Saturday, March 23, 2024

186) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) - NEW TO HORROR

👻  Minor spoilers ahead!  ðŸ‘»

In my other blog, dontfastforward.blogspot.com, I occasionally post commentary I call "My thoughts real quick."
In these posts, I simply slap my thoughts down about movies without going into much detail about the story. I try to keep them short, but I don't always succeed. 
This post is going to be something like that. These are my quick thoughts about the newly released "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire."
It's the fourth movie in the Ghostbusters line-up. I admit that I'm a little biased since I consider myself a "Ghost-head." Even so, I have mixed feelings about this new movie.
Right away, the story pulled me in right from the beginning, with the introductory back story.  
I initially anticipated a ton of call-backs and cameos. There was a little of that, but not as many as I thought there'd be. There was a lot of nods to the first and second Ghostbusters movies scattered throughout. 
The cameos are scarce outside of the original Ghostbusters along with William Atherton as Walter Peck as seen in the trailer. I had a few characters from parts one and two I was hoping to see, but maybe that's for the better. The movie doesn't then rely too much on stuff from the first two movies. It's an original story with new characters making the picture not heavily dependent on the original film.  
The story feels like an episode from "The Real Ghostbusters" cartoon and does carry a bit of the original movie's feel. The entire flow of the story seemed like something I would have seen in the animated series.
While the film is entertaining, it's full of plot points that take up too much space. I wanted to see more ghost busting, especially from the original crew.  
There's some busting, but not much. Instead, there's a lot more talking, explaining, and jumping between plot points. Thankfully, it didn't create a confusing experience.  
The final climax is where the movie delivers the most.  
Some of the characters are rather useless, especially Finn Wolfhard's character, Trevor. But at least his character makes sense. He's a Spengler so obviously he'd be in New York City with his family. 
Celeste O'Connor's character, Lucky, is completely useless. She's Trevor's love interest in the previous movie, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." In this movie, whatever purpose she has is completely forced. She's just there and adds nothing at all to the movie save for filling in one extra ghostbusters jumpsuit. 
The same is goes for Logan Kim's character, Podcast. He does add a little comic relief, but he wouldn't be missed if he wasn't a part of this. 
Kumail Nanjiani's character, Nadeem Razmaadi, is clearly a play on the Gatekeeper and Keymaster from the original movie and repeated in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." His comedy would fit in well as a Ghostbuster alongside Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson,
and Dan Aykroyd. He has a little chemistry with the original Ghostbusters, especially with Bill Murray who reprises his role as Peter Venkman. Nanjiani and Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz) seem to be having the most fun in their roles. Everyone else for the most part seem to be acting on repeat. In other words, much of the cast could use a little more enthusiasm. 
Still, I suppose after playing the same role for the fourth time, that initial enthusiasm tends to fade. 
William Atherton returns as Walter Peck from the original, though now in a new political capacity. His concerns about 15-year-old Phoebe carrying a proton pack and catching ghosts are legit, but his animosity towards the Ghostbusters now seems unwarranted. It's as though he still holds a grudge because of how he was treated nearly 40 years ago. With the events of "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters 2" referenced in this new movie, it doesn't make sense that he still thinks they're frauds. But he's an antagonist and those antagonists just keep on antagonizing.

What makes the original "Ghostbusters" movie a brilliant comedy is that the four scientists who go into business for themselves as paranormal eliminators really have no idea what they're doing. It's like a Marx Brothers movie. And, yet they figure out how to save New York City in such an outlandish way. 
The same is pretty much true here, but to a lesser degree. In this story, Winston (Ernie Hudson) as established a paranormal research center with a bigger containment unit, testing area, and the ability to observe and study ghosts. 
They can also extract paranormal entities from possessed objects. When they're up against an evil godlike entity named Garakka who's turning New York City into a frozen hellscape, all the cast (the new and the old ghostbusters) aren't sure what to do outside of shooting their proton packs at it. It's Phoebe Spengler, played wonderfully yet again by McKenna Grace, who has the tools and the talent.
I appreciate how the final act isn't long winded. Garakka doesn't show up and freeze over New York until more than half way through the movie. Then again, Gozer didn't show up in the original movie until the final act. 
The setup and resolution is styled really similar to the original "Ghostbusters." And it works the second time around. Instead of "Spook Central" being the conduit or portal, it's a brass orb with Garakka trapped inside. And the "Fire Master," as it's referred to in the movie, is the good guy who makes sure he doesn't escape. In that regard, this movie has the feel of a Ghostbusters movie. Or, it's just retooling those old elements that worked the first time, and hoping they can still deliver to new audiences under a different look.   
I thought the movie would start preaching about climate change and all that. Thankfully, it didn't go anywhere near that topic. I also hoped it would be a family-friendly flick, which it is. 
While "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is a tool to set the Ghostbusters back up with new content, characters, and adventures, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" comes up with something new. 
"Afterlife" takes its time setting up a scenario and placing its elements where they need to be, "Frozen Empire" is constantly on the move with all its various subplots to keep the audience engaged despite the exposition.  
I got some much-needed laughs from the movie and walked out of the theater happy overall. Again, maybe I'm a little biased.
The movie doesn't overstay it's welcome. It feels like it plays out in right amount of time. 
I think "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" deserves another view. But, as much as it pains me to say, I think it's time for the original Ghostbusters to retire. Their best days are behind them. If any new movies come about in the future, the business needs to be completely handed over to a new crew. 

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

185) Thanksgiving (2023)

"There will be no leftovers this year."

