Psycho II / Psycho III / Psycho IV - The Beginning

Psycho IV: The Beginning was made for the Showtime cable network in 1990. The film was released on VHS the following year, but that tape has long been out-of-print. The film itself achieves something quite amazing, considering (1) It's the fourth film in a series, and (2) it's a made-for-t.v. movie--not usually the mark of quality entertainment. It was written by Joseph Stefano, who penned the classic Hitchock-directed original based (loosely) on Robert Bloch's novel. At the time Psycho IV was made, Stefano was open about his distaste for the previous sequels, which were made without his involvement. But for fans worried about continuity, the film doesn't really ignore the events of Psycho II and III. . .it just doesn't dwell on them. Actors: Anthony Perkins, Diana Scarwid, CCH Pounder, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly