31 Days of Horror 2016 Day 29 Psycho IV

Title-Psycho IV
Source-DVD

Pretty sure I have seen this installment of the Psycho franchise more times that any other film in the series. It  went straight to cable. And I caught it's first airing on Showtime. For years I had a VHS with Psycho IV and Meridian AKA Kiss of the Beast.

Norman is out and free. He is married. He calls into a talk radio show,hosted by CCH Pounder. And started to tell all his history. So we get to see how Norman was as a child and teen. All the torture his mother did to him. Plus why he killed her.

Thru out the film Norman hints he is ready to kill again. With CCH and the rest of the radio station crew trying their best to talk him out of this. And the reveal as to why he wants to kill again is a big shocker.

Since this installment in the franchise went straight to cable it isn't as well known as the other 3.For a long time it was hard to find the VHS and wasn't out on DVD. I was pleasantly surprised when I found the above pictured DVD set for $5 a few years ago.

Psycho IV gets a B+.

31 Days of Horror 2016 Day 20 Bates Motel

TITLE-Bates Motel
Source-DVD

When this first aired in the mid 80s I eagerly awaited the premiere of this TV show pilot. Watched it the night it aired and kind of forgot about it. Years later I thought "Hell I should track down a copy." And all I could find was one of those way over-priced burn on demand DVDs. No way was I paying 20 bucks plus shipping for a burnt disc. Then one day I found a pack that had Psycho 2 thru 4 plus this movie. It was only 5 bucks so I grabbed it.

Bud Cort gets sent to a mental hospital years ago when he was young. While there he becomes best friends with Norman Bates. So when Norman dies he leaves Bud the Bates Motel in the will. So Bud gets out and decides to reopen the infamous hotel.

The first hour or so of this pilot is all about Bud along with Lori Petty reopening the hotel. While this part isn't horrible,it is boring as fuck. They could have cut this down to 30 minutes and it might help.

Then of course the hotel opens. A lady checks in. And the last 30 minutes of this feel like the second episode of this failed series.She is gonna kill herself. But then the redhead from Head of the Class walks into her room. And we get this very Twilight Zone like story.

Really unless you are some mega Psycho fan that must see everything connected to that classic original avoid this movie at all costs. Sure that DVD I got cost me $1.25 for the film. And it isn't worth that much. It is odd cause I find Bud Cort and Lori Petty to be pretty good talents. But they can't keep this movie from being so boring I had to keep fighting off sleep while watching it.

Bates Motel gets a C-.