1. Bates Motel (2013)
On the heels of Hitchcock comes Bates Motel, a new television series premiering March 18 on A&E. Bates Motel is less of a sequel to the Psycho movies and more of a contemporary prequel or reboot. The new storyline centers on Norman Bates youth, with Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates and Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Norman. The series is not an effort to expand upon the material seen in Psycho IV. It is rather a re-imagining of Norman's childhood and the events that lead to the poisoning of his mother. How audiences will respond to this series remains to be seen. While some critics may charge that Bates Motel is cashing in on the Psycho phenomenon, it goes without saying that more than a half century later, Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho is as much a part of our collective cultural consciousness today as it was then.
Excited for Bates Motel? What's your favourite Psycho flick? Let us know in the comments section below.