Director
Eli Roth 

Cast
Patrick Dempsey - Sheriff Eric Newlon
Nell Verlaque - Jessica
Addison Rae - Gaby
Jalen Thomas Brooks - Bobby
Milo Manheim - Ryan
Tomaso Sanelli - Evan
Gabriel Davenport - Scuba
Jenna Warren - Yulia
Ty Victor Olsson - Mitch Collins
Rick Hoffman - Thomas Wright
Gina Gershon - Amanda Collins


I don't know if it's me, or if there has recently been a kind of campy holiday horror movie Renaissance. By holiday, I mean all holidays. 
Titles like "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," and "The Mean One" (a horror take on "How the Grinch Stole Christmas") have come out recently. There's has been recent talk of a horror movie called, "Mickey's Mouse Trap" now that early Mickey Mouse cartoons have become public domain. 
The 2024 turkey day horror movie, "Thanksgiving" can be counted among recent cheesy flicks. 
I can't talk about "Thanksgiving" without tossing out references to older horror movies centered around common holidays. Christmas, for instance, is constantly the theme to so many horror movies such as "Black Christmas" (1974), "Silent Night, Deadly Night" (1984), "Better Watch Out" (2017), and one of my personal favorites, "Violent Night" (2022). It's a holiday that always seems to be in need of saving. 
Christmas isn't the only victim of bad horror movies. There are so many others themed on random holidays like "New Year's Evil" 1980), "Terror Train" (1980), "April Fool's Day" (1986), "Trick or Treats" (1982), "Bloody Birthday" (1981), "Uncle Sam" (1996), "Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill!" (2006) …the list is enormous. And let's not forget all the "Leprechaun" movies since we just celebrated St. Patrick's Day. Yeah, I covered all those already. On second thought, let's definitely forget those. 
"Thanksgiving" is a movie where customs and tradition goes head-to-head greed in the form of modern consumerism. 
It's Thanksgiving in the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. A raging, vulgar, greedy mob has gathered outside of the town's RightMart for Black Friday sales. 
Jessica Wright's (Nell Verlaque) dad, Thomas (Rick Hoffman) is the owner of RightMart. And he lets her, along with her friends, inside the store through a side door before the crowd is let in. This makes the crowd rage even more.

When the doors finally open, the fuming crowd push their way in causing multiple injuries, and the deaths of a few people. Amanda Collins (Gina Gershon),
the wife of RightMart's store manager, Mitch (Ty Victor Olsson) is one of the victims of the ruthless shoppers. 
The majority of the crowd only care about getting their discounted items before someone else. Plymouth is now tarnished by this event. 
One year later, Thomas is going to open RightMart on Thanksgiving Day for Black Friday, which sparks protests because of what happened the year before. Mitch is one of those protesting.
Jessica's old boyfriend, Bobby (Jalen Thomas Brooks), returns to Plymouth which arouses some jealousy with her current boyfriend, Ryan (Milo Manheim).
Meanwhile, Lizzie, who was in that RightMart crowd the year before, and as vulgar and unruly as ever, is working as a waitress in a diner. 
As she closes for the night, an anonymous figure wearing a mask of John Carver (one of the founders of the Plymouth colony) murders her. 
Soon after, other people around Plymouth who were involved in the Black Friday riot are killed off one by one. 
Sheriff Eric Newlon (Patrick Dempsey) is putting in as much effort and manpower as he can to catch this killer who's targeting everyone involved in that Black Friday riot. 
Jessica helps as much as she can to bring this killer down. Soon, the murderer goes after those closest to her. 
The movie is full of gore and splatter, and corny one-liners such as "If we let the police handle it, we're all going to end up 50% off." And that's followed by more blood and guts! 
By the end, well... I should have seen the end coming. 
In one scene, Sheriff Newlon tells Jessica, "Be careful who you trust, because this is a matter of life and death." What a giveaway! And it went right over my head. 
The movie is pretty much formulaic. There's a sadistic masked killer out for revenge. And it's a race against the clock for police to catch him before he strikes again. 
Still, it's entertaining enough for being a good ol' fashioned slasher flick. 
Director Eli Roth has directed some popular horror titles like "Hostel," "Hostel: Part II" and "Cabin Fever." He does a decent job with "Thanksgiving." It's clear Roth is a horror fan! He knows how to make an audience cringe and cover their eyes. His talent for making gritty Friday night, creature feature horror movies is ever present in "Thanksgiving." It's a fun and unique Thanksgiving Day horror feast.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

184) Ghostbusters II (1989)


Director
Ivan Reitman

Cast
Bill Murray - Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd - Raymond Stantz
Ernie Hudson - Winston Zeddemore
Harold Ramis - Egon Spengler
Sigourney Weaver - Dana Barrett
Rick Moranis - Louis Tully
Annie Potts - Janine Melnitz
Peter MacNicol - Janosz Poha
Wilhelm von Homburg - Vigo the Carpathian
Max von Sydow - Voice of Vigo
Kurt Fuller - Jack Hardemeyer
David Margulies - Mayor Lenny Clotch


