Basically the story of PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING is a Oprah-like talk back radio host (CCH Pounder) is discussing matricide with psychiatrist Dr Leo Richmond (Warren Frost) when anonymous caller 'Ed', who is obviously notorious screen killer Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) to tell his life story and threaten to kill again. The film is incredibly predictable and vastly entertaining up until the end, and some of the things Norman's mother did to him were terrifying.
The strongest thing this film has going for it is the great talents of Olivia Hussey as Norman's mother, and Anthony Perkins as Norman. While they never really have any screen time together, they still have a strange sort of chemistry that goes beyond the screen and sort of mould the film into what it is. Every scene one of them isn't in is boring and redundant and should have been left on the cutting room floor.
The biggest problem this film has is the ending. The film should have ended when Norman hung up the phone on Fran, but Mick Garris, creator of MASTERS OF HORROR, had to go right ahead and tie and tie the film up. With an open ending like that it could really strike terror in the film, but what Norman did was boring and over-Hollywood.
Still, this is not the worst film in the series as barely anything touches PSYCHO '98 as one of the worst films EVER. 4/10.
The strongest thing this film has going for it is the great talents of Olivia Hussey as Norman's mother, and Anthony Perkins as Norman. While they never really have any screen time together, they still have a strange sort of chemistry that goes beyond the screen and sort of mould the film into what it is. Every scene one of them isn't in is boring and redundant and should have been left on the cutting room floor.
The biggest problem this film has is the ending. The film should have ended when Norman hung up the phone on Fran, but Mick Garris, creator of MASTERS OF HORROR, had to go right ahead and tie and tie the film up. With an open ending like that it could really strike terror in the film, but what Norman did was boring and over-Hollywood.
Still, this is not the worst film in the series as barely anything touches PSYCHO '98 as one of the worst films EVER. 4/10.