Psycho 4

Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)

Extremely Trashy
Ranking: No

Made for television sequel and the requisite 'Beginning' movie - in other words, a bullshit psychological explanation for how the guy got to be the way he is. This sequel was scripted by Joseph Stefano, who of course wrote the screenplay for the original film. Remember that boring ass scene at the end of the first movie where they explain Norman's condition? Oi.

After spending a few more years in a home, Norman (still played by Anthony Perkins, who died a couple years after this movie was made) is finally free of his mother, and living a fairly normal life. He's married (yeah right) and has a couple of living birds. He calls into a radio show to talk about matricide and through flashbacks, we learn what drove him to kill his mother.

Now, as far as bullshit psyche explanations go, this one does make sense, as opposed to, like, his mom was a stripper and his step dad was a drunk so he became a serial killer. His mother was pretty horrible in this. And Olivia Hussey is kind of scary. I guess.

This movie isn't really that interesting though. I mean, I don't care how the guy got to be crazy so this isn't particularly enlightening for me. And after seeing all those other Psycho pics, I stopped being the least bit interested in it.

Anthony Perkins is even older and creepier in this one (and not in a good way... it's just kind of weird), and the kid who played him in flashbacks (Henry Thomas) wasn't really that compelling. Mr. Blue suggested that perhaps Perkins should have played the teenage Norman which would have given the movie a really weird and creepy feeling.

I dunno, I guess as far as Psycho sequels go, this one is better (maybe coz I watched it more recently?), but it's still not that great.

So the greatest serial killer film ever made (I dunno if that's true, I'm just hopping on the train) ends up with a crappy made for TV flashback movie sequel. That's sad.

END

Directed by: Mick Garris. Written by: Joseph Stefano. Starring: Anthony Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey, CCH Pounder, Warren Frost, Donna Mitchell, Thomas Schuster, John Landis.