Director: Mick Garris
Writer: Joseph Stefano
Starring: Anthony Perkins and Olivia Hussey
Available On Video: MCA/Universal Home Video ($14.95)
Body Count: 4
Review: Taking place some considerable time after the end of part III, Psycho IV begins with Norman calling into a late night radio talk show about boys who kill their mothers. He then recounts (and we see through flashbacks) the events that led up to his murder of Mrs. Bates and her lover.
The movie was a made-for-cable film, and considering that, it's not too bad. The structure is a little more interesting than the previous sequels in the series, but ultimately, the movie just doesn't quite get there--but not because it doesn't try, 'cause it definitely does.
Triva: When Norman calls into the radio show, he gives his name as "Ed." This is a reference to Ed Gein, the Wisconsin man whose exploits inspired the original Psycho.
Henry Thomas, who plays Young Norman, got his start by playing Elliot in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Olivia Hussey, who plays Mrs. Bates, was also in the Stephen King film IT. Also on the Stephen King front, director Mick Garris has worked with King on a number of projects, including the TV miniseries of The Stand and The Shining, and the film Sleepwalkers.
Finally, horror fans will recognize director John Landis (who directed flicks such as An American Werewolf In London and Innocent Blood.
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