Films from 1957 to 1992 by Nathaniel from Illinois, USA
These are my brief and hopefully helpful reviews of all of Anthony Perkins' films that I have seen. I must admit, this covers his post-60's work in much more detail than the younger stuff. Though his career had definite hits and misses, I don't think Anthony Perkins ever gave anything less than his best, even though he often dealt with filmmakers unworthy of him. He was a great talent, and truly irreplaceable.
They are in chronological order and have all been rated on a scale of one to four stars.
FEAR STRIKES OUT (1957)
Perkins gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Jim Piersall, a baseball player who had a well-publicized nervous breakdown, egged on by his domineering father. Tony is touching in his vulnerability in the earlier scenes, and anyone who says Anthony Perkins could only twitch and mumble should check out the breakdown scene. Classic stuff. The only thing I have against this movie is how it oversimplifies the depths of Piersall's psychosis and the "cure" he finds later, but that's a fault of the film, not Perkins.
THE TIN STAR (1957)
Tough bounty hunter Henry Fonda shows young sheriff Perkins the ropes. It was hard for me to get into this movie as I don't really like westerns, but it's acceptable enough, even if Tony looks a bit out of place.
THE MATCHMAKER (1958)
This is a romantic comedy with a smiling Perkins and a younger and much more charming Shirley Maclaine. Cute, but totally forgettable, later remade famously as Hello, Dolly!
PSYCHO (1960)
What could I possibly say about this film that has not been said a thousand times before? It's Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in his greatest film, and his greatest performance. Case Closed.
THE TRIAL (1963)
I really, really love this film. But be forewarned, this is artsy. If you do not like surreal films that border on self-indulgence, don't even bother. Directed by Orson Welles (in the only film other than Citizen Kane which he had full control of), it's based on the novel by Franz Kafka about Joseph K (Perkins), who is arrested and put on trial, but never told why. This is probably the most dream-like movie I have seen, quickly going from one set of circumstances to another. If you see it, watch it uninterrupted, and keep an open mind.
HOW AWFUL ABOUT ALLEN (1970)
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. Tony plays a man suffering from blindness caused by the trauma of seeing his father die. When he returns from the hospital, he finds himself tormented by a supernatural form. But is he really seeing these things or just going crazy? This is a TV-movie and I've read a few reviews that call it boring, but if you accept it for what it is, a harmless melodrama, you'll have a great time. The plot is actually almost identical to Psycho II, so if you loved that, you'll like this.
Note: Stay patient with this film, Perkins is really STIFF for the first 10 minutes or so.
CATCH-22 (1970)
This clever and, at times, haunting army satire was sadly overlooked at the time of it's release due to the success of the similar M*A*S*H, but it's really worth a look. Perkins is Chapman Tappman, and it could be said this was one of the last films to play on his boyish insecurity, rather than his eccentric demeanor. He's part of an ensemble, though, and they work together well.
SOMEONE BEHIND THE DOOR (1972)
I once described the plot of this to someone and they said, "That can't possibly exist." Starring Perkins and Charles Bronson, it's a melodrama with Tony as a doctor who manipulates amnesiac Bronson to try and murder Perkins' cheating wife. Intriguing concept is not used to its potential, and the ending is really ambiguous, but this isn't that bad a film, worth seeing once.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN (1972)
Western with Paul Newman seems confused on what it wants to be, as it switches back and forth from silly comedy to serious drama. Perkins' role is very early in the movie as a traveling preacher and he just comes and goes in a couple of minutes. Nothing special, though I really enjoyed when he said, "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord."
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (1974)
This was the first movie that really played on Tony's Norman Bates image, and it does so maybe more than any other. It's an entertaining all-star mystery with Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot trying to solve a murder (Richard Widmark's) on a snow bound train. Perkins, looking very pale, is Widmark's male secretary, and everything about him is Norman; they even make a not-so-subtle Mother reference. He's good, but it's hard to stand out in a film with this many personalities. I really enjoyed the movie until the ending, which is a cop-out almost to the point of being comical. A harmless matinee flick.
MAHOGANY (1975)
Tacky but watchable drama with Diana Ross as a secretary molded into a fashion model by photographer (and closet homosexual) Perkins. Tony is very flamboyant and stands out in a mostly stiff cast. I've read that this character was made much more stereotypically gay after Tony was given the role, but he still makes it three dimensional and intriguing. His gradually more dangerous obsession with Ross, seemingly an attempt to confirm his masculinity, gives undertones to his performance that I don�t think were originally there. This was also a hit for him at a time when he really needed it.