For readers honored, blessed and privileged to personally know me, they must be saying to themselves "Of course Mike would review 'Ghostbusters'." Well, I waited five years since starting this blog to finally include a Ghostbusters movie on this platform. With a fourth Ghostbusters movie just around the corner (who would've thought?) I wanted to make some comments about the second movie in the Ghostbusters line-up. 
By the way, I shared my comments on the teaser trailer for the upcoming movie "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." And you can read my review for the last Ghostbusters movie, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," on the Junction City Union website. 
As I write this, two full trailers for the upcoming movie were released today - one domestic and one international. 
While I'm excited to see where things go in the upcoming Ghostbusters movie, my initial impression is that it seems like "Frozen Empire" will be another movie sequel that relies too heavily on call-backs to part one and maybe part two. 
Based on these two trailers, while it looks like it might be a fun movie, I get an impression that the comedy won't be terribly strong. I got a laugh at one or two lines in the trailer.  
Plus, the upcoming movie has a ton of characters to keep on top of. There's the OG Ghostbusters, some new supporting cast, and the cast from "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." 
Anyways, there have been few movies released in my lifetime where I was so eager to see them, I actually had dreams about it prior to seeing.  
"Ghostbusters 2" was one of those movies. "It: Chapter Two" was another. And, for some weird reason, "The NeverEnding Story II" was another such movie. We'll talk about that another time. 
My friends know that when it comes to the 1984 comedy, "Ghostbusters," I am a self-proclaimed "Ghost-Head." I have some nostalgic investment for the movie. 
Few movies have I seen more.
As a kid, I remember the dreadful anticipation I had when the library ghost scene approached. It took a generous portion of courage to sit through that scene. Otherwise, I would run out of the room and hide, listening for it to finish. 
Anyways, when trailers for "Ghostbusters II" were released back in '89, my seven-year-old self was bursting with anticipation. 
Of course, I loved the sequel back then. The Ghostbusters were back for something different, and I was completely on board.
Now, in my adult years, showing my own kids "Ghostbusters II," my thoughts are clearer on this sequel. 
No doubt, I'm not about to say anything that hasn't already been said. 
"Ghostbusters II" picks up five years after the Ghostbusters saved New York from an impending apocalypse that Gozer, a god of destruction, tried to unleash upon the world in part one. 
Now, despite being hailed and welcomed as heroes during the supernatural events of the first movie, the Ghostbusters have been dealing with lawsuits upon lawsuits for the destruction wrought upon New York. They've been forced out of business and are now looked down upon by the city they saved not that long ago. 
Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) make guest appearances at birthday parties. Stantz also owns an occult bookstore called "Ray's Occult." Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) works in a lab studying human emotions. And Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) hosts a local television show called "World of the Psychic." 
The film opens with Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) walking back to her apartment, pushing her baby, Oscar, in a carriage. 
She unwittingly rolls it over a small puddle of pink slime oozing from a crack in the sidewalk. That's probably not the worst thing to permeate out of a New York City sidewalk. 
Suddenly the carriage starts rolling away from her. It starts off slowly and then moves faster and faster away, while still carrying baby Oscar, as Dana chases it. It eventually stops suddenly in the middle of a busy New York City intersection. 
Dana reaches out to Ray and Egon, but not Peter after considering their relationship in part one, to investigate how the stroller seemed to roll itself at top speed right into the middle of city traffic. 
But Venkman catches wind that Ray and Egon are helping his old girlfriend and butts into their research.
The paranormal readings they take with their gadgetry at the spot where the carriage stopped are unusually high. So, Ray, Peter, and Egon take it upon themselves to start digging in the middle of the street to see what's hiding underneath. 
They discover a river of slime flowing under the streets along the route of an old, abandoned transit line. 
Of course, they're quickly arrested for this unauthorized digging but not before Ray, who's dangling by a wire underground, collects a sample of this slime. After the slime tries to pull him under, he accidentally causes a massive blackout across the entire city.  
During their court trial, in which this slime is presented as evidence, it becomes clear the mysterious viscous substance responds to human emotion. And when the judge explodes with anger at the Ghostbusters for the damage they've cause, the slime also as an explosive effect. It bubbles over until two ghosts emerge whom the judge recognizes as the Scoleri brothers - two murderers the judge sentenced to death by electrocution. 
The ghosts attack the courtroom until the Ghostbusters put their proton packs back on and save the day.... or save justice...or, I don't know. They catch the ghosts and that somehow brings them back to legitimacy throughout New York. 
They investigate the psycho-reactive slime (slime that reacts to human behavior) that has been collecting and pooling underneath the city. And it all happens to flow straight underneath the art museum where Dana works.
The art museum has a painting of a 16th-century European madman named Vigo the Carpathian which Dana swears has been coming to life. That's because it has been coming to life thanks to the slime underneath the museum. 
Vigo's spirit begins inhabiting the painting and takes possession of the museum's department head and Dana's boss, Janosz Poha (Peter MacNicol). Vigo demands Janosz to find him a baby that his soul can inhabit so he can live once again and rule the world. 
As Janosz has a crush on Dana, he chooses her baby as a vessel for Vigo's soul to inhabit and take over. The Ghostbusters of course aren't going to let that happen. 
Wilhelm von Homburg as Vigo the Carpathian.
Since the first "Ghostbusters" is a comedy best summarized as lighting in a bottle, part two really tries to recreate that, but doesn't quite accomplish what the first movie did. 
It's different but the same. 
While the story line and the final big bad ghost are different, the general plot is the same as the first. A supernatural source causes a buildup of supernatural phenomenon throughout New York enough to keep the Ghostbusters busy until in culminates to one ultimate spooky showdown with a big bad ghost who wants to rule the world.  
As the first film takes the center of the story to the top of a New York City high rise, the sequel takes the center under the streets of New York.  
As a comedy, the first movie is true lightning-in-a- bottle. Its premise is a classic comedy scenario involving four comedians trying to do something outlandish - capture ghosts. "Ghostbusters" sits proudly with other paranormal comedies like the Abbott and Costello film "Hold That Ghost" as well their "Meet the Monsters" movies. The 1940 horror comedy, "The Ghost Breakers" starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard deserves a nod here. By the way, Hope and Goddard previously appeared together in the 1939 horror comedy "The Cat and the Canary." 
"Ghostbusters II" manages to be liked by fans well enough, though its comedy tries hard to be the lightning -in-a-bottle comedy the first is. 
It doesn't quite work as well as before. But that's not to say the entire sequel is terrible. It has some hilarious moments and memorable scenes.  
My main complaint about the movie is where the story picks up after the events of part one and what's become of the Ghostbusters since. It doesn't make sense that after all the Ghostbusters did for New York City just five years earlier in front of multiple eyewitnesses, they'd be forgotten and despised as frauds. However, I can believe five years later they'd be dealing with lawsuits and court appearances for the destruction and everything that happened in part one. That's how the movie should have started -with the court scene that's already in the movie. And instead of being completely disbanded as Ghostbusters, their organization should still exist to some degree. Also, part two takes some inspiration from the animated cartoon "The Real Ghostbusters." It's clearly done just for marketing purposes. It's distracting and unnecessary. The cartoon is the cartoon. The movie is the movie. 
"Ghostbusters II" is entertaining enough but it needs some more solid thought behind it. It tries to be too much while not being enough. 

