Studio: Arrow Video
Run Time: 1 hour 49 minutes 4 seconds (Psycho) (Uncut), 1 hour 48 minutes 51 seconds (Psycho) (recut) / 1 hour 32 minutes 58 seconds (Psycho III) / 1 hour 36 minutes 4 seconds (Psycho IV)
Region Code: FREE
Disc Count: 5
Picture: 2160p (1.85:1 aspect ratio) (Psycho 1-3) / 2160p (1.78:1 aspect ratio) (Psycho IV) (director's preferred ratio) / 2160p (1.33:1 aspect ratio) (Psycho IV) (TV ratio)
Sound: English DTS:X, English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English DTS 2.0 Mono, Spanish DTS 2.0 Mono, French DTS 2.0 Mono (Psycho) / English LPCM 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Psycho II, Psycho III)
Subtitles: English SDH (all films), Spanish (Psycho), French (Psycho)
Slipcover: Yes
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Janet Leigh (Psycho) / Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia (Psycho II) / Anthony Perkins, Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, Roberta Maxwell (Psycho III) / Anthony Perkins, Olivia Hussey, CCH Pounder, Warren Frost, Donna Mitchell, Henry Thomas (Psycho IV)
Written by Joseph Stefano (Psycho and Psycho IV) / Tom Holland (Psycho II) / Charles Edward Pogue (Psycho III)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho) / Richard Franklin (Psycho II) / Anthony Perkins (Psycho III) / Mick Garris (Psycho IV)
Rating: BBFC: 18 (strong violence, horror, sexual content)
Twenty three years later, Australian filmmaker Richard Franklin (PATRICK, ROAD GAMES) boldly followed in the master’s footsteps and directed PSYCHO II, a sequel that not only delivered on the promise of his earlier films but also lived up to Hitchcock’s original. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is declared sane and released from the facility in which he was being held, despite the complaints of Lila Loomis (née Crane, Vera Miles) sister of Norman’s most famous victim. All Norman wants to do is live quietly and productively as a normal member of society. But is returning to the house he once shared with his mother, and running the motel that was the site of so many murders, really a good idea? Is he cured, or will he kill again?
Picture: 2160p (1.85:1 aspect ratio) (Psycho 1-3) / 2160p (1.78:1 aspect ratio) (Psycho IV) (director's preferred ratio) / 2160p (1.33:1 aspect ratio) (Psycho IV) (TV ratio)
Sound: English DTS:X, English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English DTS 2.0 Mono, Spanish DTS 2.0 Mono, French DTS 2.0 Mono (Psycho) / English LPCM 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Psycho II, Psycho III)
Subtitles: English SDH (all films), Spanish (Psycho), French (Psycho)
Slipcover: Yes
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Janet Leigh (Psycho) / Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia (Psycho II) / Anthony Perkins, Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, Roberta Maxwell (Psycho III) / Anthony Perkins, Olivia Hussey, CCH Pounder, Warren Frost, Donna Mitchell, Henry Thomas (Psycho IV)
Written by Joseph Stefano (Psycho and Psycho IV) / Tom Holland (Psycho II) / Charles Edward Pogue (Psycho III)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho) / Richard Franklin (Psycho II) / Anthony Perkins (Psycho III) / Mick Garris (Psycho IV)
Rating: BBFC: 18 (strong violence, horror, sexual content)
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Poster(s)
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What's It About?
Phoenix office worker Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin) during lunch breaks, and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday, Marion is trusted to bank forty thousand dollars by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads toward Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into the Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) who seems to be dominated by his mother.
PSYCHO III would see Anthony Perkins himself take the franchise’s reins for his directorial debut, bringing a stylish flair that suggested his time working with not only Alfred Hitchcock, but Orson Welles and Ken Russell had been well spent. A fallen nun (Diana Scarwid as Maureen Coyle), a sleazy drifter (Jeff Fahey as Duane Duke), and a curious reporter looking for a scoop (Roberta Maxwell as Tracy Venables) all arrive at the Bates Motel and ‘Mother’ is less than happy, especially when Norman begins to fall in love.
Meanwhile, PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING, written by Joseph Stefano (screenwriter of the 1960 original) and directed by master of horror Mick Garris, returns to the primal scene to show us how it all began in Anthony Perkins’ final franchise appearance. Rehabilitated and happily married, Norman Bates has finally escaped from the overbearing influence of his abusive mother. But his wife is pregnant, and Norman finds himself afraid that the child will inherit his mental illness. When he hears talk radio host Fran Ambrose (CCH Pounder) discussing the topic of matricide, Norman calls in under a false name, to tell his story. Starring Henry Thomas (E.T.) as young Norman and Olivia Hussey (Black Christmas) as his mother, Norma.
