Customer Reviews

Psycho 3 [VHS]

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Picking up where Psycho 2 left off, Norman Bates is a free man living in his old home behind the Bates Motel, his new stuffed mother his only roommate. He lives a quiet life managing the less than successful business, spending most of his time practicing taxidermy on the local birds that eat from his poisoned feeder. But things get all shook up again when Maureen Coyle, a young, runaway nun, enters his world. Maureen's short, blonde hair reminds Norman far too much of his most unforgettable victim, Marion Crane, causing a myriad of conflicting feelings to well up within him. But Norman is not the only one who is disturbed and confused. Maureen has left the Church because she has so lost her faith that she recently attempted suicide and caused the death of a fellow nun who attempted to stop her. With her feelings of hopelessness and guilt, Maureen still hasn't given up on the idea of taking her own life. And Maureen is not Norman's only problem. Duane Duke, a pretty boy, would-be singing star with a dark side on his way to L.A., has come by the Bates Motel looking for a job. Norman immediately makes him Assistant Manager in charge of the day shift. But while Norman should be keeping a close eye on Duane's improper interests and activities, it's Duane who's keeping a sharp eye on him. And Duane isn't the only one. A nosy reporter has turned up in town and is asking questions about Norman, who wants nothing but to be left alone to TRY to have a normal life. Things aren't looking good for Norman at all. It's hard enough for him to battle off his mother's urges while he attempts to start a relationship with Maureen, without having to deal with all the watching eyes springing up around him. When Duane's nocturnal sextivities and a group of anxious young sports fans eventually result in an abundance of "sluts" at the usually peaceful motel, it quickly becomes more than Norman, or Mother, can stand.

Anthony Perkins' directorial debut is an excellent example of how not all sequels, even number threes, have to stink. In fact, except for the Bates Motel series pilot "movie" that didn't have Perkins in it at all, I'd have to say all the Psycho films are pretty darn good. None of the sequels make any attempt to be Hitchcockian, yet they all keep the stories and characters intact and a step above the usual slasher fair. The duality of the Norman Bates character that Hitchcock presented so well in the original is clearly what gives the sequels so much to work with. This man's entire life is interesting and worth chronicling, not just that first major incident in the 60s. Of course, as with the other sequels, this film is in color, and quite gory and sexual, unlike the original classic film. But this just helps to provide a nice separation for those who dislike sequels and feel the Hitchcock Masterpiece should have been left alone. For the rest of us, this film is an excellent addition to Norman Bates' legacy, with plenty of moments that keep you guessing about what will happen next.

I just thought I would shed some light on the quality of the DVD disc technically speaking. Out of the entire presentation I was extremely surprised by the quality of the audio. The Dolby Surround track is well used, mostly by Carter Burwells unique score. All the speakers are used occasionally adding to the dark mood that some of the scenes convey. The sound is always clear and noise free. The dialogue driven scenes stay close to the center channel and move only from time to time. The video print seems to have aged well and doesn't show any large amount of dust or scratches. Colors are saturated very naturally and there doesn't appear to be any distracting pixelation. Some of the titles do appear to slightly shimmer, but it looks as if it was just the old fashioned techique used to make them. The letterboxed picture feels wider than the 1.85 ratio stated on the case, but only slightly. Overall a very nice DVD by itself. The added theatrical trailer does feel dated, both in quality and design, but it is added treat for a value priced disc. A good buy for a decent price if you're a fan of the series.

It's about time Universal got around to releasing a decent disc of Psycho 3. The film, directed by star Anthony Perkins and released theatrically in 1986, has widely been regarded as a marked decline in quality for the Psycho series. And I admit, I once regarded it the same way. Unlike the relatively tame Psycho 2, the third film in the series ups the sex & violence level considerably. This was probably a conscious attempt to compete with films of its time...remember, "splatter" films were big in the mid-80's.

But, like Hithcock's original masterpiece, there's more going on here than meets the eye. Perkins the Director appears to have studied not only Hitchcock (the opening scene is straight out of VERTIGO), but other contemporary filmmakers like John Carpenter and Dario Argento. Psycho 3 is almost equal parts fright film and black comedy...a combination that certainly describes many of Hitchcock's most successful films.

Though hardly a perfect film, Psycho 3 is a worthy successor to its predecessors and a delighfuly twisted horror film in its own right. Give it another look, and I hope you'll agree.

Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) continues to struggle with his inner demons in this film, set only a few weeks after the conclusion of "Psycho II." New visitors to the Bates motel include a suicidal ex-nun (Diana Scarwid), a sinister musician (Jeff Fahey), an investigative reporter (Roberta Maxwell), and a horde of rowdy party-goers. Perkins's performance as Bates is always the best reason to watch any of the "Psycho" sequels, and in this one he steps behind the camera as well. He does a good job. There is a sense of atmosphere and a nightmarish frenzy to several sequences that places it several notches above the previous film. The script (by Charles Edward Pogue) is better, too, although these continuations continue to make the mistake of trying to "deepen" Bates's character by giving him a more convoluted backstory. (Wait, his aunt loved his father who married his mother so he got kidnapped, then someone got murdered...)

Psycho II was an outstanding sequel. Not only did it continue the Psycho history well but it also had a great storyline that stood up on its own.

In Psycho III, we can see that the franchise started to go into the direction of slasher film (contrary to people who think it was a slasher film from the beginning--it was a suspense film). Psycho III is a good film, but coming off the heels of Psycho and Psycho II allowed us to see the downfall. I mean, there's nothing wrong with a good slasher film, but so much more was expected.

I would still recommend this film to Psycho fans who want to complete their Psycho history. After all, any movie that continues the history of Norman Bates isn't all bad is it? (Scrap that last comment--the remake of Psycho proved that wrong).

Picking up where Psycho 2 left off, Norman Bates is a free man living in his old home behind the Bates Motel, his new stuffed mother his only roommate. He lives a quiet life managing the less than successful business, spending most of his time practicing taxidermy on the local birds that eat from his poisoned feeder. But things get all shook up again when Maureen Coyle, a young, runaway nun, enters his world. Maureen's short, blonde hair reminds Norman far too much of his most unforgettable victim, Marion Crane, causing a myriad of conflicting feelings to well up within him. But Norman is not the only one who is disturbed and confused. Maureen has left the Church because she has so lost her faith that she recently attempted suicide and caused the death of a fellow nun who attempted to stop her. With her feelings of hopelessness and guilt, Maureen still hasn't given up on the idea of taking her own life. And Maureen is not Norman's only problem. Duane Duke, a pretty boy, would-be singing star with a dark side on his way to L.A., has come by the Bates Motel looking for a job. Norman immediately makes him Assistant Manager in charge of the day shift. But while Norman should be keeping a close eye on Duane's improper interests and activities, it's Duane who's keeping a sharp eye on him. And Duane isn't the only one. A nosy reporter has turned up in town and is asking questions about Norman, who wants nothing but to be left alone to TRY to have a normal life. Things aren't looking good for Norman at all. It's hard enough for him to battle off his mother's urges while he attempts to start a relationship with Maureen, without having to deal with all the watching eyes springing up around him. When Duane's nocturnal sextivities and a group of anxious young sports fans eventually result in an abundance of "sluts" at the usually peaceful motel, it quickly becomes more than Norman, or Mother, can stand.

Anthony Perkins' directorial debut is an excellent example of how not all sequels, even number threes, have to stink. In fact, except for the Bates Motel series pilot "movie" that didn't have Perkins in it at all, I'd have to say all the Psycho films are pretty darn good. None of the sequels make any attempt to be Hitchcockian, yet they all keep the stories and characters intact and a step above the usual slasher fair. The duality of the Norman Bates character that Hitchcock presented so well in the original is clearly what gives the sequels so much to work with. This man's entire life is interesting and worth chronicling, not just that first major incident in the 60s. Of course, as with the other sequels, this film is in color, and quite gory and sexual, unlike the original classic film. But this just helps to provide a nice separation for those who dislike sequels and feel the Hitchcock Masterpiece should have been left alone. For the rest of us, this film is an excellent addition to Norman Bates' legacy, with plenty of moments that keep you guessing about what will happen next.

Out of the 3 Psycho sequels, this one had the most humor.
The fight scene between Duke (Jeff Fahey) and Norman
(Anthony Perkins) was hilarious. Especially when they
zoom into Mrs. Spool's middle finger that Duke stuck up.
The scene where Norman spreads peanut butter on his
cracker with the same spoon he stuffed the bird with
sawdust with was both mildly nauseating and funny.

Norman finally finds a companion in Maureen (Diana Scarwid), but she unfortunately
has the same fate as every other female that has crossed Norman: Death. Quite a delight.
Good for a Halloween party or any other occasion.