Trivia
In my "Psycho IV" post, I included the following trivia question:
"The Sixth Sense" (1999) is the second movie in which Bruce Willis is paired with a character named Cole who sees dead people. What is the other film? 

Answer: 12 Monkeys. 

Monday, February 19, 2024

183) Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990) - The Psycho Series Concluded


Director 
Mick Garris

Cast
Anthony Perkins - Norman Bates
Henry Thomas - Young Norman Bates
Olivia Hussey - Norma Bates
CCH Pounder - Fran Ambrose
Warren Frost - Dr. Leo Richmond
Donna Mitchell - Connie Bates
Thomas Schuster - Chet Rudolph
Sharen Camille - Holly


The "Beginning" marks the end.
After the underwhelming and pointless bore-fest that is the 1987 made-for-TV movie, "Bates Motel," Hollywood writers gave that movie a symbolic middle finger. Why? Well, "Bates Motel" retcons "Psycho II & III" and tells a tale without Norman Bates. He's an afterthought.
So, Anthony Perkins along with these writers made their own made-for-TV "Psycho" installment that completely ignores "Bates Motel." 
The movie is called "the beginning" while it ends the film series. 
In this movie, radio talk show host Fran Ambrose (CCH Pounder) along with her guest host Dr. Leo Richmond (Warren Frost) hosts a show covering the topic of matricide.
At his home, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) happens to hear the show and decides to call in under the pseudonym "Ed." 
If anyone knows about matricide, it's Norman Bates. He opens up to Ambrose and Richmond, telling them about his childhood upbringing and his relationship with his mother, Norma Bates (Olivia Hussey). He breaks down the control she had over him.
Henry Thomas plays teenage Norman, who's story is told through flashbacks. 
He starts with discussing his murdering of a girl named Holly (Sharen Camille) who checked into the Bates Motel when Bates as a teen, and then tried to seduce him sex. 
The narrative jumps around as Bates discusses the death of his father, and the mental abuse Norma, who suffers from schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder, inflicts on Norman. In some situations, their mother and son relationship leans a little too close to incestuous.  
At one point, Norma becomes engaged to a guy named Chet Rudolph (Thomas Schuster). He bullies Norman at times which amuses Norma. 
In another moment, Norma forces her son to wear a dress and paint his lips in an attempt to emasculate and humiliate him as a form of punishment. She forces him to look at himself in a mirror while berating him. Norma even suggests she should have aborted him. Some of this abuse stems from Norma's frustration that business at the motel is dwindling, especially after a highway is built nearby. 
Henry Thomas and Olivia Hussey as Norman and Norma Bates in "Psycho IV: The Beginning."

Her mental abuse becomes intense, leading to her domination over him. Finally, having had enough and driven mad with jealousy and anger, Norman poisons Chet and Norma's iced tea after he sees the two of them in bed. 
Once they're both dead, he disposes of Chet's body and preserves his mother's remains. 
Norman then begins to develop a split personality, dressing and speaking like his mother in order to cover up the guilt he has for murdering her.  
As Norman talks to Ambrose, Dr. Richmond begins to suspect that "Ed" is actually Norman Bates. But Ambrose doesn't want "Ed" to know whom they suspect he really is lest they lose him. 
Norman reveals on air that he's planning on killing his wife, Connie (Donna Mitchell), that very night. Connie is pregnant and Norman doesn't want to bring another Bates into the world lest his offspring has the same mental issues and split personality he and his mother have. 
Now, Ambrose is left trying to dissuade Bates from carrying out another murder. 
It all ends in "Psycho: The Beginning." Or at least it should. A near shot-for-shot remake of "Psycho" came out in 1998. 
And the TV series "Bates Motel" ran for five seasons from 2013 to 2017. 
As a movie that gives insight into Norman Bates's early life, his relationship with his mother, and moves the franchise along smoothly to a welcoming and much needed conclusion, "Psycho IV" isn't a bad story. By calling into a radio station, it's Norman's way of confessing his dark crimes to the world. 
In fact, exploring the disturbing relationship between Norman and his mother makes this movie the darkest, most twisted and psychotic movie of the series. 
Henry Thomas nails the role of young Norman amazingly and impressively well. He presents the same level of vulnerability and inner chaotic turmoil that matches Anthony Perkins's portrayal of Bates.  
Perkins, by the way, hasn't missed a beat since playing Bates in the first movie. He's just as disturbing and intense as he is in Hitchcock's original picture. He sadly died two years after the release of "Psycho IV." 
We've seen everything we've needed to see. Anything after "Psycho IV" can only be a greedy cash grab, whether it's a TV series, or remake, or a continuation. So far, there have been no continuations. 
There's nowhere left to go but back to the original horror masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock. "The Beginning" is a careful and respectful end that started with Hitchcock's masterful horror thriller. 


Trivia: I stopped including trivia questions in my posts, but I'm including one now. 
"The Sixth Sense" (1999) is the second movie in which Bruce Willis is paired with a character named Cole who sees dead people. What is the other film? 

Stay tuned for the answer in my next post... 

