4-Movie Midnight Marathon Pack: Psychos [DVD]

So I purchased this 4-film pack. Having never seen the Psycho sequels (and never knowing that there were any Psycho sequels) this came as a pleasant surprise. Psycho II was released in 1983, just 23 years after the original. While I understand that Psycho II is the sequel to Psycho, after having watched Psycho 2 through 4 I feel like Psycho 2, 3, and 4 is its own trilogy, with Psycho II being the first movie followed by Psycho III and finally Psycho IV. And in this example, that would make the original Psycho (1960) the prologue, just as The Hobbit was the prologue to the Lord of the Rings books/films. Also included in this 4-pack is a made-for-TV movie titled 'Bates Motel' which was........different. I'll get to that one later.Psycho II: In Psycho II, Norman Bates is released from the looney bin and heads back to his old motel to try to start a new life. Unfortunately for Norman, old habits die hard. It also doesn't help when unseen forces work against him to try to make him a psycho all over again. While none of the Psycho sequels were as good as the original (obviously), this one wasn't too shabby. It had a not-too surprising twist which I guess was necessary to further the story. Also, the kill count in this film would probably be good enough for Quentin Tarantino. Overall, the story itself was nicely executed (no pun intended).Psycho III: Definitely the worst of the sequels. Psycho III finds us back at the Bates Motel with a new (and ridiculous) cast of characters who have the misfortune of entering Norman Bates' world. In this particular sequel, Norman Bates is a lot more socially awkward than in the other films. Without spoiling too much, I'll just say that Norman is up to his old tricks again. But this time the writers felt that what Psycho needed more than anything was a stupid religious undertone because......I don't know….drama?Psycho IV: The best of the sequels in my view. Some of the reviews I’ve read suggest that Psycho IV was the worst of the sequels. I have to disagree. With Psycho IV there isn't a lot of action but there is a lot of backstory which is told and which I think was absolutely necessary and was the right direction to go if these Psycho movies were going to continue to be made. In Psycho IV we see flashbacks to Norman Bates' childhood and how he became the psycho we all knew and loved. In fact, Psycho IV made it easier to understand how Norman could become what he did. Unlike the 2013-2017 Bates Motel TV series where Vera Farmiga (who plays Norma Bates) is a quirky, albeit controlling but still loving mother to Norman, in Psycho IV we see that Norma Bates, played by Olivia Hussey, is a bipolar, physically, emotionally, and mentally abusive mother whose boyfriend (unlike the good-hearted Sheriff Romero of the Bates Motel TV series) is a totally obnoxious pervert. Definitely the sicker of the sequels, Psycho IV still hits its mark. As in any class B horror film there are of course inconsistencies. For example, the death of Norman's father as revealed in Psycho IV was not what it was as revealed in Psycho III. Also, (spoiler alert) how was Norman allowed out of the mental institution so soon after being put back in, even though it seemed he would never be allowed out again? But I digress. I felt, however, that the ending of Psycho IV added that much-needed final touch to the Psycho saga.Bates Motel: And now we've come to the real oddball of this 4-pack fright-a-thon. Bates Motel was a 1987 made-for-TV movie that was intended to be the pilot episode of a regular TV series. This never manifested of course until 26 years later with Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin's Bates Motel TV series (2013-2017). I'll be honest, I don't know whether to love this movie or hate it. About 20 minutes into it I realized that I was going to be watching some PAX TV-style, bleeding-heart liberal-produced morality tale, rather than an actual horror film.Bates Motel picks up right after the events of the original Psycho, with Norman Bates heading over to the mental institution. This film, however, completely negates the Psycho sequels as Norman Bates never gets released from the mental institution and in fact dies while still in custody some 27 years later. During that time, the doctors encourage a friendship between Norman and a young boy named Alex West who was placed in the institution after killing his abusive father. The passage of time montage was enough to make me die of laughter, but wait, it gets even more ridiculous. So the now-grown up Alex West, played by Bud Cort (Harold from ‘Harold and Maude’, 1971), gets released from the institution, and as part of Norman Bates' will is given full ownership of the Bates Motel. Just the 10 minutes alone of watching Alex West trying to navigate through the real world; asking directions for bus stops, location of Fairvale and of the Bates Motel, etc., was like watching some kind of Sesame Street episode for the, how shall I say, mentally delayed. After FINALLY finding the Bates Motel, Alex (who has brought with him the urn containing Norman's ashes) sets up residence. Like the big boy he is, he puts on his best suit and tie and goes to the bank to get a loan in order to spiff up the motel so as to make it attractive to future guests. After securing a loan from the very strange bank manager Tom Fuller, Alex gets to work on the motel, but not before stumbling upon a female runaway dressed up in a chicken costume (I s**t you not) who had apparently been squatting at the Bates Motel for a few months. Willie, the freeloader female runaway, is a ridiculously annoying side kick of a character who is very imposing on the poor mild-mannered Alex. However, she and Alex team up with the neighborhood handyman, Henry Watson, to fix up the Bates Motel. Yet another ridiculous montage ensues that made me wonder just what kind of a movie I was watching. After much stupidity, the Bates Motel is finally pimped-out and ready to take on guests. While nervously waiting for the guests, Alex tells Willie that a portion of his loan repayment is due the following day. While on the verge of a panic attack, a car suddenly pulls up and out steps the cougar-worthy Barbara (whose real name apparently is Sally). Without spoiling the ending, I'll just say that the last 20 minutes of the film took a very odd and unforeseen turn, as the movie became some sort of PSA for suicide prevention which was both depressing and hilariously stupid. We also find out who has been "haunting" the motel.Frankly, I feel that casting Bud Cort as the lead role was a good idea since he is basically known as the young guy who had sex with the older woman (‘Harold and Maude’). And what is the true essence of the Psycho saga if not an underlying Oedipus complex? Bates Motel was definitely a curveball addition to this saga. The acting was goofy, the story dumb, and the dialogue even dumber. In fact, the entire movie had the feel of being some kind of 'how-to' guide for mentally challenged adults struggling with independent living. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, but just something you would never expect from what is supposedly a horror movie sequel.So that's the incredible 4-pack. If you've never seen any of these movies and are a fan of Psycho or even the Bates Motel TV series (2013-2017) then I do recommend watching these four films. Who knows, your expectations might be exceeded.

