I am sure there are some people out there that will be like "What?! Psycho had sequels?" Yes, Psycho did have sequels, 3 in fact, along with two TV series, one that is about to start its X season. The fourth in the series, the one that is on review today, is titled Psycho IV: The Beginning. Written by returning screenwriter of the first Psycho is XXX. Anthony Perkins also returns as Norman Bates, along with Henry Thomas playing the younger Norman in flashbacks. The movie attempts to tell the tale of how Norman grew up to be a killer disguised as his mother. Does it succeed? Read on to find out.
I never saw Psycho II or III, so I can't say for sure whether Psycho IV is better or worse. I can judge the movie on its own merits, at least.
Psycho …show more content…
He is a scared, sheltered and coddled boy, who is dearly in love with his mother. Olivia Hussey, who struggles with an attempt at an "American" accent, as Norma Bates is an interesting idea, as the mother we have in our head of Norma is a batty old coot based on the voice we hear Norman speak. Instead, Norma is a beautiful woman, with a moody streak. One minute she is happy, the next she is flying off the handle and dressing Norman up like a woman and saying his downstairs parts are only for wee-wee and that's it. If you ever thought that the relationship between Norma and Norman was a bit on the awkward side, be prepared to see if play out in this flick. Awkward is the one way to describe it.
What I found interesting in Psycho IV: The Beginning was the use of extreme colour in the past scenes. The scenes were filled with neon red and blue, providing the viewer with an Italian Giallo feel. I obviously wasn't the only one that thought that as director Mick Garris (XXX) mentions in the included commentary that an Italian Giallo, like the works of Argento and Bava, was exactly what he was going for. The colours were pumped up to provide a stark contrast to the original's black and white. It's an interesting idea that worked quite
I never saw Psycho II or III, so I can't say for sure whether Psycho IV is better or worse. I can judge the movie on its own merits, at least.
Psycho …show more content…
He is a scared, sheltered and coddled boy, who is dearly in love with his mother. Olivia Hussey, who struggles with an attempt at an "American" accent, as Norma Bates is an interesting idea, as the mother we have in our head of Norma is a batty old coot based on the voice we hear Norman speak. Instead, Norma is a beautiful woman, with a moody streak. One minute she is happy, the next she is flying off the handle and dressing Norman up like a woman and saying his downstairs parts are only for wee-wee and that's it. If you ever thought that the relationship between Norma and Norman was a bit on the awkward side, be prepared to see if play out in this flick. Awkward is the one way to describe it.
What I found interesting in Psycho IV: The Beginning was the use of extreme colour in the past scenes. The scenes were filled with neon red and blue, providing the viewer with an Italian Giallo feel. I obviously wasn't the only one that thought that as director Mick Garris (XXX) mentions in the included commentary that an Italian Giallo, like the works of Argento and Bava, was exactly what he was going for. The colours were pumped up to provide a stark contrast to the original's black and white. It's an interesting idea that worked quite