Sunday, February 4, 2024

182) Bates Motel (1987) - The Psycho Series Continued

"I think with a little luck, we're gonna do okay here. I think Norman would have liked that."

Director
Richard Rothstein

Cast
Bud Cort - Alex West
Lori Petty - Willie
Moses Gunn - Henry Watson
Gregg Henry - Tom Fuller
Khrystyne Haje - Sally
Jason Bateman - Tony Scotti
Kerrie Keane - Barbara Peters
Robert Picardo - Dr. Goodman
Lee de Broux - Sheriff
Kurt Paul - Norman Bates


As I watched the made-for-TV movie "Bates Motel," which is an offshoot of Hitchcock's "Psycho," I sat waiting for something to happen. Spoiler - nothing happens! So, it's a completely unnecessary installment in the Psycho series. And, really, that's all anyone needs to know about this movie. But if readers want to see what else I have to say, please continue reading. Otherwise, I won't be upset if anyone stops here.
If 1980s Hallmark got a hold of the franchise rights and made a Psycho movie, this would be it. 
It's a direct sequel to Hitchcock's "Psycho." So, it ignores everything that happens in "Psycho II" and "Psycho III." The worst part about it is that it doesn't even center on Norman Bates at all. Bates, played very briefly by Kurt Paul, only appears in the beginning of the movie. 
The film starts with Bates leaving the courthouse and heading off to the asylum after the Marion Crane murder from the first movie. There, he befriends a young boy named Alex West (Bud Cort) who's mentally disturbed and was admitted into the asylum for killing his abusive stepfather.
Bates acts a sort of father figure for West. 
About twenty-years later, Bates dies and leaves West his motel. 
When he's released from the asylum, West heads to Fairville (which was called Fairvale in the original "Psycho") to live at the motel. 
Once he makes it to Fairville, he meets handyman Henry Watson (Moses Gunn) who drives him to the motel and tells him it's haunted. 
Inside Norman's old house overlooking the property, West runs into Willie (Lori Petty), a teenage runaway who is squatting inside the house. 
As the motel is rundown, West manages to obtain a bank loan from the bank loan agent Tom Fuller (Gregg Henry) for renovations. He then convinces Watson to get a work crew together.
The process is hindered by weird accidents and chatter about alleged hauntings. 
The remains of Norman's mother are discovered, as well as his father. 
Interestingly enough, when Mrs. Bates's bones are found, the sheriff (Lee de Broux) says that her remains
Lori Petty and Bud Cort in "Bates Motel."
 had never been found until now. The writers must have missed the plot point in "Psycho" where Mrs. Bates's remains were hidden in the basement and found when Norman was arrested. 
Also, during the renovation process, West keeps seeing Mrs. Bates's shadow in her bedroom window. 
When looking out of the bedroom window, he sees the dead body of Mr. Bates with a knife in his chest, laying underneath the motel sign. 
Finally, the motel renovations are finished. The rooms are new and improved, and West has a small restaurant built on the property. 
On opening day of the new Bates Motel, guests just aren't pouring in. In fact, no one shows up. 
West tells Willie that his first loan payment of $10,000 is due the next day. 
Just then, a guest finally pulls in. Barbara Peters (Kerrie Keane) books a room for the night. 
Unbeknownst to West, she's planning on committing suicide because she's middle aged and hasn't yet found love. 
This is when the movie takes a turn away from all that's going on. The story shifts focus onto Barbara. 
A large group of teenagers, who are dressed like it's the 1950s, arrive at the motel after their prom. The movie doesn't address their dated appearance. But it stands out as the movie takes place in current time. 
While Barbara is sitting in the bathtub contemplating suicide, one of the teens named Sally (Khrystyne Haje) accidentally enters her room thinking it's her own room. 
She invites Barbara to a party the kids are holding at the motel. Even West is there handing out punch for everyone. 
Barbara goes, and Sally introduces her to another teen named Tony (Jason Bateman who's shy and lonely. 
Despite the age difference, Tony asks her to dance. While dancing, he tells her how pretty she is and then the two almost kiss. 
Barbara catches herself and tells Tony that he's just a kid and getting romantic with him isn't right. 
When she goes back to her room, Sally comes in and knows Barbara wants to kill herself. 
It turns out Barbara's real name is also Sally, and the young Sally actually killed herself 25 years ago. So, Sally is a ghost as are all the other kids she came with. They all committed suicide. 
Sally and the rest of the kids tell her that the afterlife for suicides is awful, and life is worth living. Then Sally and the rest of the teenage ghosts drive off. 
Barbara leaves the next day, a lot more chipper than when she arrived. 
Meanwhile, it turns out that Tom the loan officer is behind the alleged hauntings and unreasonable terms of repayment in an attempt to hinder West's plans in order to gain access to the prime real estate that the motel sits on. 
And spoiler. That's the end!
The story builds up to nothing as the Bates Motel is remodeled. And it's not even the slightest bit terrifying. It's not even adorably spooky. I've seen scarier haunted attractions at neighborhood carnivals. 
Norman is the only terrifying aspect of the whole franchise. If he's gone, what's left? According to this movie, there isn't anything left except some urban ghost stories surrounding the motel darkened by the Bates murders. 
West fixes it up, and it all ends on a promising note. I missed the point of the movie, unless the promising future of the Bates Motel was the point. 
As if the movie finally catches on that there's nothing happening, the story's final act focuses completely off West and onto Barbara with an out-of-place ghost story and suicide prevention message, starring a young Jason Bateman. I don't know if this is supposed to correct the evil wrongs that occurred at the motel. Seeing as how Barbara stays in room 12 rather than room one as Marion did in the original, I doubt it. And these dead teenagers aren't victims of Norman Bates. Rather. they killed themselves. They have nothing to do with the motel nor the original plot. Plus, West can see them, and hands out punch at their party. So, did they all arrive to help Barbara? Or, did they show up and happen to find Barbara about to make the same mistake they did, and decide to help? Who knows?
All throughout the movie, Bud Cort keeps a look on his face like he's a wide-eyed innocent young kid witnessing reality for the first time. He carries no other emotion except bewilderment throughout the whole movie. 
This is a completely underwhelming and totally unnecessary film. It's almost amazing how underwhelming this movie is. They couldn't call it "Psycho" because the actual psycho - Norman Bates - is dead. So, the movie has to be about the actual motel instead. So, what about the motel? Is it haunted? If it is, who's doing the haunting? Well, the motel gets a renovation which adds some new life to it. And then some random lady is saved from suicide by some random ghosts. Neither of them have anything to do with the motel. Is the motel now a conduit for the paranormal? I don't know. Who even cares? 
Hardly anything worth watching actually happens, and it all concludes with a couple characters in rubber Halloween masks, only to reveal themselves like the resolution of a Scooby-Doo cartoon. 
After Barbara's unrelated story is resolved, Alex West boyishly stares into the camera, breaking the fourth wall, and tells the television audience, "We're gonna do okay here. I think Norman would have liked that."
Thankfully, the next movie, "Psycho IV: The Beginning" will do the only thing anyone can do - completely ignore "Bates Motel."

