Since last time, Norman Bates has been institutionalized again and has fallen in love with a psychologist and has married her. She was married once before and lives in a beautiful split level house. Her name is Connie. Norman is out on parole now and is living a near normal married life. As we join Norman in the beginning of Psycho IV, it's his birthday and he's listening to a radio talk show called "Talk of the Town" on KTK, 490 AM. The talk show is hosted by a lady called Fran Ambrose. The subject of the night is "Why boys commit matricide" or what causes boys to kill their mothers?
As we join Norman talking to Fran Ambrose, it's early in the conversation and a young man , who has been committed, named Raymond Linette, is telling Fran about the therapy he's received at his institution. A Psychiatrist, who is also a guest on the program, remarks that the recidivism rate is much too great in institutions today. Raymond also says his mother told him that he would never amount to anything. He says, "I killed my own mother." "Is that amounting to anything or what?" His maternal grandfather is there with him and agrees with him, even though it was his daughter that he killed.
Norman Bates manages to avoid questions that might give away his age or the location of his younger life such as "How old were you when you killed your first victim?" Also "Where were you living when all of this started?" Norman has his back to the camera and as he turns around and says, "I might have to kill again" you can see where Anthony Perkins might have had a slight stroke on the right side of his mouth--it droops just a little. Perkins was 58 years old when he made Psycho IV. He had just two more years to live. (1932-1992). You can see that age and possibly an illness was taking its toll on Perkins.
I think Perkins had some sort of an identity issue during his life. It was well known that he had a hard time of shedding the character of Norman Bates through the Psychos I through IV. (1960-1990). This happens to some actors whose personalities are prone to this kind of malady. It's like being hypnotized by the character your playing.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
Zodiac
As I was talking to Ricardo Gomez I mentioned that there might be more to that 340 symbol cipher than I realized. Just the fact that he used letters and symbols, alternating back and forth, seems to tell me that maybe, using just the letters, whole sentences could appear. The same might be true with just the symbols. Otherwise , why would he alternate? I often got the feeling, while I was solving the cipher back in September 2012, that some of the symbols and/or letters were put there just to confuse.
The possible fact that he might be a member of law enforcement always was in the back of my mind. Especially the story about the tape of the Zodiac's voice being in the Vallejo Police Department always made me wonder. I said to Ricardo that it was too bad that we lost Nancy Slover, who was about my age, to cancer. I would have liked to talk to her about her short conversation with the Zodiac. A voice graph would be a very handy tool in catching the killer. The fact remains that if there was a tape of the conversation with Slover, the person who got rid of it would be very close to the VPD building.
I also mentioned that there had to be a real strong reason that Mageau left the area. He almost had to know who the Zodiac was or is and the same might be true of Darlene's sisters. For these people to be quiet for so long seems very strange. Murder is murder and the fact that it is a horrible crime doesn't fade away with time.
Don't forget Gomez's web site, MK-Zodiac.com
I'll start with Psycho IV soon.
The possible fact that he might be a member of law enforcement always was in the back of my mind. Especially the story about the tape of the Zodiac's voice being in the Vallejo Police Department always made me wonder. I said to Ricardo that it was too bad that we lost Nancy Slover, who was about my age, to cancer. I would have liked to talk to her about her short conversation with the Zodiac. A voice graph would be a very handy tool in catching the killer. The fact remains that if there was a tape of the conversation with Slover, the person who got rid of it would be very close to the VPD building.
I also mentioned that there had to be a real strong reason that Mageau left the area. He almost had to know who the Zodiac was or is and the same might be true of Darlene's sisters. For these people to be quiet for so long seems very strange. Murder is murder and the fact that it is a horrible crime doesn't fade away with time.
Don't forget Gomez's web site, MK-Zodiac.com
I'll start with Psycho IV soon.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Psycho III
A fight starts between Duke and Norman. Norman hits Duke with an ashtray in the head. Duke goes after Norman and they roll off the bed onto the floor. Norman hits Duke again with a lamp and then starts beating him with his guitar.
The scene shifts to Statler's Diner where Myrna, Statler and Tracy Venable are talking about Miss Spool. They mention the former owner of the diner, Harvey Leach. He's in a nursing home outside of town.
