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IMDbPro

Psycho IV: The Beginning

  • TV Movie
  • 19901990
  • RR
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
8.6K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,320
96
Anthony Perkins, Olivia Hussey, and Henry Thomas in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
HorrorMysteryThriller
Norman Bates recalls his childhood with his abusive mother while fearing his unborn child will inherit his split personality disorder.Norman Bates recalls his childhood with his abusive mother while fearing his unborn child will inherit his split personality disorder.Norman Bates recalls his childhood with his abusive mother while fearing his unborn child will inherit his split personality disorder.
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
8.6K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,320
96
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Mick Garris
    • Writers
      • Joseph Stefano
      • Robert Bloch(based on characters created by)
    • Stars
      • Anthony Perkins
      • CCH Pounder
      • Henry Thomas
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Mick Garris
    • Writers
      • Joseph Stefano
      • Robert Bloch(based on characters created by)
    • Stars
      • Anthony Perkins
      • CCH Pounder
      • Henry Thomas
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 114User reviews
    • 39Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos58

    Anthony Perkins in Psycho II (1983)
    Anthony Perkins in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Anthony Perkins in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Olivia Hussey in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Bobbi Evors in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Bobbi Evors in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Bobbi Evors in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Bobbi Evors in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Bobbi Evors in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Sharen Camille in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Sharen Camille in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
    Sharen Camille in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Anthony Perkins
    Anthony Perkins
    • Norman Bates
    CCH Pounder
    CCH Pounder
    • Fran Ambrose
    • (as C C H Pounder)
    Henry Thomas
    Henry Thomas
    • Young Norman
    Olivia Hussey
    Olivia Hussey
    • Norma Bates
    Warren Frost
    Warren Frost
    • Dr. Leo Richmond
    Donna Mitchell
    Donna Mitchell
    • Connie Bates
    Tom Schuster
    • Chet Rudolph
    • (as Thomas Schuster)
    Sharen Camille
    • Holly
    Bobbi Evors
    • Gloria
    John Landis
    John Landis
    • Mike Calveccio
    Kurt Paul
    • Raymond Linette
    Louis Crume
    • George Emeric
    Cynthia Garris
    Cynthia Garris
    • Ellen Stevens
    Doreen Chalmers
    • Mrs. Lane
    Alice Hirson
    Alice Hirson
    • Mother
    • (voice)
    Ryan Finnegan
    Ryan Finnegan
    • Child Norman
    • (as Ryan Finnigan)
    Peggy O'Neal
    Peggy O'Neal
    • Nurse
    Bob Barnes
    • Salesman
    • Director
      • Mick Garris
    • Writers
      • Joseph Stefano
      • Robert Bloch(based on characters created by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Anthony Perkins and Psycho III (1986) screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue originally pitched an idea for Psycho IV that had Norman's house and motel getting turned into a tourist attraction for horror weekends. Norman then escapes from the mental institution with a mute patient and the actor who was set to play Norman Bates for the horror weekend quits and Norman comes home and gets hired to play himself. Pogue claims that it was meant to be a black comedy but Universal opposed the idea.
    • Goofs
      Norman uses strychnine to poison his mother and her lover. The lethal dose of strychnine is around 10mg and Norman's bottle reads 1.5mg/oz. He puts a maximum of 4oz into the ice-tea. Even if his mother and her lover drank the whole pitcher, it would have hardly killed them. Furthermore, strychnine is one of the most bitter substances known to man, it's highly unlikely to be swallowed by accident, even in very small doses.
    • Quotes

      Norman Bates: Shouldn't we be getting back to the focus of your show?

      Fran Ambrose: Yeah, well, how did you, how did you kill your mother?

      Norman Bates: Slowly.

    • Connections
      Edited into Psychos (2021)

    User reviews114

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Not as good as Psycho or Psycho II, but good enough.
    My father first rented this film in the summer of 1991. I was about ten years old when I watched it. I didn't understand most of it, but I liked it. I just re-watched it within the last few months as result of a sparked interest in both the movies and the books.

    I liked how this film dove into Norman Bates's troubled past (that of course is an understatement). That was probably the best aspect of the film, not much else. I liked how Anthony Perkins once again reprised his signature role as Norman Bates after suffering that horrid humiliation from Psycho III. Olivia Hussey was wicked in this movie as Norman's mother. She must have taken lessons from Faye Dunaway in her role as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest. The way she yelled at him and stripped poor Norman of his manhood was just awful. But yet, she managed to stay human in certain scenes of the movie and not be such a demon. Henry Thomas did somewhat a good job playing Norman Bates as a teenager, but his performance lacked the geeky, child-like charm that Anthony Perkins had in the original film.

    As for the rest of the actors, well, most of them aren't worth mentioning. Except for Thomas Schuster, who played Chet Rudolph, Norma Bates's midnight cowboy. His character was very cocky and rude, the kind of guy you love to hate. The kind of man mom would bring home and expect you to call dad, which in Norman's case was true. But that never came to pass, if you know the story line.

    Director Mick Garris is no Alfred Hitchcock. He is no Richard Franklin either. But he does manage to deliver a good addition to the Psycho series. Not as good as Psycho or Psycho II, but good enough.
    helpful•19
    2
    • Lionel M.
    • Apr 20, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 10, 1990 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Universal Pictures
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Psycho IV
    • Filming locations
      • Orlando, Florida, USA
    • Production companies
      • Smart Money Productions
      • Universal Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo

    Related news

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    Anthony Perkins, Olivia Hussey, and Henry Thomas in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
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