Review of "Psycho III"
PSYCHO III (1986)
Directed by Anthony Perkins
Written by Charles Edward Pogue, based on characters created by Robert Bloch
Starring Anthony Perkins, Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, Roberta Maxwell, Hugh Gillin and Lee Garlington
This film is, of course, the second of three sequels to the classic horror film Psycho (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. After accidentally killing a fellow nun in a failed suicide bid, a young nun, Maureen Coyle (Scarwid) ends up on the road with nowhere to go. While hitch-hiking, she is picked up by a tough, aspiring musician Duane Duke (Fahey) who attempts to seduce her, but she escapes and the following day she winds up at the small isolated Bates Motel, which is still run by convicted murderer Norman Bates (Perkins), and where coincidentally Duke has just found a job. Bates is shaken by Maureen's resemblance to one of his previous victims, and he is also being investigated by an ambitious journalist (Maxwell) who suspects that he is responsible for the disappearance of a local woman. Of course, before long a whole new batch of people are coming to the Bates Motel, Norman starts hallucinating and hearing his Mother's voice again, and soon the killings start.
Of course, the obvious question is whether or not this is as good as the original which of course, it isn't. How could it be? It is quite a good little thriller in it's own right though. The direction by Anthony Perkins, who made his directorial debut with this film, is solid if workmanlike. however he delivers his usual solid performance as Norman Bates. One of the problems with the Psycho sequels is that by this time Norman Bates had been thoroughly demystified. In a way the character of Norman, played by Perkins as a tortured soul with no control over his actions, is almost too sympathetic and is really more of a pitiful rather than frightening figure. The movie manages to be quite suspenseful even if, despite the gruesome murders, is never really frightening. It also suffers from being at times, quite silly. In a way, the film's themes of the inability of people to escape their past could also relate to the plight of Anthony Perkins himself, a fine actor who was never able to escape the shadow of his most famous role.
Five out of ten
Directed by Anthony Perkins
Written by Charles Edward Pogue, based on characters created by Robert Bloch
Starring Anthony Perkins, Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, Roberta Maxwell, Hugh Gillin and Lee Garlington
This film is, of course, the second of three sequels to the classic horror film Psycho (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. After accidentally killing a fellow nun in a failed suicide bid, a young nun, Maureen Coyle (Scarwid) ends up on the road with nowhere to go. While hitch-hiking, she is picked up by a tough, aspiring musician Duane Duke (Fahey) who attempts to seduce her, but she escapes and the following day she winds up at the small isolated Bates Motel, which is still run by convicted murderer Norman Bates (Perkins), and where coincidentally Duke has just found a job. Bates is shaken by Maureen's resemblance to one of his previous victims, and he is also being investigated by an ambitious journalist (Maxwell) who suspects that he is responsible for the disappearance of a local woman. Of course, before long a whole new batch of people are coming to the Bates Motel, Norman starts hallucinating and hearing his Mother's voice again, and soon the killings start.
Of course, the obvious question is whether or not this is as good as the original which of course, it isn't. How could it be? It is quite a good little thriller in it's own right though. The direction by Anthony Perkins, who made his directorial debut with this film, is solid if workmanlike. however he delivers his usual solid performance as Norman Bates. One of the problems with the Psycho sequels is that by this time Norman Bates had been thoroughly demystified. In a way the character of Norman, played by Perkins as a tortured soul with no control over his actions, is almost too sympathetic and is really more of a pitiful rather than frightening figure. The movie manages to be quite suspenseful even if, despite the gruesome murders, is never really frightening. It also suffers from being at times, quite silly. In a way, the film's themes of the inability of people to escape their past could also relate to the plight of Anthony Perkins himself, a fine actor who was never able to escape the shadow of his most famous role.
Five out of ten