Four pretty good movies at a great price. This was a blind buy for me and worth the price.

This is a great and affordable collection, including three movies with Anthony Perkins, and a late eighties attempt at a wacky teevee pilot that is definitely, though nothing else, earnest.Psycho 2 (1983). I'd seen bits and pieces through the years, but never the whole thing. This movie aint bad, certainly as a vehicle for Anthony Perkins to further cement his extended authorship of Norman Bates. And the end, the final 20 minutes, totally awesome, with a non-stop barrage of twists and turns that utterly satisfy. The movie meanders a bit, demonstrating the difference between a Hitchcock film and everything else. Psycho 2 is just a movie, albeit a sturdy one, but just a movie all the same. The original movie is an experience, one where every cell of film was used with great intention. Non-Hitchcock movies are probably like 15% intention, 85% filler, and that's the better ones. I did not care for the direction they took Lila Crane's character in; you get Vera Miles, put her to better use. But hey, go your own way, Tom Holland. Why do things the same? I enjoyed Psycho 2. Looking forward to watching the rest in the series, which I have never seen.Anthony Perkins returns to star in and direct Psycho III. This movie is lots of fun, and Anthony really sinks his teeth into the crazy, both in front of the camera and behind it. Obviously, all movies are going to fall short of the original, but they're clearly having a good time here.Psycho IV (1990). I quite enjoyed this examination of Norman's teen years, ably represented by Henry Thomas' solid performance as the teen psycho. It's bittersweet, for sure, knowing that not only is this Anthony's final turn as Norman, but that he himself would pass away three years later. Beloved Mick Garris performs admirably in the director's chair, and comports himself with the proper sense of reverence for Hitchcock, while making his own movie. Really, one of Garris' better efforts behind the camera. The set-up is pretty nifty, C H H Pounder is a talk show host who gets Norman on the line to talk about matricide. Along the way, she must ferret out Normie's true intent, while listening to him tell stories of life with mother. Creepy and filled with good drama, this movie is SOLID.The Bates Motel (1987). So, imagine if like Fantasy Island crossed over with Scooby Doo, and then added a few dashes of, I don't know, that show Hotel, and maybe a smidge of Freddy's Nightmares and/or Nightmare Cafe, then you have this sort of endearing and earnest, but terrible, show. Apparently, in this particular universe, Norman Bates was never released from the institution. The directors of said facility saw fit to put a child--this one responsible for patricide--in as Normie's roommate. Norman, not being such a bad guy, befriends the kid, and then leaves him the motel in his will. The kid teams-up with Lori Petty and Moses Gunn, and then the three of them renovate and reopen the Motel. This was clearly an attempt at a pilot, because it's fairly innocent and sets up the anthology nature of the show--troubled souls stop at the Bates Motel, wherein some entity visits upon them and helps them find their way, while our trio of motel-keepers try and evade trouble and misunderstanding. This show is objectively bad, but there's something charming and likeable about it. Certainly, there were worse shows on teevee in 1987. Also features a high school crush of mine, Khrystyn Haje of Head of the Class Fame. Barely, if at all, horror, but, you know, Psycho...

Absolutely fabulous great bargain fantastic movie's really enjoyed them.