"WE ALL GO A LITTLE MAD SOMETIMES" - EXAMINING THE PSYCHO MOVIES

 To properly kick off my Autumn/Halloween movie viewing I decided to watch the entire series of Psycho films over the past couple of nights. Rather than do individual reviews I've decided to cover the entire series here as (unlike many other horror movie series) the Psycho films seem to tell a complete story with a distinct beginning, middle and ending. That story is the tale of everyone's favourite mother fixated shower botherer - Mr Norman Bates.

BACKGROUND  - Before I look at the actual films themselves, I first want to talk a bit about the inspiration for this iconic and enduring horror villian. As you may (or may not) know Norman Bates is actually inspired by a real life killer - the notorious case of Ed Gein aka The Butcher of Plainfield.

Gein's crimes first became headline news in 1957. In the sleepy Wisconsin town of Plainfield local police discovered that Gein had indulged in a spot of grave robbing and decided to decorate his farmhouse with his own ghoulish brand of interior design. Gein fashioned bizzare furniture from the skin of the desecrated corpses he'd exhumed - chairs, lampshades, sofas - all where covered with human skin. Even more horrifically Gein also fashioned items of clothing made from the corpse's skin including a belt made from human nipples and most grisly of all - a skin suit which he liked to wear to make himself "become a woman like his mother" (more on Ed's mother later...)

If this wasn't bad enough worse still was to come when the police searched Gein's shed and discovered the decapitated corpse of missing local hardware store owner fifty eight year old Bernice Worden. Worden's body was hung upside down like a deer, gutted from crotch to throat. 

Gein confessed to the murder (lets face it they had him bang to rights) and also admitted killing another woman - Mary Hogan - a couple of years previously.  Hogan's skull and a mask made from her face was also later discovered on Gein's property. Although Gein was only formally charged with two murders, it's thought that he may well have committed many, many more.

So what has all this to do with our boy Norman you may ask ? The answer lies in Gein's dysfunctional relationship with his mother. Gein had spent many years living alone with his mother Augusta (his father and brother both died in the early 1940's). Augusta Gein was by all accounts a fierce, domineering and staunchly religious woman. She totally subsumed and ruled the slightly backwards Ed's life. Ed became obsessed with his mother, idolising her above all else. When Augusta died in 1945 Ed's world shattered. Its believed that his mother's death is the event that pushed Ed over the edge. The puritanical upbringing he'd endured mixed with the trauma of his mother's death was the perfect storm - to put it simply Ed became a monster.

From here we can see how the character of Norman Bates was clearly inspired by Gein - the mother fixation, the desire to "become her" and the act of killing are all character traits that Norman "inherited" from Gein (albeit in a much more restrained and less gruesome manner). Norman Bates is not the only iconic horror character that Gein's crimes inspired - Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films and Buffalo Bill from Silence Of The Lambs also draw inspiration from this sad maniac.

Norman Bates first appeared in Robert Bloch's 1959 novel Psycho. The book version of Norman is very different to the better known film version. In the novel Norman is middle-aged, overweight, wears glasses and is going bald unlike the much younger, more athletic man he's portrayed as being in the film. The main story beats are similar though and Norman's main Gein inspired character traits remain much the same.

In 1960 legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock made the novel into the classic film. A then twenty eight year old Anthony Perkins was cast as Norman and a cinematic icon was born.

THE MAN HIMSELF - It's easy to see why Norman Bates became such a popular character under Perkin's portrayal. He's utterly brilliant in the part. On the surface Norman is a charming and friendly young man. He's fairly charismatic in an odd way. It's not long before he starts to become jittery, socially awkward and defensive though. As the film progresses we see Norman begin to become increasingly desperate as he struggles to cover up his "mother's" crimes and the net begins to close in on him. 

It's only in the film's climax do we see Norman for what he truly is - a deranged killer dressed in his dead mother's clothes. A split personality - the Norman part of his psyche being totally unaware that the "mother" who has been carrying out the murders he's spent the entire movie desperately trying to conceal is - in fact - himself. This revelation (although probably not the most politically correct depiction of Schizophrenia) is enough to make you not hate or fear Norman but rather pity him. The illness doesn't excuse his actions but it does at least explain them.

