Psycho III

Rating:
Summary: Anthony Perkins stars as Norman Bates in Psycho III
Review: After the surprising success and mostly positive reviews of 1983's Psycho II, it was no surprise that there would be another sequel. Psycho II leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat and you yearn for more. However, the result isn't perfect. Anthony Perkins took on the role of Norman Bates for the third time, as well as director in this 1986 film. The film had a pretty good screenplay written by Charles Edward Pouge but there was plenty of unnecessary blood and unpleasantness that turned the Norman Bates character into a murderer. If you remember, Norman wasn't the murderer. Mother was, and this time, you see more of the "stuff" that 80's horror flicks featured the most: sex and gore. The sex scene in the film with the only slightly attractive redhead (Juliette Cummins) is unnecessary. Two of the four murders are unnecessary and don't really belong. If Perkins and Pouge had paid more attention to character development from the supporting players and did away with some of the gore, the film might have been better. It is great to see Norman back at the old house and motel again, but there was very few suspenseful moments in the movie. In one scene when the sheriff (Hugh Gillin) is interegating Norman, the cop is eating ice from the Bates Motel's new ice machine. The officer doesn't notice but there is blood all over the ice from the body hidden inside the cooler. It was a great moment that Hitchcock would have loved. Diana Scarwid was great as Maureen and Jeff Fahey was very good as Duane Duke. Carter Burwell's score was great and it is too bad it has been out of print since the film was released, Psycho III does provide comic relief and makes watching the film enjoyable. It is also a shame Perkins didn't continue his directing career.----followed by a TV movie, Psycho IV.

Rating:
Summary: Anthony Perkins directs Norman Bates in "Psycho III".
Review: Anthony Perkins had wanted to film this in black and white like the original, but Universal refused. It might have looked good that way. Well, never mind. Good second sequel finds Norman with a sinister drifter (Jeff Fahey's debut) hired as the day clerk, and a troubled nun (Diana Scarwid) who reminds him of Marion Crane from the original film. Like Hitchcock, Perkins allows himself macabre humor and some amusing one liners. He sets up a lot of his camera shots the same way. I guess he paid attention to the Master. More sensuality and violence than the first sequel, but handled pretty well. Curiously, we never visit the fruit cellar in this installment. A good entry in the series. Who better to direct Norman than Norman himself?

Rating:
Summary: The Best of all Sequels
Review: When I watched Psycho 2 I thought that it was a great sequel to the original but after watching Psycho 3 it didn't even compare. I believe Psycho 3 is the best of all the sequels because it has a lot more action and it shows a more human side of Norman Bates. At times you really feel sorry for the poor, crazy guy. Warning, it is very graphic, especially with the closeup shots, but it makes the movie more realistic and frightening. Anyone who is a true Psycho fan must see this film.

Rating:
Summary: A comment on the DVD
Review: I just thought I would shed some light on the quality of the DVD disc technically speaking. Out of the entire presentation I was extremely surprised by the quality of the audio. The Dolby Surround track is well used, mostly by Carter Burwells unique score. All the speakers are used occasionally adding to the dark mood that some of the scenes convey. The sound is always clear and noise free. The dialogue driven scenes stay close to the center channel and move only from time to time. The video print seems to have aged well and doesn't show any large amount of dust or scratches. Colors are saturated very naturally and there doesn't appear to be any distracting pixelation. Some of the titles do appear to slightly shimmer, but it looks as if it was just the old fashioned techique used to make them. The letterboxed picture feels wider than the 1.85 ratio stated on the case, but only slightly. Overall a very nice DVD by itself. The added theatrical trailer does feel dated, both in quality and design, but it is added treat for a value priced disc. A good buy for a decent price if you're a fan of the series.

Rating:
Summary: 3rd best.
Review: I've always thought part 2 is a better film than this one, but it is actually a much finer film than it's often reputed to be. (The original film is naturally still the best, and forget the remake.) There are a few "Friday The 13th" type slasher killings, but the movie continues quite nicely the eerie old house atmosphere one expects. Perkins is wonderful (yet again), Scarwid is perfect as the naive young woman, Gillin's good as the likeable sheriff, and Fahey is right-on as the psychopath never-will-be rock star. Fahey's unjustly been called "the poor man's Mel Gibson", but he's a very good and underrated actor, and it only takes one look at his psycho-turn in this one to see upon what Gibson might've been modelling his own future psychos. -And dare I say, thus catapulting himself to become "the (very) rich man's Jeff Fahey". Luckily this DVD version is letterboxed, which part 2 strangely enough isn't.

Rating:
Summary: Back to the drawing board
Review: Norman is having a nice life when a noisy reporter harasses him and a lookalike of one of his prior victims tries to commit suicide at his motel. Things get worse when the corpse of his mother is abducted by his sleasy backwoods desk clerk. When the screenplay is having difficulties making effective use of drama or comedy, some nice FRIDAY THE 13TH style murders do the trick. The scene with Perkins watching WOODY WOODPECKER is hilarious and the end is disturbing in a good way.

Rating:
Summary: Not very impressive.
Review: Not very impressive at all. Not only is it not suspenseful, and full of gore but it's directed by Anthony Perkins! If Alfred Hitchcock was still alive, i bet he would be pissed off with this shouse effort.

Rating:
Summary: very good, cant touch the first, better than the sequel
Review: I first found psycho in 1998 at the age of 21. Every since, Anthony Perkins has been my favorite actor and Psycho has been my favorite movie. Psycho 3 was chilling and just an all around great movie.

Rating:
Summary: The best sequel ever.
Review: Noone could possibly play Norman Bates better than Anthony Perkins. It kept me at the edge of my seat, and nearly killed me with from suspense. Definitly worth watching again.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie lots of suspense and drama and terror
Review: An exalllent movie!Iloved all of the psycho movies.Anthony Perkins played Norman Bates extremely well.No One can replace him.Its to bad he died.I hope they keep making new ones.If you haven't seen any of these movies,rent one or buy one now!