Product Description

PSYCHO II After years of treatment at a mental institution for the criminally insane, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) still can't quite elude the demands of "Mother." Vera Miles also returns as the inquisitive woman who is haunted by her sister's brutal murder and the ominous motel where it all occurred. Meg Tilly and Dennis Franz co-star in this terrifying sequel to tone of the most suspenseful films of all time. PSYCHO III Anthony Perkins stars in and directs the most shocking Psycho film of all: Psycho III. After years in prison, Norman Bates returns home to the Bates Motel. When a pretty young woman (Diana Scarwid) runs to the motel - and Norman's open arms - to escape a scandalous secret, he finally gets a chance at a new life. But he has one murderous skeleton in his closet that will do anything not to share him. It's a new day at the Bates Motel, but the nightmares are just beginning… PSYCHO IV THE BEGINNING In this chilling prequel to the classic Hitchcock thriller, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is drawn to a late night radio show, where the host (C.C.H. Pounder) encourages him to share his views on the topic of matricide - the murder of a mother by her own child. Reliving his childhood, Norman recounts his trails as a young boy (Henry Thomas) living with his widowed schizophrenic mother (Olivia Hussey). These haunting memories are more than just images of the past; they threaten to rekindle his killing urge in this spine-chilling thriller.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21180 in DVD
• Brand: UNI DIST CORP. (MCA)
• Released on: 2007-08-14
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .40 pounds
• Running time: 302 minutes

Customer Reviews

A double-dip, but worth the trip!
It's true: Universal just got around to releasing decent DVD's of Psycho II and III last year. But this set marks the DVD debut of the often-overlooked Psycho IV. So yes, it is a bit redundant for fans who already own 2 out of the 3 films here. But at such a low price, I think it's worth it.

Psycho IV: The Beginning was made for the Showtime cable network in 1990. The film was released on VHS the following year, but that tape has long been out-of-print. The film itself achieves something quite amazing, considering (1) It's the fourth film in a series, and (2) it's a made-for-t.v. movie--not usually the mark of quality entertainment. It was written by Joseph Stefano, who penned the classic Hitchock-directed original based (loosely) on Robert Bloch's novel. At the time Psycho IV was made, Stefano was open about his distaste for the previous sequels, which were made without his involvement. But for fans worried about continuity, the film doesn't really ignore the events of Psycho II and III. . .it just doesn't dwell on them.

Fans of the previous films might also be concerned (SPOILERS AHEAD) about Anthony Perkins' reduced screen time, since about 70% of the story is composed of flashback to Norman's younger days. But the script gives Perkins some great dialogue, most of it between Bates and the late-night radio talk-show host he's called. And Stefano--himself a long-time recipient of psychoanalysis--fills Bates' backstory with moments of both cruelty and, in rare moments, subtle beauty.

For the uninititated, parts II and III are also fine sequels (take THAT, Mr. Stefano). Psycho II is the more well-regarded, with its slow-building suspense and more restrained approach. I actually prefer Psycho III, which balances some over-the-top gore with black humour that I'm sure Hitch himself would have appreciated.

The bottom line is, you're getting 3 superior horror sequels at a bargain price. What more do you need to know? Highly recommended.

4 for 4
The great things are the long awaited North American DVD release of Psycho IV, and some decent extras on the disks. The bad is that they released 3 movies and extras on 2 dvd's. A beautiful box set of all 4 movies was released in England, so I don't know why they couldn't do that over in America for a classic movie series like Psycho. Universal should have also considered releasing 4 by itself since 2 and 3 have already seen dvd release, or at least done something new to 2 and 3 for those who have to double dip and purchase this set to get part 4. This is worth it to get a very good movie in IV which is a prequel mostly, but also a sequel at the same time. Certainly worth picking up.

Yes! Mother
It's about time that Universal woke up and released Psycho 4 on dvd in region 1. I have been waiting since 1999 for this. It really should have been released by it's self or in a box set with all four films, but I'll take what I can get. Thank God I can finish the psycho collection!