In the following three sequals Perkins gets to develop Norman further. We see him age, apparently be cured of his insanity, go nuts again and finally find some measure of peace and closure. In short unlike other horror movie villians (the Michaels, Jasons and Leatherfaces of this world) Norman has an understandable and more realistic "motivation" for doing what he does. He's a fully three dimensional, living, breathing and incredibly complex character. Therein, I think, lies the key to his enduring appeal.

THE FILMS -

PSYCHO (1960) - Directed by Alfred Hitchcock 

The original movie needs no introduction as its generally regarded as an all time classic and with good reason. Pretty much everything works in this film. The acting, direction, script and overall atmosphere are all second to none.

Anthony Perkins instantly makes his mark as Norman and Janet Leigh is also good as Marion Crane, the desperate woman fleeing her old life with a horde of stolen money whose path (unfortunately for her) happens to intersect with Norman's.

There's some great scenes of tension as we follow Marion on her journey which culminates with her arrival at that run down looking roadside motel that stands in the shadow of that creepy old house on the hill.

Even the motel and the old house seem to become "characters" in the film, so atmospheric are they that they seem almost somehow alive.

Then we get the great surprise of the movie - Marion Crane,  the character who has been our point of view since the film started is suddenly, shockingly, brutally murdured before our very eyes as she takes a shower.

Even after all these years,even though we KNOW full well what's coming (the scene's so iconic how could you not ?), the shower scene is still powerful. Parts of it haven't aged well (there would definitely be more blood than we see here if somebody was stabbed repeatedly with a carving knife) but with the sudden explosion of violence in what up to this point had been quite a quiet movie, mixed with the hint of  Janet Leigh's nakedness must have seemed like ultraviolent pornography to the more conservative audiences of 1960. It must have blown thier minds.

Further thrills follow - culminating in the reveal of the real state of Norman's mum - a hollow eyed mummified corpse. Probably one of the first ever authentic "jumpscares" in horror film history.

Its not all perfect though - the scenes where we follow the characters of Sam Loomis (John Gavin) and Lila Crane (Vera Miles) drag a little bit. Not because they're badly acted or written (they're not) its just that Norman Bates is such a compelling character that you miss him whenever he's not present onscreen.

These minor quibbles aside, the original Psycho stills holds up today sixty four years later. It deserves its classic status and remains one of the most important and influential films in horror cinema.

PSYCHO 2 (1983) Directed by Richard Franklin

Twenty three years after the original we finally got the sequal (this must be the longest ever gap between the first and second parts of a series that I know of). It was a sequal that many said couldn't and possibly shouldn't even be attempted, afterall how can you possibly top Hitchcock's classic ? The answer is you don't...but this film came really close. REALLY BLOODY CLOSE !

The story follows an older Norman as he's released after spending twenty two years in a psychiatric hospital. He's (apparently) cured of his madness and now seeks to pick up the pieces of his life. He moves back to his old home and proceeds to take back running his motel.

We really sympathise with Norman here (even though we know the horrors he's capable of) as he genuinely seems to want to put his horrible past behind him and make a new life for himself. We have Perkins to thank for this - he just GETS the character of Norman so well, I don't think it would have worked if Norman had been recast.

Along the way Norman makes a new friend (even potential love interest) in the form of a young waitress called Mary (Meg Tilly). All seems to be going well until Norman starts receiving messages from his long dead mother and the killings start happening again.

It turns out that Norman isn't behind the murders this time - it's all a plot by Marion Crane's sister Lila (Vera Miles reprising her role from the first movie - she's more interesting this time round though) to unhinge Norman's mind so that he's put back into the loony bin.

The murders are a lot bloodier this time round and overall this is a great sequal. The only let down is a weird retcon at the film's end. We find out that Norman has a different mother to who we all thought. His real mother is still alive and gets back in touch with him in the final scene. Norman (who's fully lost the plot again by this point) promptly brains her with a shovel. Killing her instantly (its the only murder he commits in this film). 

He takes his new mum's corpse up to the bedroom and starts hearing it talk to him. The implication is clear - the cycle has begun once more, Norman Bates has come full circle...

