For his third outing as disturbed innkeeper Norman Bates, Anthony Perkins directed as well as starred in the thriller Psycho III. This time out, Norman is still manning the desk at the Bates Motel, where he now has an assistant, Duane (Jeff Fahey), and a new long-term tenant, Maureen Coyle (Diana Scarwid). Maureen has been seeing Duane and has some issues to resolve in her life; she gave up her vows as a nun not long ago, and she isn't sure just how she feels about either spiritual or earthly
matters. Norman takes an interest in Maureen, which may not be good for her long-term health -- after all, the last woman with the initials "M.C." who stayed in that room (and used the shower) met with a rather nasty fate. Perkins played Norman Bates one more time, in the made-for-cable Psycho IV: The Beginning; a short-lived TV series followed, Bates Motel, in which Perkins did not participate. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Perkins tries to imitate Hitchcock's visual style, but most of the film is made without concern for style of any kind, unless it's the bludgeoning nonstyle of Friday the 13th.
It has a cast of talented, self-effacing actors, who don't upstage the material, and an efficient screenplay by Charles Edward Pogue, who doesn't beat you over the head to prove that he has a sense of humor.
Not just some actor who has been given a chance to direct, Perkins has a style and, like fellow director-actors Orson Welles and Clint Eastwood, knows his own persona, knows how to photograph and light himself for the proper effect.
I can easily admit to being a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic PSYCHO, and I found that PSYCHO II was not half bad. Both films managed to maintain a high level of suspense and thrill, even with the shocking amount of blood in the latter film. Sadly, PSYCHO III rarely seems to try for suspense, and when it
does, it fails. It doesn't require tuning down the contrast on your TV to determine whether this is Norman Bates slashing or "Mother". Everything that made the original such a well-done classic is out of the question for this film, and instead it has become just about a full-fledged slasher. On top of that, most of the scenes that define this genre are utterly and unintentionally funny. In one scene, for instance, a woman enters a phone booth, only to get slashed by Norman Bates. Once her screaming comes to an end, we see a dead body and a phone that has not yet been hung up. What we hear: "We're sorry. You're number could not be completed as dialed. Please hang up and dial your operator for further assistance."Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-AX
December 10, 2011
Alexander Diminiano
Super Reviewer
A pretty good sequel to the sequel of Psycho, it continues the story, but I didn't like the ending. Of course, Perkins is great once again, but the rest of the cast could be better. It's interesting to see Perkins direct, though.
No quotes approved yet for Psycho III. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Psycho III'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
