Posts

Showing posts with the label perkins

PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING - REVIEW

Image
  Sure there was no need to continue Norman Bates' story...but Psycho IV figures: while we're here, might as well tell the whole bloody thing! And why not indeed, finally we are given a clear depiction of Norman's less-than cuddly childhood. Psycho IV: The Beginning sees Norman being released for a bit and taking the opportunity to call a radio show and tell his whole story. The verdict? For a TV movie this is actually really good and rather compelling from start to finish. As a film, it keeps the focused attention of Psycho II and adds the more modern and more graphic look of Psycho III but still, of course, falls way short of the original film. Norman's flashbacks are often genuinely unpleasant and we once again get to know the character a little bit better. Perkins is, of course, a little older still but does well regardless. Overall, the whole thing is still really only worth a look if you've seen the previous two films and want some Psyc

PSYCHO III - REVIEW

Image
  Underrated second sequel to Psycho with Anthony Perkins doing a better job than in the previous film, and not only in front of the camera. His directing is obviously filled with Hitchcockian influence and as clunky as it can be, overall he does pretty well. Of course, there are silly moments here and there and it can get kinda messy but it is enjoyable nonetheless. I must warn you though, Psycho III is a very different monster to its predecessors. Psycho II took its flawed character seriously and told his unlikely story in a compassionate way. Sure the ending was silly but for the most part, Psycho II did ok to stay focused. Psycho III however, is classic slasher flick fare: Norman is back to his old tricks and there's no bullshitting around! This third instalment is often seen as the lesser of the Psycho sequels, and wrongly so. For one thing it's infinitely more entertaining than Psycho II and Perkins clearly has a ball going nuts once again and directing

PSYCHO II - REVIEW

Image
Surprisingly watchable sequel with an ageing Anthony Perkins twitching his way through his fading sanity. There are clumsy, dated effects, although they add comedy value (the knife through the mouth is always a winner) and the ending is somewhat rushed but the film is saved by some clever shots and an interesting enough storyline. But seriously now: who asked for a Psycho sequel? Granted there was a sequel to Bloch's novel but waiting until right after Alfred Hitchcock's death to step on his feet feels somewhat unnecessary and kinda sneaky. Sure there's enough in Norman Bate's release from the institution to tell a story, it's just not a story we really needed to be told. Besides, 23 years is a very long gap between both films and attempting to match the original's class, style and mood so late in the game is futile to say the least. Then again, after the initial feeling of WTF, once you get into Norman's more personal story you soon find

PSYCHO - REVIEW

Image
A film so classic reviewing it is almost redundant, Psycho remains to this day one of The Master's finest hours and one of the best horror films ever. Over the following years Psycho was much imitated, continued, even cloned (!) but you can't touch the original and nothing has even come close since to match Hitchcock's unsettling masterpiece. Every frame is carefully crafted and Janet Leigh's famously early demise is as infamous and delightful as ever. It is however Anthony Perkins' haunting portrayal of a quietly disturbed Norman Bates which steals the show: this is one of the great performances and wannabe bad-guys should watch it on a loop thereby learning a few things about creating a convincing and most definitely not hammy antagonist. The reveal at the end may not quite carry the punch it once had and the doctor's simplistic and over-indulgent explanation at the end is always somewhat tedious but as a whole, this is an unavoidable classic