It's a decent enough ending but feels a bit like a twist too far, making it seem a bit overwritten. The producers obviously agreed as this retcon was retconned further in the third movie returning the story to its original status quo (Norman's "real" mum turned out to be lying and his mother from the original movie was actually his real mum afterall.)  Confused ? So where most of the audience I think.

PSYCHO 3 (1986) Directed by Anthony Perkins 

Anthony Perkins himself directed this third entry and he does a really good job - both in front of and behind the camera.

The third installment takes place a couple of months after part 2. Norman is back to his old tricks by this point, veering between his "mother" personna and his more "innocent" real personality.

Norman hires an assistant to help him run the motel - a redneck conman with anger issues called Duane Duke (Jeff Fahey) who turns out to be nearly as insane as Norman himself. Norman also meets (and falls head over heels in love with) a failed nun who has been kicked out of a convent - Maureen Coyle (Diana Scarwid). The basis for Norman's attraction to Maureen ? She looks (slightly) like Marion Crane. Naturally it all goes horribly wrong and ends in tears for all concerned.

Psycho 3 is a very weird movie. There's lots of religious imagery, some really bloody kills, a doom laden atmosphere and a really sleazy feel to everything. Needless to say I really liked it.

There's a great moment where Norman dumps the corpse of one of his victims in an ice container. The local Sherrif unthinkingly picks some ice out to chew on, not realising its covered in blood. It's a great moment - odd, sleazy and uncomfortable. Much like this film.

In it's own weird way Psycho 3 is just as much a product of it's time as the original movie was.  This is Norman Bates for the VHS era - sex, violence and gore included. Its not generally as well loved by fans as the first two films but its still massively entertaining (I think I actually enjoyed it more than part 2).  Still well worth a look.

PSYCHO 4 - THE BEGINNING (1990) Directed by Mick Garris

Part 4 is a made for TV movie but don't let that put you off as this is still really good. Anthony Perkins returns for one last time as Norman Bates. Norman calls a late night radio phone-in show because he's concerned he's about to kill again.

It turns out that since the previous movie Norman has been back in hospital again. Once more he's cured and has fallen in love with and married his own psychotherapist. The two are blissfully happy. The only problem is Norman's wife has fallen pregnant and Norman is worried that his child will grow up to be crazy like him. So he fears that he may have to kill both mother and child in order to save more lives further down the line.

It's great to see a domesticated and (sort of) happy Norman (even if his reasoning is still a bit off). The main point of all this is that Norman calls the radio show to tell his story, which we see in flashback. So basically what we have here is the origin of Norman Bates.

In the flashback scenes we see Norman's life growing up with his neurotic mother Norma (Olivia Hussey).  It turns out that Norma has a few loose tiles in her mental attic of her own. She's fiercely protective of her son but flies into a jealous rage if he shows any interest in the opposite sex (for her own part she does have lovers of her own making her a total hypocrite as well as a dysfunctional mother).

Hussey is great as Norman's surprisingly sexy mum. It's good to finally be able to meet the person who is probably (aside from Norman himself) the most important character in the whole saga. Theres a weird incestuous aspect to her and Norman's relationship  which leads to some VERY uncomfortable and cringe worthy moments - no wonder he's so screwed up.

Teenage Norman is played by Henry Thomas (best known as Elliott in E.T.). Thomas does an amazing job of absolutely nailing Perkin's mannerisms when he's playing Norman. You can absolutely believe that's he's the same person we've been watching for the previous three films. He's got that same nervous and awkward intensity. A great piece of casting.

After the flashback story ends we get the conclusion to the entire saga. Adult Norman realises he doesn't need to kill his wife and unborn child to escape his past, he just needs to sever the final link. With this in mind Norman goes back to the Motel and burns down the house he grew up in. Norman now free from the demons of his past can face his future with confidence. Its bizzare to see a "slasher villian" get a happy ending but in Norman's case it feels earned. We've seen him go through Hell and back over the four films and its good to see him finally be at peace with himself. All in all a satisfying (if unexpected and unconventional) ending to the series.

Sadly whilst filming Psycho 4 Anthony Perkins was diagnosed as being HIV positive. Back in the early 90's this was still a guaranteed death sentence. Perkins died two years later of AIDS related complications at the tragically young age of sixty years old. The character of Norman Bates and his brilliant performances in all four movies remain his lasting legacy. One to be proud of I think.