3.5 stars - Reasonably well done second sequel to Hitchcock's masterpiece marks Anthony Perkins' directorial debut. This one plays it tongue in cheek at times- Eg: The sherrif on the lookout for a missing girl helps himself to some ice cubes from Normans motel freezer neglecting to notice that they are bloodied - the girls corpse lies underneath!!. Film is as competent as Psycho's 2 and 4 - just a differing style. Much better than the Psycho remake (1998). If Psycho's 1-4 aren't enough for you, check out Robert Blochs interesting novel 'Psycho House' which was never filmed and is available in paperback from Amazon.

Sir Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), arguably launched the slasher genre. After over twenty years, Psycho II (1983) continued Hitchcock's classic tale, and was a solid commercial success. Psycho III (1986) picks up very shortly after the events in Psycho II. Before you proceed, be advised that major spoilers follow.

In Psycho II, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is visited by a woman named Emma Spool (Claudia Bryar), who claimed to be his biological mother. She says that the woman who raised Norman, was actually her sister. After momentarily digesting this information, Norman strikes her on the head with a shovel, and kills her. Psycho III begins about a month after Emma Spool's death. Norman has become unstable again, and Emma's preserved body has been placed in his mother's bedroom.

The film opens at a convent, where Maureen Coyle (Diana Scarwid) a mentally unstable nun, is involved in an incident in a bell tower, where another nun is accidentally killed in a fall. The scene is very reminiscent of the final scene in Vertigo, where Kim Novak's character falls to her death. Maureen leaves the convent, and is picked up while hitchhiking by Duane Duke (Jeff Fahey), a singer on his way to LA. Maureen is kicked out of the car, after she resists Duane's advances.

Duane stops at the motel, and is hired by Norman to manage during the daytime. Maureen also arrives, and checks in for the night. In the same room as Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), Norman Bates as "Mother" is about to repeat the infamous shower kill, but before he can strike, he finds that Maureen has slit her wrists in the bathtub in a suicide attempt. A shocked Norman returns to normal, and calls for help. Maureen is taken to the hospital, and later comes to stay at the motel while she recovers (her slit wrists already magically healed!). Sheriff Hunt (Hugh Gillin) isn't too concerned that Emma Spool is missing, but LA reporter Tracy Venable (Roberta Maxwell) believes that Norman is connected to the disappearance, and is poking around looking for leads.

Anthony Perkins makes his directorial debut in Psycho III, which suffers from a lack of mystery, and only occasional develops a feeling of suspense. With Norman returning to his homicidal ways, it seems like just a matter of time until he is caught. Under "Mother's" influence, his romance with the unstable Maureen, also seems doomed to failure. Norman sees a resemblance between Maureen and Marion, but besides short blonde hair, Diana Scarwid bears little physical resemblance to Janet Leigh, and she definitely lacks the gravitas of Janet Leigh. Both being troubled souls, Maureen and Norman are not a good match. With not many options available, the story follows the trail of the missing Emma Spool, with Venable investigating her last activities, and Duane pilfering her dead body in order to blackmail Norman. Jeff Fahey does add some color as Duane, whose dark and kinky proclivities are almost as edgy and twisted as Norman.

Psycho II left the door wide open for the story to continue, and Psycho III does pick the threads nicely, but unfortunately the plot isn't very well constructed and lacks finesse, relying more on violence, sleaze, and repeating things that have been done before, to make up for a less than engaging story. Director Perkins does a competent job with material he knows quite well, but seems to have been greatly influenced by his last film, Crimes of Passion (1984), a steamy sexually charged tale where he played a troubled minister. Psycho III contains some nudity and sex, but Perkins was apparently interested in featuring more. With Hitchcock's legacy in mind, producer Hilton Green, a long time collaborator with Hitchcock, apparently reminded Perkins that this would be inappropriate in a Psycho film. With some mean kills and dark humor, Psycho II is a decent enough effort, but falls far short of either of the two previous films. After committing murder again, you wouldn't think that Norman Bates would ever be a free man again, but that turns out not to be the case, as he returns for one last time in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990).

Recently, I saw this movie for the very first time and enjoyed it tremendously. It is dramatic, over-the-top, suspenseful and perhaps even comical in certain parts. Anthony Perkins (may he rest in peace) plays the classic role that he made famous more than 25 years prior as Norman Bates. Mr. Perkins gives a first-rate performance as everyone's favorite kook because he is believable and there is almost a sad quality to this pathetic creature, Norman Bates. Rounding out the cast is Jeff Fahey portraying Norman's skirt-hungry motel manager and b-movie queen Diana Scarwid, playing the harried excommunicated nun who finds solace in a welcoming Norman. What I enjoyed most about this movie is that we really got to know the characters. It wasn't a bloody horror picture, instead "Psycho 3" is a finely crafted work of cinema.