Tracy goes to visit Harvey Leach and they talk about Miss Spool. He says she came from an asylum because she murdered somebodies husband. She was in love with Norman's father and killed him in a jealous rage. After she came back to "normal" they let her out in society and she went to work in Leach's diner.
In the meantime, Maureen Coyle has been talking to Father Brian and says she's failed so many people and knows Norman is the man for her. Father Brian says, "Are you sure?" Maureen convinces Father Brian and packs up her suitcase.
Norman now has three bodies to get rid of. The redhead, Duke's girlfriend, Patsy Boyle and Wayne Duke himself. He puts them all in Dukes old car and starts driving to a nearby swamp. In the meantime, Duke comes back to life and tosses a noose around Norman's neck while he's driving. Norman slams on the brakes and Duke catapults into the front seat where Norman shoves his head into the passenger floor well and chokes him. He then leaves all three bodies, gets out, and swims to shore and goes back to the motel.
Maureen leaves room #1 and goes up to the mansion and slowly climbs the stairs to the top landing. As she meets Norman there the mother half of Norman's mind comes alive and Norman shouts NORMAN! Maureen falls backwards down the stairs and her head is stabbed by the statue of Cupid at the bottom and she dies. Norman lays her out in the living-room as they used to do in the old days with about 150 candles lit.
Tracy Venable comes looking for Maureen with a tire iron in her hand and examines cabin #1. She then goes to the mansion and finds Maureen and says, "You dumb, stupid girl." Just then she turns around and sees Norman dressed as his mother. He says, "Why won't you leave my poor son, my Norman alone?" He follows her up to the mother's bedroom where he proceeds to chop up her corpse with a butcher knife. He cuts off her left hand as a keepsake. The Sheriff is called and Norman is led away. This is the end of Psycho III.
The scene shifts to Statler's Diner where Myrna, Statler and Tracy Venable are talking about Miss Spool. They mention the former owner of the diner, Harvey Leach. He's in a nursing home outside of town.
Tracy goes to visit Harvey Leach and they talk about Miss Spool. He says she came from an asylum because she murdered somebodies husband. She was in love with Norman's father and killed him in a jealous rage. After she came back to "normal" they let her out in society and she went to work in Leach's diner.
In the meantime, Maureen Coyle has been talking to Father Brian and says she's failed so many people and knows Norman is the man for her. Father Brian says, "Are you sure?" Maureen convinces Father Brian and packs up her suitcase.
Norman now has three bodies to get rid of. The redhead, Duke's girlfriend, Patsy Boyle and Wayne Duke himself. He puts them all in Dukes old car and starts driving to a nearby swamp. In the meantime, Duke comes back to life and tosses a noose around Norman's neck while he's driving. Norman slams on the brakes and Duke catapults into the front seat where Norman shoves his head into the passenger floor well and chokes him. He then leaves all three bodies, gets out, and swims to shore and goes back to the motel.
Maureen leaves room #1 and goes up to the mansion and slowly climbs the stairs to the top landing. As she meets Norman there the mother half of Norman's mind comes alive and Norman shouts NORMAN! Maureen falls backwards down the stairs and her head is stabbed by the statue of Cupid at the bottom and she dies. Norman lays her out in the living-room as they used to do in the old days with about 150 candles lit.
Tracy Venable comes looking for Maureen with a tire iron in her hand and examines cabin #1. She then goes to the mansion and finds Maureen and says, "You dumb, stupid girl." Just then she turns around and sees Norman dressed as his mother. He says, "Why won't you leave my poor son, my Norman alone?" He follows her up to the mother's bedroom where he proceeds to chop up her corpse with a butcher knife. He cuts off her left hand as a keepsake. The Sheriff is called and Norman is led away. This is the end of Psycho III.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Psycho III
Norman and Maureen return to the motel in a driving rainstorm just as Katt Shea Ruben is getting ice from the ice machine and says to Duke in the office, "Well, I guess the wet look is coming back," and then goes on further down the boardwalk. Norman and Maureen start kissing in room #1 and Norman says, "I just can't go any further." He then goes up to see "mother" in her bedroom and she says, "You dirty, dirty boy. You let her come between us. It's perfectly normal for a boy to love his mother. Get me the knife from the chest at the foot of the bed Norman. Norman picks up the knife and deliberately cuts himself. At the same time Maureen comes up to the mansion and asks Norman what's wrong. He tells her to go back to her room and lock her door....
