Review: The Psycho Collection – Limited Edition Blu-ray boxset

By Alex Wiggan

Fans of physical media have been eating well this year, thanks to the release of some excellent 4K/Blu-ray box sets such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Changeling, and this week another delicious treat is being served up for UK film fanatics, in the shape of The Psycho Collection Limited Edition boxset. The boxset makes its debut this week on 4K and Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow, and is an all ‘bells and whistles’ release, which collects together all four Anthony Perkins Psycho movies.

How limited edition is this Psycho boxset? Fairly limited.

For the record, I attempted to pick up a Blu-ray edition in two shops in Central Manchester yesterday (HMV and Fopp) and neither had any copies – and nor were they getting any. Apparently, Arrow has made this boxset so limited, that (at least for now) physical stores aren’t getting any stock.

If you want one, you’ll have to order online, which is bad news for the high street, but on a more positive note, at least you know where to get one. And on an even more positive note, if you’re a Psycho fan, who adores physical media, you’ll most likely want to invest in this boxset.

This collection is gorgeous to look at, and it comes loaded with a wealth of extras, including a boat-load of special features on the discs. There’s also some physical bits and bobs too, to make this feel like an extra special release.

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To begin with, the boxset includes four movies: Psycho (1960), Psycho II (1983), Psycho III (1986), and Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990). For those not quite familiar with this particular horror series, the four films revolve around the character of Norman Bates – the titular ‘psycho’ – who spends the quartet of movies either wrestling with his inner demons, battling with his mother, or going on a murdering spree.

The first film in the set is the black-and-white classic, Psycho, which is arguably the best loved in the series. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock the movie is famous for THAT shower sign, as well as THAT iconic piece of music, and follows the story of Norman – a seemingly mild mannered motel owner with a dark secret.

Psycho II – directed by Richard Franklin – picks up the story over two decades later, with Norman back at the motel having spent some time in a mental institution. Norman claims he wants to get back to some kind of normality, but when deaths start occurring, he begins to question whether he is somehow involved.

The third film in the collection is the appropriately titled Psycho III. This entry – directed by and starring Anthony Perkins – is set a month after the events of Psycho II, with yet more murders taking place at the Bates Motel.

And finally, Psycho IV: The Beginning is the last instalment, and acts as both a sequel and a prequel to the entire series. Directed by Mick Garris, this made-for-television movie sees Norman continue to struggle with day-to-day life, while flashbacks to his youth detail his complicated and problematic relationship with his mother.

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Out of the four movies, Psycho is the stone-cold classic, Psycho II is a solid cult favourite, Psycho III has some good moments, and Psycho IV: The Beginning isn’t bad for a ‘90s TV movie. Sure, the quality does drop off with each subsequent entry, but there’s something enjoyable about the entire series and Anthony Perkins is never less than superb as Norman Bates.

You know how even in the poor Superman movies, Christopher Reeve remains consistently good in the lead role? Well, the same can be said for Perkins, who made Norman his signature performance and is always the big draw in this collection of films.

If you’re a horror buff you know Perkins is solid gold stuff. And if you’re not a horror buff, then don’t just take my word for it, dive in and find out for yourself.

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Now, as noted above, The Psycho Limited Edition boxset is available in either 4K or Blu-ray, depending on your preference and/or your budget. The 4K has a recommended retail price of £69.99, while the Blu-ray has an RRP of £59.99.

If you act fast, you’ll find this boxset for much lower than what is suggested, with anywhere between £10 – £15 being shaved off those prices. However, as mentioned earlier, your retailer options are more limited, and you may find some retailers have already sold out of their current stock allocation.

But regardless of who has what and how much they’re selling it for, what else do you get with this boxset outside of the films? Well, first and foremost there’s a pretty long list of special features for each movie.

