Rainey Dawn As other reviewers have mentioned: This made for TV film is a pilot for a TV series that never materialized nor is this film in any way a part of the "Psycho" franchise. This has become a stand alone "fanboy" type of film - so I've heard.I DO NOT recommend this film to fans of the "Psycho" film series nor would I recommend this film to fans of comedy films. Watch this film ONLY out of curiosity and do not expect anything near the "Psycho" film series because this is far, far away from them. There are only very loose connections to the "Psycho" franchise.Several things wrong with this film: It's not funny (I only got a couple of laughs out of it in the beginning), irritating characters, and the story does not make any since at all - the whole "1950s" thing with the ghost saving the woman's life should have been left out of this film - would have been much better with out it.I got this film via Amazon in the "4-Movie Midnight Marathon Pack: Psychos" - a worthwhile collection even though I am not fond of "Bates Motel"... it's still worth having in a Psycho collection for the sheer novelty of it.3/10

katenalliesmom I don't understand the low ratings for this little gem of a movie. So what if it ignores the psycho sequels and changes up a few things from the original psycho. It's still a great movie. Good acting and a nice little ghost story mystery thrown in. I especially loved Bud Cort as Alex. I am a huge fan of the original Psycho and it's sequels and I think this is a great addition for any psycho fan or even someone who has never seen psycho. It was great revisiting the Bates Motel all covered in cobwebs and neglected. Gave it a nice creepy feeling. I just upgraded to a better copy of this from ioffer (they are also selling it on amazon) and it's a fairly good picture quality. Don't let the bad reviews keep you from giving this movie a try.

Coventry A psychiatrist, as some sort of mental experiment, introduces a deeply disturbed young boy to the institutionalized Norman Bates. The two become close friends and, 27 years later when Normal dies, Alex inherits the infamous motel under the condition that he reopens it again. He has difficulties raising the funds and finding reliable people to help him, but Alex's commitment and willpower are strong enough. Things get a little old-fashioned mysterious when they dig up the corpse of an old woman and the first customers showing up at the motel have ghostly characteristics. I personally think "Bates Motel" has an interesting enough concept. I love the original "Psycho" just as much as everyone else and consider it to be one of the top 3 most influential and important cinematic milestones ever made, but not to such a pretentious extent that I think it's blasphemy to spoof or re-interpret it. The idea of a spin-off, which obviously refers to the original characters and their notoriety, is both courageous and ambitious. There are some really good plot twists and additional background to the whole Bates legacy by dragging in speculations about Norman's supposedly adulterous and abusive father Jake. Practically all the reviews around here show people exclaiming: "What were the producers thinking?!?". Well, I don't blame them for this tryout. It was worth a shot. The sequences in and around the famous motel and parental house are automatically atmospheric, while Bud Cort's performance is pretty effective with a right balance between geeky and creepy. There are a lot of subtle and honorable homage scenes, like with the name board, the rocking chair and – of course – the shower. The film is still also very 80's as well, with annoying pointless musical interludes showing the progress of the construction works. The extended sub plot during the last main act of the film, involving a romance between a suicidal aerobic teacher and an emotional frat student was a bad idea. Giving a paranormal twist to the Bates legacy wasn't necessary, but it was presumably the first unfolding of a longer-running TV series that never got made.

sisterdebmac 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.