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

181) Psycho III (1986) - The Psycho Series Continued

"I never went away. Don't you know that by now? You can't get rid of me. I'll always be with you Norman. Always."

Director
Anthony Perkins

Cast
Anthony Perkins - Norman Bates
Diana Scarwid - Maureen Coyle
Jeff Fahey - Duane Duke
Hugh Gillin - Sheriff John Hunt
Roberta Maxwell - Tracy Venable
Robert Alan Browne - Ralph Statler
Gary Bayer - Fr. Brian
Lee Garlington - Myrna
Donovan Scott - Kyle


I was surprised with the previous "Psycho II" being a decent enough sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's classic horror movie "Psycho." It wasn't great, but it passes. 
I didn't hold as much hope that "Psycho III" would even be a passable movie. Generally, that's not how sequels work, especially when it comes to third movie installments. 
What else could writers possibly do with Norman Bates's story? You can only make the same movie so many times before audiences start growing bored. 
In this third movie, Anthony Perkins portrays a much more torn Norman Bates. He clearly wants to lead a normal life with someone. This is a logical place to put Bates. However, he's not free from his demons. Rather, he's still tormented by his mother.
Speaking of his mother, this third movie continues where the second one left off. 
Bates killed Emma Spool in part two - his coworker at the diner who told him she was his real mother. Now, he's preserved her corpse and keeps her in his mother's bedroom. 
Meanwhile, a mentally unstable Catholic nun, Maureen Coyle (Diana Scarwid) attempts suicide by threatening to jump from the convent's bell tower. Maureen is blamed when another nun tries to save her only to accidentally fall to her death from the tower. 
Maureen is booted from the convent, and hikes through the desert to nearby Fairvale. On the way, she's picked up by a young drifter named Duane Duke (Jeff Fahey). 
The ride isn't too bad, though Maureen is really uncomfortable. When a rainstorm breaks out, Duke stops his car to wait it out. He then tries to take advantage of Maureen but she refuses his advances. 
So, he kicks her out of the car, forcing her to continue walking to Fairvale in the rain. 
Back in Fairvale, Spool has been missing for a month. 
Norman Bates's former employer, Ralph Statler (Robert Alan Browne) along with the police are searching for her. 
Duke arrives at the Bates Motel and asks Norman to hire him, which he does. 
Maureen also arrives in town, exhausted and hungry. She walks into the diner where Norman works. He's taken aback as she resembles Marion Crane, whom he murdered in the first movie. He also notices her initials on her suitcase - M.C. This makes Norman panic. 
Meanwhile, Tracy Venable (Roberta Maxwell), a journalist from Los Angeles, is in town to do a story about serial killers being released from prison. So, she wants to interview Bates. 
Maureen checks in to the Bates Motel but panics when she finds Duke working there.
Having Maureen at his hotel causes Bates to succumb to the urge to be his mother once again.
Later, dressed in his mother's clothes, he enters Maureen's room and finds her in the bathtub attempting suicide. 
Maureen, delirious from the loss of blood, hallucinates and thinks Norman dressed as mother holding a knife is the Virgin Mary holding a crucifix.  
Bates, however, snaps back into his right frame of mind. 
He rescues Maureen by taking her to the hospital. 
After Maureen is released, she and Norman start to get romantic. 
Later that night, Duke picks up a one-night stand named Red (Juliette Cummins), only to kick her out of his room after they're...you know...done. 
Angry and dejected, Red goes to a payphone to call a cab. But a person dressed as Norman's mother stabs her in the phone booth. 
The next day, a bunch of tourists show up at the motel for some big football game. Most of these tourists party hard and get drunk, except one guest named Patsy Boyle. While in the bathroom, she's also murdered by mother. 
That night, Norman finds Patsy's body and doesn't know what to do. So, he hides her body in the motel ice chest.
Sheriff Hunt and Deputy Leo show up the next morning looking for Patsy. 
Meanwhile, Tracy snoops around Emma Spool's apartment where she finds the motel's number scribbled on a magazine. 
She talks to Maureen, and tells her about Norman's past, which freaks her out. 
So, Maureen goes to speak with her priest, Fr. Brian (Gary Baye), who it seems to me just blows her off. 
Having dodged a huge bullet with the sheriff and deputy not finding Patsy's corpse in the ice box, Bates panics when he finds Emma Spool's corpse is missing. Whoever took her body left a note. 
He goes to see Duke who attempts to blackmail him with threats that he'll report Norman to the cops. 
When Duke isn't looking, Norman clubs him with an ashtray, and then beats him with a guitar. 
He then drags Duke's and Patsy's corpses into a car, just like he did with Marion's body in the first "Psycho," and intends to drive the car into the swamp behind the motel. 
But Duke wakes up as Norman is driving and attacks him. Norman loses control of the car, which still submerges into the swamp. 
Norman barely escapes, but Duke goes down with the car. 
Maureen realizes she really loves Norman, and returns to the motel to be with him. 
They have a romantic moment at the top of the staircase inside the house, before mother shouts at Norman, startling him.
This causes Norman to lose his grip on Maureen. She falls down the stairs and dies as a result. 
Tracy walks in and sees Maureen's dead body at the bottom of the stairs as Norman, dressed as mother, stands at the top of the steps holding a knife. 
As he as nowhere to go, Tracy explains the truth about Emma Spool and his real mother. 
What happens next is Norman's way to free himself from his mother's influence. 
The movie maintains an unsettling creepy factor throughout the entire experience. 
Anthony Perkins and Diana Scarwid in "Psycho III."
There's an apparent effort to make this another decent and intriguing follow-up to Alfred Hitchcock's original movie. And Anthony Perkins makes his directorial debut here. He clearly respects the source material, trying to make this a good movie to any degree. And he succeeds in being a good director. 
Despite Perkins sitting in the director's chair, there's not enough in this movie to make it good. It's an attempt to make something new and terrifying but ends up doing the same thing as before all over again. 
For instance, the movie tries to recreate the famous shower scene from the first "Psycho" with Maureen attempting suicide in the tub. It's a lame scene, with Maureen thinking she's having a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And then Norman saves her. The movie just falls flat despite some interesting decisions here in there. 
I have no idea why this movie exists other than being a cash grab. It's a disjointed mess full of weird scenes and pointless plot points. I took nothing away from this movie that would enhance or add something new to the series.
Maureen is a completely useless character. As she and Norman become romantic, especially as he initially thinks she resembles Marion Crane, I was genuinely curious how this romantic involvement would effect Norman. Would it change him? Would he stand up to mother? Would it "cure" him? 
The answer is...there is no answer. It doesn't do anything for Norman. She adds nothing to the story in the end, other than being another accident to give someone the false premise that he hasn't changed nor can change. 
Bates is more neurotic than in previous movies. That is, Perkins plays it up much more than before. 
The whole premise with Emma Spool, starting at the end of part two, feels convoluted. She didn't have to thrown in the premise of claiming to be Norman's real mother. She could have simply resembled his mother which would have caused him to kill her the same way and set her up as his mother. 
After all, Maureen Coyle resembling Marion Crane from the first movie ignites old feelings within Bates. 
This movie picks up one month later after the events of "Psycho II." 
However, the sheriff says that Bates came out of incarceration after serving 22 years rather than being out of a mental hospital after that same amount of time as stated in the second film.
Anyhow, this installment feels more scatterbrained and unbalanced - no pun intended. 
Overall, it's an unnecessary sequel. 

