4. Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
Reportedly Perkins favorite of the sequels, Psycho IV marked the last time the actor would play the character of Norman Bates. It appeared not in theaters but as a Showtime original movie. Screenwriter Joseph Stephano returned to pen the script in which Bates calls a radio talk show claiming to be Ed (a reference to Ed Gein, the real life Wisconsin murderer the character of Bates is based upon) and tells the host he may kill again. Much of the film is told in flashback, and relates the story of a teenage Norman, played by Henry Thomas, his relationship with his mother, and her eventual poisoning. Reception was mixed, and ultimately the film fails to live up to its predecessors. However, it's not a bad film, and the glimpse into Bates as a young teen is adds some dimenstion to the character Perkins created.