Bates Motel (1987) (TV)

User Rating:

3.2/10   

Director:

Richard Rothstein

Writer:

Richard Rothstein (writer)

Release Date:

5 July 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Horror

Tagline:

Norman may be gone, but the hotel lives on!

Plot:

A mentally disturbed man, who roomed with the late Norman Bates at the state lunatic asylum, inherits the legendary Bates Motel after the death of Norman and tries to fix it up to make it a respectable business.

Plot Keywords:

Motel | Ghost | Bird Costume | 1970s | 1980s

Cast

Bud Cort	...	Alex West
Lori Petty	...	Willie
Moses Gunn	...	Henry Watson
Gregg Henry	...	Tom Fuller
Khrystyne Haje	...	Sally
Jason Bateman	...	Tony Scotti
Kerrie Keane	...	Barbara Peters
Robert Picardo	...	Dr. Goodman
Andy Albin	...	Mr. Yokes
Dolores Albin	...	Mrs. Fisher
Kelly Ames	...	Beth
Robert Axelrod	...	Sheepskin Salesman
Gary Ballard	...	Pastor
Nat Bernstein	...	Salesman
Peter Dobson	...	Billy Parks

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:18 | West Germany:12 | UK:15 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

This film was originally planned as a pilot (2-hr movie) for a possible TV series. But due to low-ratings and lack of interest from an audience, producers shelved the idea.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Psycho Legacy (2009)

Soundtrack:

Where or When

I watched this for 2 reasons...

I was a fan of Tony Perkins and the original "Psycho". And I loved Bud Cort from the time I saw him in "Harold & Maude" on. What I came away thinking about when I saw "Bates Motel" though was, boy would this have made a great series. Also, who is Lori Petty? This was really one of her very first jobs. I followed her to the "Booker" TV series and I've been a fan ever since. Who would've thought that a Tennessee-born Pentecostal preacher's daughter would go on to be "Tank Girl"? I will always love this goofy little TV movie for keeping the But Cort flame alive and introducing me to Lori Petty. A note of trivia: Kurt Paul, who played Norman in this movie went on to stunt double for Tony Perkins in the big screen "Psycho" sequels and to guest star as the serial killer being interviewed by CCH Pounder in the "Psycho IV" cable movie.