacant wide-eyed Henry Thomas and posh London accented Hussey in not-well-done period production amounting to a backstory that is entirely disconnected from the movie its supposed to be prequelling in content, character, and tone.

suprisingly good! this is part prequel with a young Norman and his mother and part sequel with Norman talking to a radio host about his life, i liked it

Psycho 4 is a step up from the third. Mostly due to Anthony Perkins' more restrained performance and a new script from original film scribe Joseph Stephano. The structure is fun, but the stakes aren't as high this time around. Probably for fans only.

"You can call me Ed." Apparently Elliott became Norman after E.T.'s gone and uses his wig, he also killed his mom Juliet and her lover Romeo. Better than Psycho III but I'd still prefer Psycho 2. A Little note: Herrmann's famous theme is not used in Psycho III.