Down in the motel Kyle and Ruthie are probably drunk and Kyle is trying to take advantage of Ruthie while she tells him that she was not a cheerleader but was a majorette. They laugh on and on and on.
Katt Shea Rubin goes into the office and calls for Duke but he's nowhere to be found. She closes the windows and sees a john and sits down. While there, Norman, dressed as his mother comes by and scares her and proceeds to cut her throat and stabs her in the abdomen. He then puts her corpse in the ice machine with only her face showing along with one hand.
Norman sleeps in the downstairs living-room. He wakes up when Sheriff Hunt and a deputy knock on the front door late in the morning. Sheriff Hunt has a warrant and he and the deputy go upstairs to "mother's room." Mother should be there but to Norman's amazement, she isn't. They go back down to the motel where Tracy and Duke are waiting also. It should be noted that Duke has taken "mother" to his cabin, #12. Sheriff Hunt reaches in the ice machine and we see the corpse of Katt Shea Ruben as Hunt grabs some blood covered ice and puts it in his mouth. He does not see her and slams the door to the machine down. In the meantime Tracy has told Maureen about Norman's past and she takes Maureen away to Father Brian's apartment. Norman is left alone to look for mother. He goes up to the house and looks everywhere for her but to no avail. Finally he sees a note in the kitchen which says, "I'm in cabin 12. Come see me." Norman hurries down the stone steps and hurries along the boardwalk in front of the motel with a very disoriented look on his face. The fact that he's crazy obviously shows on his face. The best way to describe his look is that of a person with no identity AT ALL. When he reaches Duke's room you can hear the T V with a Looney Tunes production on the screen. Duke starts to sing the old Irish folk song "Mother Mc Cree." I love the dear silver that shines in your hair and the brow that is furrowed and wrinkled with care. I kiss the dear fingers so tore worn for me--God bless you and keep you dear Mother........Bates. Doesn't scam does it Norman? Says Duke. to be continued
Down in the motel Kyle and Ruthie are probably drunk and Kyle is trying to take advantage of Ruthie while she tells him that she was not a cheerleader but was a majorette. They laugh on and on and on.
Katt Shea Rubin goes into the office and calls for Duke but he's nowhere to be found. She closes the windows and sees a john and sits down. While there, Norman, dressed as his mother comes by and scares her and proceeds to cut her throat and stabs her in the abdomen. He then puts her corpse in the ice machine with only her face showing along with one hand.
Norman sleeps in the downstairs living-room. He wakes up when Sheriff Hunt and a deputy knock on the front door late in the morning. Sheriff Hunt has a warrant and he and the deputy go upstairs to "mother's room." Mother should be there but to Norman's amazement, she isn't. They go back down to the motel where Tracy and Duke are waiting also. It should be noted that Duke has taken "mother" to his cabin, #12. Sheriff Hunt reaches in the ice machine and we see the corpse of Katt Shea Ruben as Hunt grabs some blood covered ice and puts it in his mouth. He does not see her and slams the door to the machine down. In the meantime Tracy has told Maureen about Norman's past and she takes Maureen away to Father Brian's apartment. Norman is left alone to look for mother. He goes up to the house and looks everywhere for her but to no avail. Finally he sees a note in the kitchen which says, "I'm in cabin 12. Come see me." Norman hurries down the stone steps and hurries along the boardwalk in front of the motel with a very disoriented look on his face. The fact that he's crazy obviously shows on his face. The best way to describe his look is that of a person with no identity AT ALL. When he reaches Duke's room you can hear the T V with a Looney Tunes production on the screen. Duke starts to sing the old Irish folk song "Mother Mc Cree." I love the dear silver that shines in your hair and the brow that is furrowed and wrinkled with care. I kiss the dear fingers so tore worn for me--God bless you and keep you dear Mother........Bates. Doesn't scam does it Norman? Says Duke. to be continued
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Psycho III
Maureen Coyle has a room at St. Matthew's Hospital. Norman Bates, the sheriff and Tracey Venable all are waiting in the lobby while Father Brian is in the room talking to Maureen. Norman goes in next and offers her a place to stay, F O C, when she gets out. She says, "I left the bathroom in a terrible mess." Norman says, "I've seen it worse." He's evidentaly remembering when he killed Janet Leigh in Psycho I. They talk and he brings up the oft used phrase, "We all go a little mad sometimes." She says, "Thanks for being so kind," and Norman laughs because he intended to stab her to death like he did Janet Leigh. He continues to laugh as he walks out of the hospital room and shuts the door.