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Film Review(s)
I reviewed the entire PSYCHO series a few years back so I am going to include them here:
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Video/Audio
PSYCHO looks great. Detail is very high throughout with textures getting the biggest bump. The HDR helps the greyscale as well as giving us a surprising amount of depth. Grain is heavier but it never overtakes the picture. Everything about the picture quality here is a major uptick from the already great looking blu-ray.
PSYCHO II is the first PSYCHO film in color. You would think that the director would add a lot of color to differentiate from the original but that was not to be. The film does have color to it but it's mostly earth tones and blue of the sky. The HDR deepens the earth tones and perfects the blue in the sky. The uptick in detail is very nice and skin tones look accurate. I am very happy with this transfer.
PSYCHO III has a ton of color in it, like Perkins was making his own giallo, and the HDR makes each and every one of those colors pop. Detail is high here too as are textures and the entire thing has a very organic look and feel to it.
PSYCHO IV is a low budget, made-for-tv (cable tv) affair so you have to put that into perspective as it looks a lot cheaper than the previous entries in the series. Like the previous films, detail, both fine and surface, is high. Skin tones look accurate and blacks are deep and inky. The HDR balances everything nicely while giving the colors a nice boost. Garris uses colors well and they look great here.
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Extras/Packaging
Disc 1: Psycho (1960)
The Making of Psycho (1h 34m, SD, 1.33:1)
Psycho Sound (9m 58s. HD, 1.78:1)
In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy (25m 58s, SD, 1.33:1)
Hitchcock / Truffaut (15m 20s)
Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho (7m 45s, SD, 1.33:1)
The Shower Scene: With and Without Sound (2m 30s, SD)
The Shower Sequence: Storyboards by Saul Bass (4m 10s, SD)
The Psycho Archives (7m 48s, SD, 1.33:1)
Posters and Psycho Ads (3m, SD, 1.33:1)
Lobby Cards (1m 30s, SD)
Behind-the-Scenes Photographs (8m 3s, SD, 1.33:1)
Production Photgraphs (8m 30s, SD, 1.33:1)
Psycho Theatrical Trailer (6m 31s, SD, 1.33:1)
Psycho Re-Release Trailer (1m 52s, SD, 1.33:1)
Feature Commentary
Disc 2: Psycho II (1983)
Commentaries:
Commentary by film critic Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains
Commentary by screenwriter Tom Holland
Behind the Curtain (43m 3s, HD, 1.78:1) The Masters of Horror on Psycho. Rob Galluzzio, director of The Psycho Legacy, leads a panel discussion with Tom Holland (screenwriter of Psycho II) and Mick Garris (director of Psycho IV)
Giving Bloch His Due (9m 11s, HD, 1.78:1) Chet Williamson, author of Psycho: Sanitarium, discusses the legacy of Norman Bates, author Robert Bloch
Anthony Perkins TV Interview (7m 40s, SD, 1.33:1)
Anthony Perkins Audio Interview (2m 21s)
Richard Franklin Audio Interview (20m)
Richard Franklin On Set (1m 54s. SD, 1.33:1)
Richard Franklin scene commentary(5m 33s, HD, 1.85:1)
Vintage Featurettes:
- A sequel to the classic (5m 59s, SD, 1.33:1)
- The house on the hill 2m 7s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Personality profile: Anthony Perkins (1m 57s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Personality profile: Richard Franklin (2m 6s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Still crazy after all these years (6m 45s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Behind the scenes (1m 45s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Anthony Perkins interview (1m 24s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Vera Miles interview (1m 27s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Janet Leigh interview (1m 35s, SD, 1.33:1)
Jerry Goldsmith demo (1m 50s, HD)
Trailers (5m 41s, HD, 1.85:1)
TV Spots (2m 1s, SD, 1.33:1)
Image Gallery (38 images)
Audio Press Kit: Promotional Record (1h 53m, 4K, 1.85:1)
Promotional Record Gallery (12 images)
Disc 3: Psycho III (1986)
Commentaries:
- Commentary by film critic Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains
- Commentary by screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue
Carnival of the Heart (11m 17s, HD, 1.85:1) A visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas exploring the idea of the carnivalesque in Psycho III. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2023
Scream of Love (15m 10s, HD, 1.78:1) A new interview with composer Carter Burwell as he looks back on his first time scoring a studio movie. Filmed exclusively for Arrow Video in 2023
Watch the Guitar (16m 49s, HD, 1.78:1 ) An archival interview with actor Jeff Fahey
