Psycho III

Psycho III

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Anthony Perkins
Produced by Hilton A. Green
Written by Charles Edward Pogue
Starring
Music by Carter Burwell
Cinematography Bruce Surtees
Edited by David Blewitt
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
  • July 2, 1986 (1986-07-02)
Running time
 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $14.4 million

Psycho III is a 1986 American psychological horror film. It is the second sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and the third film in the Psycho series. It stars Anthony Perkins reprising the role of Norman Bates, who also directs the film, and co-stars Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey and Roberta Maxwell. The screenplay is written by Charles Edward Pogue. The original electronic music score is composed and performed by Carter Burwell in one of his earliest projects. The film was a financial failure, becoming the lowest grossing film in the Psycho series. It was followed by the TV movie, Psycho IV: The Beginning.

The film takes place one month after the events of Psycho II, Norman Bates is still running the Bates Motel with the corpse of Mrs. Spool still sitting up in the house. A suicidal nun, whom Norman falls in love with, comes to the motel along with a drifter named Duane Duke and a reporter who is trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of Emma Spool.

Plot

Norman Bates works at the Bates Motel and lives with the preserved corpse of his mother, Emma Spool. Local law enforcement and Norman's ex-boss, Ralph Statler, are concerned because Mrs. Spool has been missing for over a month. Duane Duke, a sleazy musician desperate for money, is offered the job of assistant motel manager to replace the late Warren Toomey who was fired by Norman. Maureen Coyle, a mentally unstable young nun, is a long-term tenant at the Bates Motel.

Tracy Venable, a journalist from Los Angeles, is working on an article about serial killers being released. She believes Norman is killing again, so when Norman appears at the diner, Tracy attempts to talk with him. Unaware of her ulterior motives, Norman opens up to her but is distracted when Maureen enters. He is startled because she resembles his former victim, Marion Crane. Seeing the initials "M.C." on her suitcase, Norman panics and leaves the diner.

After a conversation with "Mother", Norman spies on Maureen as she undresses to take a shower. Soon after, "Mother" enters Maureen's room to find that Maureen has attempted suicide by cutting her wrists, which causes Norman to reassert his personality. Maureen mistakes Norman, dressed up as "Mother" and holding a knife, for the Virgin Mary holding a silver crucifix. Norman brings Maureen to a hospital. After she is released they begin a romantic relationship.

Duane picks up a girl named Red at a bar. They go to Bates Cabin 12 and have sex. Red makes it clear she wants more than just a fling and calls Duane a pig when he refuses. Duane, infuriated, throws her out. Red tries to call a cab, but "Mother" shatters the phone booth door and stabs Red to death.

Tourists arrive at the motel, where they plan to watch a local football game. Norman and Maureen go to a restaurant while Tracy searches Mrs. Spool's apartment. She discovers the Bates Motel's phone number written on a magazine cover. Norman and Maureen return to the motel to find most of the other guests in a drunken stupor. Norman and Maureen fall asleep in each other's arms.

Patsy Boyle, the only sober guest, is murdered by "Mother". Norman discovers Patsy's body and buries her in the motel's ice chest outside the office. The next morning, Sheriff Hunt and Deputy Leo appear to investigate Patsy's disappearance. Norman tries to prevent Hunt from entering his mother's bedroom, when he discovers that "Mother"/Mrs. Spool has disappeared.

Tracy tells Maureen about Norman's past, causing Maureen to stay with Father Brian, who took care of her at the hospital. Norman searches for his mother, finding a note from her stating that she is in Cabin 12. He learns it was Duane who took "Mother"/Mrs. Spool. Duane demands a large sum of money to keep quiet or else he will turn Norman over to the police. They fight and Norman hits Duane several times with his guitar.

Tracy talks to Statler and Myrna about Mrs. Spool and discovers she was working at the diner before Statler bought it from Harvey Leach. Tracy meets with Leach, a resident at an assisted living facility, and is informed that Mrs. Spool had also been institutionalized for murder.

Norman drives Duane's car to the swamp with Duane and Patsy's bodies in it. Duane regains consciousness and attacks Norman, who accidentally drives into the swamp. Norman escapes the car while Duane drowns.

Maureen convinces herself that Norman is her true love and returns to the motel. Norman and Maureen share a tender moment at the top of the staircase when "Mother" shouts furiously at Norman, startling him. He loses his grip on Maureen's hands. She falls down the stairs and is killed. Norman promises "Mother" that he will get her for this.

Tracy enters the house and finds Maureen dead, then sees Norman dressed as "Mother" bearing a knife, but is unable to flee. She tries reasoning with Norman by explaining his family history: Emma Spool was his aunt and was in love with Norman's father, but he married her sister, Norma. Mrs. Spool kidnapped Norman when he was a baby, after killing Mr. Bates, believing Norman was the child "she should have had with him". When she was caught, Norman was returned to Norma while Mrs. Spool was institutionalized. Tracy discovers Mrs. Spool's corpse in the bedroom. Norman takes off his dress. "Mother" orders him to kill Tracy, but when Norman raises the knife, he attacks "Mother" instead, dismembering Mrs. Spool's corpse.

Sheriff Hunt takes Norman to his squad car. Hunt informs Norman that they may never release him from the institution again. Norman replies: "But I'll be free...I'll finally be free." In the back of the squad car, Norman caresses a trophy he concealed: the severed hand of Mrs. Spool. He strokes the hand and smiles craftily.

Cast

Music

There were many songs recorded for Psycho III, some of them were performed by Stanton Miranda. Carter Burwell composed the main soundtrack and also some songs that play on the jukebox in the diner and on the radios in cars. The soundtrack for Psycho III was originally released on MCA Records.

The song "Scream of Love" was released as a single on vinyl only. The dance remixes by Arthur Baker was featured on the 12" vinyl. MCA commissioned a music video featuring Carter Burwell, Anthony Perkins and a Hitchcockian woman. Perkins presented the video on MTV as a guest VJ.

Release

When the film opened on July 4, 1986, it earned $3,238,400 in its opening weekend and went on to gross about $14,481,606 million at the domestic box office, becoming the lowest grossing theatrical film of the Psycho movie series.[1]

Psycho III has been released four times on DVD. The initial release came in 1999 when Universal Studios leased the film out to GoodTimes Home Video.[2] This release is currently out of print. The second release came in 2005 from Universal Studios itself.[3] The third release came in 2007 as part of a triple feature package with Psycho II and Psycho IV: The Beginning.[4] On September 24, 2013, Shout Factory released a Special Edition on DVD and Blu-ray.[5]

Reception

Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars, stating: "Any movie named 'Psycho III' is going to be compared to the Hitchcock original, but Perkins isn't an imitator. He has his own agenda. He has lived with Norman Bates all these years, and he has some ideas about him, and although the movie doesn't apologize for Norman, it does pity him. For the first time, I was able to see that the true horror in the "Psycho" movies isn't what Norman does — but the fact that he is compelled to do it".

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote: "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." Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress called the film a "superior horror sequel stylishly made by star Anthony Perkins".

Dave Kehr of The Chicago Reader wrote: "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." Variety called the film "dependent almost entirely upon self-referential incidents and attitudes for its effect, and it eventually becomes wearying".

References

  1. ↑ "Psycho III". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  2. ↑ "Psycho III (DVD)". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  3. ↑ "Psycho III (DVD)". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  4. ↑ "Psycho II / Psycho III / Psycho IV: The Beginning (Triple Feature)". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  5. ↑ "Psycho III". Blu-ray.com.

External links

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