Bate’s Motel
1987  NR  DRAMA/TELEVISION  1h 30min
CAST— Bud Cort, Lori Petty, Moses Gunn, Gregg Henry, Jason Bateman, Kerrie Keane
MUSIC— J. Peter Robinson  DIRECTOR— Richard Rothstein

     Absolutely ludicrous telefilm that ignores the events of Psycho II (1983) and Psycho III (1986) (no masterpieces themselves) and asks the viewer to believe this to be a followup to one of Alfred Hitchcock’s grandest achievements. Norman Bates was institutionalized back in 1960 where he befriended a young boy with psychoses of his own. Twenty seven years later Norman dies, leaving his decrepit motel to his now grown best friend, Alex. Alex is released from the institution and seeks his way towards Fairville, California. Well people think this odd little guy is nuts when he claims that he plans on re-opening the motel (which by now is reputed to be haunted). But he gains support from a girl in a chicken costume (Lori Petty) and a local contractor who actually knew the Bates family. The project before them is grand in scale, but eventually things come together. And them the film segues into an anti-suicide PSA in the form of a ghostly sock hop that is as superfluous as anything in recent memory. Whatever the filmmakers were thinking… no. Just no. The film starts out just interesting enough for one to want to see where this whole thing is heading, but the payoff is nonexistent. If Hitch were still alive and kicking he may have sued. Why didn’t Robert Bloch?
OUR RATING— *
PRECEDED BY— Psycho (1960)