Patsy's Last Night (8m 40s, HD, 1.78:1) An archival interview with actress Kat Shea
Mother's Maker (11m 12, HD, 1.78:1) An archival interview with special make-up effects artist Micahel Westmore
Body Double (5m 14s, HD, 1.78:1) An archival interview with actress Brinke Stevens who doubled for fellow actress Diana Scarwind in parts of Psycho III
Alternate TV Cut Scenes (7m 20, HD, 1.33:1) This alternate material appeared in the TV cut of Psycho III but was not featured in the theatrical version
Original Electronic Press Kit (7m 20s, SD, 1.33:1)
Teaser Trailer (50s, HD, 1.85:1)
Theatrical Trailer (1m 23s, SD, 1.33:1)
TV Spot (31s, SD, 1.33:1)
Image Gallery (27 images)
Disc 4: Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990) (Director's Intended Ratio)
Audio Commentary An archival audio commentary with director Mick Garris, and stars Henry Thomas and Olivia Hussey
Death by Strings (18m 6s, HD, 1.78:1) A new visual essay by film critic and author Guy Adams about the scores of the Psycho franchise. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2023
The Making of Mother (27m 41s, HD, 1.78:1) An archival interview with special make-up effects artist Tony Gardner
Behind the Scenes (13m 16s, SD, 1.33:1)
The Scoring of Psycho IV (6m 13s, SD, 1.33:1)
Trailers:
- Psycho (6m 33s, HD, 1.33:1)
- Psycho II (2m 11s, HD, 1.85:1)
- Psycho III (1m 23s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Bates Motel (1m 3s, SD, 1.33:1)
- Psycho IV: The Beginning (2m 14s, HD, 1.78:1)
- Psycho (1998) (1m 42s, HD, 1.85:1)
Disc 5: Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990) (TV Ratio)
Commentary:
- Audio Commentary An archival audio commentary with director Mick Garris, and stars Henry Thomas and Olivia Hussey
The special features package is really nice. The first film's special features will be familiar to anyone who has bought any home media release of the film since the Laserdisc. They include a wonderful making of along with the awesome theatrical trailer and a ton of info about the shower scene. The second, third, and fourth film each carryover the special features from the Scream Factory blu-rays while Arrow adds a few new features for the sequels (the original PSYCHO disc is the exact same disc Universal released a few years ago just with a brand new disc label from Arrow. My favorite of the new features are the visual essays for parts 3 and 4. I am really happy that Arrow carried over all of the features from the Scream releases as I don't have to buy those now.
Arrow releases the PSYCHO COLLECTION with some really nice packaging. The outer box is the same hard box Arrow has been using for years now. The front picture is a silhouette of mother outside of the shower in part one. There is a clear slipcover that goes over the whole box that mimics a shower curtain. I love that touch about this set. Inside the box are four black 4K blu-ray cases, one for each film. Each film features reversible cover art, with newly commissioned artwork on one side and the film's original theatrical poster on the other side. Each case contains one disc along with three postcards and a double-sided poster featuring the same pieces of artwork as the blu-ray cases except for part 4 which doesn't have any postcards. A "120-page perfect bound collector’s book featuring new writing by film critics John-Paul Checkett and Johnny Mains plus select archival material" along with technical information about each of the transfers used in this set.
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Overall
PSYCHO as a series is quite a bit of fun. Of course, the first film is a classic but each film has its qualities. The second film is a worthy follow-up to the original, giving us a real depiction of what would happen if Norman Bates were to be released. I like the mind fuck the film presents. Is Norman better? Is he going crazy? Part 3 goes into slasher / giallo territory which is a ton of fun. Perkins shows us that he can direct just as well as Hitchcock and Franklin. Part 4 is a mixed bag for me. I like the prequel stuff but the stuff with Norman calling into the radio show falls flat. Still, it's a decent film for the series to go out on.
This 4K blu-ray release from Arrow Films is the definitive collection of the series. Each film is given the 4K treatment and they all look fantastic. The special features package is equally impressive with commentaries for each film along with interviews and appreciations. This is a must own for fans of the series. It won't get better than this set.
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Packaging
 4K Blu-ray Review + Screenshots){kind=link}
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