The Psycho sequels
laurence1870
Posts: 213 Forum Member
✭
I never knew until recently that Psycho spawned any sequels, let alone three of them.
Well I bought the 1-4 boxset and watched the sequels recently and to be truthful I was half expecting them all to be utter rubbish, but they were actually quite watchable! Psycho IV was very silly, but 2 and 3 were very good as stand alone films.
Anyone else seen these?
Well I bought the 1-4 boxset and watched the sequels recently and to be truthful I was half expecting them all to be utter rubbish, but they were actually quite watchable! Psycho IV was very silly, but 2 and 3 were very good as stand alone films.
Anyone else seen these?
0
Comments
But like a lot of people, the first one is such a masterpiece, i don't want it to be ruined by potentially awful sequels.
Its a bit like Alien vs Aliens. Two totally different approaches but both likeable.
I can't remember much about Psycho 3 and I agree, Psycho 4 was dire.
There's a scene in Psycho 2 where somebody is coming into a dark room and there's a shadow on the wall that looks very much like Hichcock's silhouette. I always wondered if it was intentional or just my imagination.
But they`re most assuredly not. Two and Three are excellent. Perkins even directed the third and it`s all the better for it.
3 feels kind of redundant, mostly because they never try to disguise the fact that it's Norman who commits all the murders. It's better than a lot of other 80s horrors films however, and Anthony Perkins' direction is pretty good.
4 is just complete crap, with the possible exception of Olivia Hussey's performance as Norma, and even that's undermined by her having to play a cartoonishly evil stereotype.
I find it's best to treat II & III as the true sequels and regard IV as an alternate version.
Of course, there's also the 1987 Bates Motel TV Movie. Not only does this contradict the sequels, but it seems as though the writers knew nothing about the original Psycho. It's like a weird Love Boat / Fantasy Island comedy with a Horror setting.
Here's an excellent video essay on the sequels:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxwOKgx8xQ0
And here's a selection from the wonderful Psycho III soundtrack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMua4VsXmGY
The very end of Psycho II. That bit was a bit stupid - him taking out his new mother - but up until then it was a light-hearted homily to the Hitchcock original. A lot of plot-holes - but amusing and effective even so.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Perkins
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41bginGB8DL.jpg
Lucky, lucky swine!
I also believe that his wife was in one of the planes that hit the twin towers.
Yep, got them all (and the remake)
Enjoyable films though, as stated here, Part IV is a bit poor compared to the others.
The remake is fairly enjoyable as well if you haven't seen, or can ignore, the original.
1. Robert Bloch's books
Psycho (1959)
Psycho II (1982)
Psycho House (1990)
Only the first book was adapted as a film.
2. Hitchcock's film and its cinematic sequels
Psycho (1960)
Psycho II (1983)
Psycho III (1986)
3. Hitchcock's film and its TV movie sequel (1)
Psycho (1960)
Bates Motel (1987) AVOID!
4. Hitchcock's film and its TV movie sequel (2)
Psycho (1960)
Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
5. Gus Van Sant's film remake
Psycho (1998)
6. TV series
Bates Motel (2013 - )
I'd have to say that the film trilogy is my favourite iteration of Psycho, closely followed by the current Bates Motel TV series.
By and largely it would be identical to the original, until the shower scene. Then I'd kill of Norman instead of mary/Marion, and take the film in a wholly unexpected direction. Ala hitchcock.....
Psycho (1960) Fantastic 9/10
Psycho II (1983) Surprisingly great 8/10
Psycho III (1986) Weakest of series but still really good 6/10
Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990) (TV) A perfect ending to series! 8/10
Not seen Bates Motel (1987) or remake!
The third one is actually the one that I watch the most, and I think it stands out as a decent slasher in it's own right.
I really didn't like Psycho IV and watched it again to see if it really was as bad the second time around as I thought it was the first, it was.
I very much enjoyed the Bates Motel TV series though, and look forward to catching up with the second season.
I have never heard of Bates Motel (1987), but might give it a watch anyway.
How sad:(
i didn't know the actor was gay and died of aids and was typecast after psycho. such a shame. good actor
What was?
Psycho 2? Psycho 3? Or Psycho 4?
*thwack!*