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

180) Psycho II (1983) - The Psycho Series Continued


Director
Richard Franklin

Cast
Anthony Perkins - Norman Bates
Vera Miles - Lila Loomis
Meg Tilly - Mary Loomis
Robert Loggia - Dr. Bill Raymond
Dennis Franz - Warren Toomey
Hugh Gillin - Sheriff John Hunt
Claudia Bryar - Emma Spool


You'd think a sequel to Hitchcock's groundbreaking horror movie "Psycho" couldn't possibly be any good. It's almost a travesty to think someone in Hollywood would dare piggyback off of the master of horror, Alfred Hitchcock. Well, someone did. And the bastards did it three years after Hitchcock's death. 
No doubt Hitchcock would've raised hell at the idea of a sequel to his masterpiece of a psychological horror, a precursor to slasher films. It's one of a kind, and there hasn't been a movie like it since. 
I went into this sequel anticipating it to be a terrible cash grab. 
"Psycho II" begins with the infamous shower seen from the original "Psycho." Much to my disappointment, it excludes the image of Marion Crane's blood swirling down the tub drain. 
It has been 22 years since Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) murdered Marion and was committed to a mental institution. 
Now, he has just been released although Marion's sister, Lila (played again by Vera Mills), who is filled with loathing towards Norman and rightly so, is adamantly opposed to his release. 
Norman's doctor, Bill Raymond (Robert Loggia), doesn't want him to move back to his mother's house overlooking the Bates Motel thinking it'll trigger him. But Norman does. He also lands a job as a cook at a nearby diner.
Norman meets a young waitress named Mary (Meg Tilly) at the diner, who gets kicked out of her boyfriend's place and has nowhere to go. 
So, Norman invites her to stay with him at his mother's. 
All the furniture, by the way, in the home is covered in sheets, and belongings are all boxed up. 
When Norman returns to the Motel, he finds that the new manager, Warren Toomey (Dennis Franz), is a drug dealer who uses the rooms for sleazy and unsavory activities. So, he fires Toomey on the spot. This leads to Toomey often harassing Norman in retaliation. 
Norman seems to be acclimating back into society well enough, but he soon starts receiving mysterious phone calls, and finds strange hand-written messages wherever he goes, that seem to be from his mother.
Of course, Norman thinks Toomey is behind it all. 
In one scene, the two cross paths in which the drunk Toomey tries to pick a fight with Norman. 
Later, Toomey meets his end when a dark hooded figure murders him. 
Just as before, Norman starts hearing voices coming from his mother's house just like before. 
At one point when he walks into his mother's bedroom, he finds it strangely set up exactly the way it was setup 22 years ago. 
During this confusing moment, a noise lures Norman into the attic where he winds up locked in.
Anthony Perkins returns as Norman Bates in 'Psycho II.'
Meanwhile, a pair of teenagers sneak into the basement to make out. A woman hidden in shadow sneaks up on them and tries to kill them. One of the teens gets away but the other doesn't. 
When Mary returns to the house, she finds Norman up in the attic. 
He shows Mary his mother's bedroom, only to find it back in the state of neglect as it has been for years. 
The sheriff shows up to inquire about the murdered teen. Mary tells him that she and Norman were out walking at the time the surviving teen claimed her boyfriend was murdered.  
Later that night, Mary meets up with her mother who turns out to be none other than Lila. Both of them are behind the mysterious phone calls and notes in an attempt to drive Norman insane and ultimately have him committed back into the asylum. Lila even dressed as Norman's mother and rearranged her bedroom.
Mary's friendship with Norman, however, starts growing as she feels pity for him. She doesn't believe Norman is capable of committing murder. Rather, she thinks someone else is hiding in the house, especially as Norman was locked in the attic when the teenager was killed. 
After Dr. Raymond figures out the Lila and Mary are mother and daughter, he suspects they're behind all the calls and notes. 
While Lila is fueled by her hatred of Norman, and goes to some crazy lengths to get revenge, she doesn't quite cross the line into insanity. It's pure hatred. 
But Norman doesn't believe Dr. Raymond. Instead, he thinks his real mother is behind it all. Still. he questions Mary about all this. And she admits she has given up her role in Lila's scheme. Lila, however, has no plans to stop. 
The plot deepens when Lila is murdered by a shadowy figure while retrieving her mother costume from the cellar. 
