One more round with our favorite serial killer Norman Bates in Psycho IV: The Beginning. I do not know if one needs to quibble how a Part IV (or 4 for those unfamiliar with Roman numerals) can be "the beginning". This is especially true since Psycho IV is both prequel and sequel to the original film. With some strong performances, Psycho IV serves as a good way to close out this epic series but a poor way to set up any new films.
Late night radio talk show hostess Fran Ambrose (CCH Pounder) is covering the subject of matricide on Talk of the Town (which is also called The Fran Ambrose Show). Among her guests is Dr. Leo Richmond (Warren Frost), who once examined a mother-killer named Norman Bates. Into this comes a caller calling himself "Ed", with his own tale of murdering his own mother.
That caller is in reality Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who recounts his story. As a young man (Henry Thomas), he was loved, smothered and abused by his mother Norma (Olivia Hussey). Sometimes she could be very tender and loving. Other times, she would put Norman in compromising positions, enraging her if he got aroused. She would even force him to wear women's clothes. Things are already unstable when Norma begins an affair with Chet Rudolph (Thomas Schuster). Chet is a bully, and he also threatens Norman's place in Norma's world. With that, he poisons them both.
This is already concerning to Fran and Dr. Richmond, who eventually realizes who "Ed" is. The true horror is that Norman, who has married his former psychiatrist Connie (Donna Mitchell), has informed him that she is pregnant. Norman was always dead set against having children, fearing that they would inherit his insanity. Connie, however, opted to get pregnant anyway. Now, on what is his birthday, he tells Fran and her listeners that he plans to kill her and her unborn child to stop the insanity. Will Norman be able to break free of the past once and for all, or will he kill one more time?
For better or worse, for good or ill, Anthony Perkins was so good as Norman Bates that he was never able to fully escape his shadow. Whatever feelings he might have had about his most famous role, Perkins brought a mix of menace and tragedy in Psycho IV. He was eerily calm as Norman, a man who could casually cook while telling strangers of his murderous plan. Joseph Stefano, who wrote the original Psycho script, came back and added as much to the character as Perkins' performance. We see how Norman Bates was shaped by his mother, a disturbed woman who could offer moments of genuine love and kindness between psychological torture.
Stefano's script also allows for some black humor, intentional or not, to emerge. When Connie calls Norman about the possibility of him making his own cake, he tells her, "I'm not good at icing". I do not know if it was meant straight or some kind of pun. I do know that I found it amusing.
As a side note, I cannot help but think that Norman using the name "Ed" was a nod to Ed Gein, the inspiration for Norman Bates.
Psycho IV ignores the sequels that came before and takes a "back to basics" manner. We go back to Norman's origins to find at heart a good kid, a shy kid, who struggles with sexual desires. Director Mick Garris deserves much credit in how Psycho IV's shifts from past to present are not jarring or feel out of place. He does also attempt to keep tension building in the present-day sections. For instance, there is a strong debate between Fran, Dr. Richmond and Talk of the Town/Fran Ambrose Show's producer Mike (John Landis) about whether or not to contact the police about Norman/Ed's call.
It is impossible to imagine anyone other than Anthony Perkins playing the part of Norman Bates. However, we found a worthy successor in Henry Thomas. Thomas has an almost innocent manner to his young Norman, making the moments when he is psychologically or physically tortured more difficult to see. He, however, is no wimp. He also shows a more calculated manner, capable of cruelty and violence. In Psycho IV, we see Norman killing more people. Here, we see Thomas able to make Norman both villain and victim.
The late Olivia Hussey was still quite beautiful in Psycho IV. She was able to show the shifts between the good mother and the bad mother quite well. One does wonder why the filmmakers opted to let her keep her British tones as that makes her sound curious in this American setting. Despite that, Hussey made Norma frightening and cruel without making her thoroughly inhuman. CCH Pounder is an underused talent, and here she managed to hold your attention as Fran Ambrose, the talk show hostess with a most eccentric caller. Warren Frost did well as the smug Dr. Richmond, though I wonder how he did not recognize "Ed" sooner given how he had examined him long ago.
Donna Mitchell was probably the weakest performance as Connie Bates, the original Harley Quinn. Once we got to the third act where Norman plans to ice his wife, the television film lost a bit of its footing. It would have been too much to see him go this far. It did not help that Mitchell looked a bit blank at times.
On the whole, Psycho IV: The Beginning works well. It has strong performances from Anthony Perkins and Henry Thomas as Norman Bates as well as Olivia Hussey as Norma Bates, mother from hell. It has a good story that builds on the original without diminishing or trashing said original. Psycho IV: The Beginning is a good way to end the original franchise.
Little did anyone involve know that this would not be the end of Norman Bates.
7/10
PSYCHO FILMS AND TELEVISION
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