He leaves her room and walks into the next movie set which is his mother's bedroom. Norman says, "I'm glad she didn't die," to his mother and she, (he), replies, "She will." We have to remember in all of these movies that both Norman and his mother are coming from the same brain - Norman's.
When she gets back to the motel and her room #1 she notices that Norman has had her lavender dress cleaned and pressed. She thanks Norman and he replies that conservative clothes never go out of style. He also says that she would look good in that dress that evening. In the meantime four of the motel rooms have been occupied by Central High cheerleaders and supporters. Business seems to have picked up quite a bit. These supporters are noisy for the rest of the movie.
Norman goes up to his mother's bedroom and talks to her, (himself.) Mother says, If this little whore is going to bother him, he should get rid of her. She asks Norman if he is ashamed of her. He says that he isn't.
As nighttime comes Norman rents a taxicab and they both go out to a nightclub. They toast each other time and time again and then Norman asks her if she wants to dance. She says no but Norman says he'll show her how. He says his mother taught him how. He shows her the basic box step and they continue dancing the night away. to be continued.
He leaves her room and walks into the next movie set which is his mother's bedroom. Norman says, "I'm glad she didn't die," to his mother and she, (he), replies, "She will." We have to remember in all of these movies that both Norman and his mother are coming from the same brain - Norman's.
When she gets back to the motel and her room #1 she notices that Norman has had her lavender dress cleaned and pressed. She thanks Norman and he replies that conservative clothes never go out of style. He also says that she would look good in that dress that evening. In the meantime four of the motel rooms have been occupied by Central High cheerleaders and supporters. Business seems to have picked up quite a bit. These supporters are noisy for the rest of the movie.
Norman goes up to his mother's bedroom and talks to her, (himself.) Mother says, If this little whore is going to bother him, he should get rid of her. She asks Norman if he is ashamed of her. He says that he isn't.
As nighttime comes Norman rents a taxicab and they both go out to a nightclub. They toast each other time and time again and then Norman asks her if she wants to dance. She says no but Norman says he'll show her how. He says his mother taught him how. He shows her the basic box step and they continue dancing the night away. to be continued.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Psycho III
As we go back to the diner, Tracey Venable has just decided to interview Norman Bates, much to his disliking. She came from L A and writes for the Costal magazine. As they are talking a cab over engine Ford pulls up and lets out a rider named Maureen Coyle, the lady who deserted the nunnery earlier. As she comes into the diner Norman sees the initials on her suitcase....M. C. The same as Marion Crane, (Janet Leigh), in Psycho I. This has a deep effect on Norman and he gets up and leaves the diner. Maureen asks the waitress if there is a reasonable place to stay in the area.
Back at the motel Norman has Duke on duty in the office when he sees Maureen walking up the road and sells her a room for $25.95, the price of a double room. Duke pockets the extra $5. She goes into her room and slides into a suicidal depression. She is spied upon by Norman through a hole in the wall of his parlor later and she cuts her wrists. Norman dressed as his mother comes in with a knife and discovers her and decides to save her. An ambulance is called and she is taken to St. Matthew's Hospital.
The next scene is at St. Matthews Hospital. con't
Back at the motel Norman has Duke on duty in the office when he sees Maureen walking up the road and sells her a room for $25.95, the price of a double room. Duke pockets the extra $5. She goes into her room and slides into a suicidal depression. She is spied upon by Norman through a hole in the wall of his parlor later and she cuts her wrists. Norman dressed as his mother comes in with a knife and discovers her and decides to save her. An ambulance is called and she is taken to St. Matthew's Hospital.