Also, police find Toomey's body and want to talk to Norman about it. Mary is terrified what might happen as a result, and tries to convince him to run away. Of course, running won't look good for Norman. 
While she's trying to convince him, the phone rings. Norman answers and starts talking to "mother." 
Mary listens in on another phone, but no one is talking to Norman. Still, the conversation he's having indicates his mother is commanding him to kill Mary. 
She quickly runs to the cellar to dress up as his mother and command him to hang up the phone. 
Dr. Raymond sees her and thinks he's catching her in the act of framing Norman. He grabs her, and in a moment of surprise, Mary accidentally stabs him through the heart.
Norman then spots his "mother" standing over Dr. Raymond's dead body. This causes him to snap and to threateningly approach Mary, backing her into the cellar. That's where she finds Lila's dead body. 
Of course, she thinks Norman killed her, and raises her knife to stab him in outrage. 
In that instance, police barge in and see Mary, dressed as Norman's mother, right about to stab him. They open fire and kill her. This crime scene leads police to think Mary was responsible for the murders and for attempting to seek revenge on Norman.
Later, Emma Spool (Claudia Bryar), another waitress who worked at the diner, visits Norman and admits to him that she's his real mother. 
Supposedly, Mrs. Bates was her sister and adopted him when Emma was institutionalized. 
She admits that she was responsible for all the murders, attempting to protect Norman from anyone who tried to hurt him. 
Norman doesn't know how to take this. He kills Emma and carries her body to his mother's room. Then he starts talking to himself in his mother's voice. 
The movie is one plot twist after another. 
Believe it or not, "Psycho II" isn't that bad of a movie. Of course, it doesn't compare at all to Hitchcock's original. It does have its issues. 
Meg Tilly as Mary in 'Psycho II.'
The setup is a bit forced starting with Norman quickly befriending younger Mary and inviting her to stay at his home. 
Then it turns out she's not only Lila's daughter, but her stay with Norman seems to be all part of a plan. How'd they know Norman would invite her in? Was it all a coincidence? Did Lila simply seize upon the opportunity when it presented itself? Or, maybe I misread the situation. 
Thankfully, the storyline doesn't lead to the same scenario as part one. Writers still changed things up a bit. Occasionally, odd angles are used to turn up the hint of surrealism and unsettling mood. It's thankfully not overused, and does work more or less. 
Despite all the twists and plot points, it's not a bad sequel. It plays out rather well, and at a decent pace. It pulls the audience in through just enough intrigue and suspense.
"Psycho II" doesn't have the intensity, nor the brilliant and daring writing seen in "Psycho." Still it somehow manages to work on its own. In other words, it gets by.
The character Tilly is really half-assed at first. Her intentions aren't clear. 
Other performances are a bit too weak and not written well. Toomey, for instance, seems too over the top, being upset enough to focus all his energy on getting back at Norman for letting him go from a dead-end job at the motel that's barely surviving. 
Anthony Perkins picks right back up Norman's likeability despite his darker side and secrets without effort, playing on the audience's emotions. He didn't forget how to be Norman Bates after all those years. 
Perkins continues to be a sympathetic character, but not quite like he is in the first movie. He strikes me as more confused and lost rather than being a person tormented by his deceased mother. Still, Perkins takes the role seriously, and gives it the respect it deserves.  
The effort to make "Psycho II" a compelling and worthy sequel is clearly present. 
Of course, it's not the groundbreaking thriller the original "Psycho" remains to be. But part two is surprisingly a decent follow-up to Norman Bates's story years after the events of part one.  
There are a few call backs to the original but nothing that goes out of its way. 
The story starts off predictably, but takes a welcoming insanity-driven turn to make the film it's own story that goes towards a logical conclusion. 
Vera Miles returns as Lila Loomis, though she plays Lila Crane, Marion's sister, in the original film. John Gavin plays Sam Loomis in the first film - Marion's lover. I guess after her sister's murder, Lila and Sam hooked up? 
This first sequel to Hitchcock's masterpiece of horror may make the master director spin in his grave, but regardless, it's an entertaining passible movie, all things considered.