RyothChatty ridiculous rating

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki Opening scene, a black-and-white sunrise over the Bates Motel, is a good, atmospheric touch, until we realise the footage was lifted from Psycho II, getting things off to a cheap, tacky start.Some good set designs are about all this turkey has going for it, as Bates' former asylum roommate is willed the Bates Motel, by the now deceased (in this film, anyway) Norman Bates. What could possibly go wrong with an ex-mental patient returning to the scene of a very violent crime? And I'm sorry to keep repeating myself and bringing this up, however, the Bates Motel should have been demolished decades earlier, not only because of the murders which occurred there, but also because the highway built in the 1950s (mentioned by Norman Bates in the original Psycho) routed traffic away from that road.Wide eyed, boyish looking Bud Cort is awful, and the screen writing in this Psycho meets wannabe Twilight Zone was as bland as could be. I don't have a problem with there being no murder, and no act of on- screen violence committed, what I do have a problem with was the inept screen writing, killing off Bates for the sake of a proposed weekly television series, and for what? So we can watch Cort's character mundanely and uneventfully running to motel? Or watch as he slowly goes mad, and is driven to kill, in extremely predictable fashion?

PeterMitchell-506-564364 This weak as water flick really disappointed me to the point, I was almost gonna smash the video cover. This is no way deserves it place along the other 4 Psycho films, that Hitch himself, would of had a heart attack a thousand times over, if learning of this potential bomb. What we have is a former mental patient (Bud Cort) who roomed with our late Norman, who must of killed again after Psycho 4, or just went plain nuts. He's been given the heavenly job of taking over Norman's motel. But greedy developers want to knock down the Bates Motel, "Oh no, not the Bates Motel" at the hands of their evil faced manager (Gregg Henry-Body Double, Payback) who you should hire if ever you're short of a villainous role. He goes to such lengths as scaring Cort off, either by wearing a chicken suit or dumping a fake body in the car lot, (the film's only low level violent scene) and who's gonna believe Cort over a respected property developer. But then again, I couldn't believe this film. And of all people, who should pop up, as a cooky female friend of Cort's, Lori Petty, in her early acting stage. But I guess you gotta start somewhere. If apart from Petty, Cort and Henry should of said "No" to this pile of garbage that is lucky to get two stars. Honestly, I would of stopped at one and a half. This film's so bad, that the Universal, Mca logo music, comes up at the end, following a quick end credit sequence, preceded by a little soliloquy from Cort's character. Honestly, some things in life leave me ultimately stupefied. Avoid at all costs, cause the consequences could be fatal.

Coventry A psychiatrist, as some sort of mental experiment, introduces a deeply disturbed young boy to the institutionalized Norman Bates. The two become close friends and, 27 years later when Normal dies, Alex inherits the infamous motel under the condition that he reopens it again. He has difficulties raising the funds and finding reliable people to help him, but Alex's commitment and willpower are strong enough. Things get a little old-fashioned mysterious when they dig up the corpse of an old woman and the first customers showing up at the motel have ghostly characteristics. I personally think "Bates Motel" has an interesting enough concept. I love the original "Psycho" just as much as everyone else and consider it to be one of the top 3 most influential and important cinematic milestones ever made, but not to such a pretentious extent that I think it's blasphemy to spoof or re-interpret it. The idea of a spin-off, which obviously refers to the original characters and their notoriety, is both courageous and ambitious. There are some really good plot twists and additional background to the whole Bates legacy by dragging in speculations about Norman's supposedly adulterous and abusive father Jake. Practically all the reviews around here show people exclaiming: "What were the producers thinking?!?". Well, I don't blame them for this tryout. It was worth a shot. The sequences in and around the famous motel and parental house are automatically atmospheric, while Bud Cort's performance is pretty effective with a right balance between geeky and creepy. There are a lot of subtle and honorable homage scenes, like with the name board, the rocking chair and – of course – the shower. The film is still also very 80's as well, with annoying pointless musical interludes showing the progress of the construction works. The extended sub plot during the last main act of the film, involving a romance between a suicidal aerobic teacher and an emotional frat student was a bad idea. Giving a paranormal twist to the Bates legacy wasn't necessary, but it was presumably the first unfolding of a longer-running TV series that never got made.

emenon This was as scary as the first Psycho movie made in 1960, with Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles and John Gavin. It was full of suspense. A young guy Bud Cort, took Norman Bates wish, after his death in his will, to have the Bates Motel and Mother's House. The Psychiatrist thought it would be good. He did go and with help from a young girl named Willie and Moses Guinn helped him restore the Bates Motel. The young lad had financial trouble. However this Banker was trying to scare him away from the Bates Motel. Dressing as Norman Bates Mother and telling him scary stuff, about a murder that took place years ago. At the end the Banker got caught with some help from Willie she came in dressed as Mrs. Bates and got a confession. After all the excitement was over Bud got to keep the Motel. Norman Bates house behind the motel, should be made into an attraction for visitors. Make it into a Bed and Breakfast, your not going to get stabbed. It should be on the historical register.