The next scene is at St. Matthews Hospital. con't
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Psycho III
Note: Before we go any further we should note a few things about Sir Alfred Hitchcock's M O. Whenever the bottom is about to fall out you will hear a bird, raven or crow, cawing a few times or you will see the owl or raven in Norman's parlor behind the office. As I mentioned before, after Norman does his work he goes to the mother's room and says, "Oh mother, blood...blood." Also when someone pulls up to the motel you might notice their car or truck is suddenly gone after they finish their business in the registration office. This was true for Sam Loomis and Lila Crane when they came looking for Marion. Also, the big floodlight near the motel sign was not supposed to be there. Hitch read the riot act to the crew but I think it looked fine. Without it there would be no light except for the yellow lights by each of the cabins. Most motels have a small floodlight showing off the motel rooms or cabins. I noticed when Milton Arbogast called Lila from a phone booth that he actually dialed the seven numbers of the hardware store after he put the dime in the phone and listened for the dial tone. When, in Psycho I, Maureen Tuttle, the deputy's wife, called the operator that she spoke a little too fast. When you used to get the operator it took 2 to 4 seconds or more for the operator to answer. This was when Sam and Lila got the deputy out of bed to report Marion was missing.
As a side note, the motel has seven rooms in a line down from the office. Number 1 is on one level, no's 2 and 3 down one level, no's 4 and 5 down the next level, no's 6 and 7 down the next level. Then there is an alleyway, and then, at a right angle, number 8 begins with 9 and 10 and 11 and 12. Also, the peak of the Victorian mansion came from the movie "Harvey" which, I think stared James Stewart.
It's interesting to note that when Norman was heading to Statler's Diner, he was walking, instead of taking a cab. They are 15 miles apart.
Next time we'll pick up the story as Norman reaches the diner and starts to talk with Tracey Venable and meets Maureen Coyle. Remember mother is always with Norman no matter where he goes and no matter whom he talks to.
As a side note, the motel has seven rooms in a line down from the office. Number 1 is on one level, no's 2 and 3 down one level, no's 4 and 5 down the next level, no's 6 and 7 down the next level. Then there is an alleyway, and then, at a right angle, number 8 begins with 9 and 10 and 11 and 12. Also, the peak of the Victorian mansion came from the movie "Harvey" which, I think stared James Stewart.
It's interesting to note that when Norman was heading to Statler's Diner, he was walking, instead of taking a cab. They are 15 miles apart.
Next time we'll pick up the story as Norman reaches the diner and starts to talk with Tracey Venable and meets Maureen Coyle. Remember mother is always with Norman no matter where he goes and no matter whom he talks to.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Psycho III (1996)
Psycho III starts in a nunnery in the West where Maureen Coyle attempts suicide in a bell tower. She doesn't succeed but another nun falls to her death and Maureen is blamed for it. She leaves for good and takes off across the desert with a suitcase towards a main highway. Along comes Wayne Duke, a folk singer in a beat up olds, who gives her a ride. Night falls and the rains come and they have to stop and sleep. Duke makes advances, she gets mad, and throws her out with her suitcase. Duke carries on to the Bates motel. Norman Bates, in the meantime, is stuffing birds with sawdust on the kitchen table when he hears Duke's horn blowing down at the motel. Norman yells down that he'll, "be right down".
They both go into the office and Norman tells Duke there's a job opening at $5 an hour as assistant manager. Norman says they've been closed for a while for renovations but business is bound to pick up. He's booked two or three cabins for later in the week for a football game - Central vs. Fairvale. Duke says that he doesn't want a long time job but he only wants to make enough money to get his brakes fixed and that he won't be staying around long. Norman says, "Nobody ever does." That's the first dark joke of the movie. Norman decides to go to Statler's Diner and tells Duke he'll bring him back a couple of burgers. He tells Duke to remember the motel rates. $20.95 single and $25.95 double. Duke doesn't always keep to those rates. In the diner we meet Maureen and Sheriff Hunt. con't
They both go into the office and Norman tells Duke there's a job opening at $5 an hour as assistant manager. Norman says they've been closed for a while for renovations but business is bound to pick up. He's booked two or three cabins for later in the week for a football game - Central vs. Fairvale. Duke says that he doesn't want a long time job but he only wants to make enough money to get his brakes fixed and that he won't be staying around long. Norman says, "Nobody ever does." That's the first dark joke of the movie. Norman decides to go to Statler's Diner and tells Duke he'll bring him back a couple of burgers. He tells Duke to remember the motel rates. $20.95 single and $25.95 double. Duke doesn't always keep to those rates. In the diner we meet Maureen and Sheriff Hunt. con't
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