These features breakdown as follows:

Psycho

60th anniversary edition of the movie, with uncut and re-release versions of the film
Audio commentary with Stephen Rebello, author of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho
The Making of Psycho documentary
In the Master’s Shadow: Hitchcock’s Legacy featurette
Hitchcock/Truffaut audio interview with scenes from the movie
Newsreel footage: The Release of Psycho featurette
The Shower Scene: With & Without Music featurette
The Shower Sequence, storyboards by Saul Bass image gallery
Psycho Sound featurette
The Psycho archives image gallery
Posters and Psycho ads image gallery
Lobby cards image gallery
Behind the scenes photographs image gallery
Publicity shots image gallery
Theatrical trailer
Re-release trailers

Psycho II

New audio commentary by film critics Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains
Archive audio commentary by screenwriter Tom Holland
Behind the Curtain: The Masters of Horror on Psycho, a panel discussion with screenwriter Tom Holland and Psycho IV director Mick Garris, moderated by Robert Galluzzo
Giving Bloch His Due, an interview with Chet Williams, author of Psycho: Sanitarium on the legacy of Norman Bates’s creator, Robert Bloch
Anthony Perkins TV and audio interviews
Richard Franklin audio interview
Richard Franklin On Set featurette
Richard Franklin scene commentary
Vintage featurettes including interviews with Perkins, Franklin, and Vera Miles
Psycho II demo by composer Jerry Goldsmith
Audio press kit/promotional record
Trailers & TV spots
Image gallery

Psycho III

New audio commentary by film critics Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains
Archive audio commentary by screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue
Carnival of the Heart, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller Nicholas
Scream of Love, a new interview with composer Carter Burwell
Watch the Guitar, an interview with actor Jeff Fahey
Patsy’s Last Night, an interview with actor Katt Shea
Mother’s Maker, an interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Westmore
Body Double, an interview with actor Brinke Stevens
Original Electronic Press Kit
Alternate opening sequence
Theatrical trailer
TV spot
Image gallery

Psycho IV: The Beginning (2 disc-edition)

Disc one includes a HD edition of Psycho IV with the director’s preferred 1.78:1 aspect ratio
Disc two includes a HD edition of Psycho IV presented in 1.33.1 TV aspect ratio – which is a limited edition exclusive
Archive audio commentary with Mick Garris and actors Henry Thomas and Olivia Hussey
Death by Strings, a new visual essay by author and critic Guy Adams on music across the franchise
The Making of Mother, an archive interview with make-up effects artist Tony Gardner
Behind the scenes footage
A Look at the Scoring of Psycho IV, an archive featurette
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery

To add to the above, Psycho II, Psycho III, and Psycho IV boast all-new restorations from the original camera negatives. Each of the four films also includes optional English subtitles for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

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In addition to the above (which is a lot, isn’t it?), all four films are housed within their own individual cases, which boast reversible sleeves. On one side are the classic posters/cover art long associated with the films, while on the other side is new (and ruddy marvellous) artwork from Matt Griffin.

As well as appearing on the reversible sleeves, the artwork also features on a series of double-sided mini-posters which are contained in each case. There’s a poster for each movie, which can either be looked at and kept neatly in the box, or turned into decorative wall art should the mood take you.

Psycho, Psycho II, and Psycho III also come packaged up with three photo cards (nine in total), showcasing key characters or scenes from their respective movies. Psycho IV: The Beginning is the only movie which doesn’t include any photo cards, but as this release boasts two discs instead of one, it kind of makes up for the lack of cards.

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To accompany all four movies, the boxset includes a 120-page perfect bound booklet which talks about the film series. The booklet includes a few photos, alongside new writing by film critics John-Paul Checkett and Johnny Mains, plus select archive material.

All of this is then housed in a red and black illustrated cardboard outer box, which in turn sits within a clear plastic shell. This shell features the four film logos on the front, and all the special feature details printed (in white) on the back.

The clear plastic shell keeps everything neatly contained, while at the same time allows for a good ol’ glimpse at what’s inside. It’s a simple design, but one which is very effective.

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Jeez, I might need a lie down from all that information.

*Takes a deep breath*

All-in-all this is an excellent boxset, which provides hours of entertainment. From the films through to the special features, and even the supplementary material (i.e. the booklet), there is enough content here to keep you going for days.

The overall presentation of The Psycho Limited Edition boxset is slick, uniform, and nicely executed. This is a must-buy for Psycho fans who don’t already own other versions of the films, and of course it’s ideal for those who want to upgrade to Blu-ray or 4K.

If you are looking for a horror series to delve into this Halloween, and you want all the behind the scenes information and background details, not just the movies, then The Psycho Limited Edition boxset is ready-made for you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some horror movie viewing to do – and it could take me a while.