TWICE A WOMAN (1979)
Dull, pretentious film about a middle-aged woman who begins an affair with a teenage girl while dealing with her snobbish ex-husband (Perkins, using an accent I found unusual). Very 70's, and not sexy at all, it seems to be capitalizing on Perkins' name, rather than using him for his talents. And those looking for a good "lesbian flick" will be disappointed as well.
WINTER KILLS (1979)
Slow-moving political thriller has Jeff Bridges trying to solve a presidential assassination. Interesting but unmemorable movie doesn't hold a lot of interest for Perkins fans as he only has three brief scenes. It's a loose character, and he has some funny moments, but you can take or leave this one. Watch for Tony's wife Berry Berenson as a morgue attendant.
THE BLACK HOLE (1979)
This is a Disney film and will entertain its intended audience of children and sci-fi fans, but I don't think Perkins fans will find it very rewarding. His role is seemingly set up to be a saboteur, kind of like Donald Pleasance in Fantastic Voyage, but he's killed off early (and pretty gruesomely, for PG) by the film's actual villain. Too bad, really.
FFOLKES (aka North Sea Hijack) (1980)
As close as you can get to seeing Tony as a Bond villain. Roger Moore is Ffolkes, a very un-Bond like character trying to thwart terrorist Perkins, who has hijacked an oilrig. Many reviews I've read have compared this to Die Hard, and I can see how this film may have inspired it. It's smart, and usually quite entertaining. Perkins is great, getting angry a lot, and this film also has my very favorite of his death scenes. He never really got many chances at this kind of cartoonish super villainy, and it's very endearing.
DEADLY COMPANION (aka Double Negative) (1980)
Reading the review of this film on Ziggy's Tony Perkins Memorial made me fear it was almost a kind of porn film but it's really not very explicit at all, certainly not by today's standards. No, what destroys this movie is a confusing plot and bland performances. This is another example of how Perkins was often saddled with performers and filmmakers not up to his level, which is so tragic. I'm really not going to try to explain the plot, as I'm not sure it was ever made clear, but Tony is a blackmailer. Rent it, and fast-forward just to his scenes, you'll enjoy it an awful lot more.
Note: Pay attention at the beginning for a young John Candy as a cocaine addict, along with other SCTV performers who appear throughout the film.
PSYCHO II (1983)
He's back! This was sort of a last resort for Perkins, who never wanted to play Norman again, but it's a damn good sequel. Though it lacks the novelty and skilled direction of the first film, it's very fun and contains a surprisingly good performance from then newcomer Meg Tilly. This film, as well as Psycho III, can be found on DVD really cheap; keep your eyes open for them.
CRIMES OF PASSION (1984)
I've noticed this film, more than any other, splits Perkins fans down the middle, and it's easy to see both sides. Tony is the Reverend Peter Shayne, a street preacher trying more and more desperately to "save" Kathleen Turner, who is a fashion model by day, hooker by night. I sensed this film was trying to be something deeper, but it just comes off as trashy; but nonetheless, entertaining. With the possible exception of Psycho III, this could be viewed as the last really big film of Tony's career, involving a respected director, a popular leading lady, and backing by a major studio. I can't say I liked it as a whole, but I loved Perkins' charismatic tour de force. This movie, maybe more than any other, has everything we want and expect from watching a Tony Perkins performance. I do recommend all Perkins fans watch this at least once and make your own judgment.
THE GLORY BOYS (1984)
Incredibly boring spy film, with Perkins using another off-putting accent (an English one this time). Nice to see him doing some gunplay, but you can skip this.
PSYCHO III (1986)
This is my favorite of the Psycho sequels, for a number of reasons. Tony himself directed this movie, and he has a brilliant understanding of the characters and how to create suspense. This film is also much darker and more "Hitchcockian" than the other sequels and Norman almost loses his virginity (and dammit, I was rooting for him.)
My favorite moment: When the local sheriff dips into the ice chest on a hot day, and doesn't notice that some of the cubes he's popping into his mouth have blood on them. Priceless.
LUCKY STIFF (1988)
This was Tony's one attempt at directing after Psycho III and apparently its failure crushed his confidence to ever try again. A shame, because this black comedy has a lot of charm. It's about an overweight man who has seemingly won the heart of a beautiful woman, but her true intention is to feed him to her cannibal family for Christmas dinner. The leading man is quite likable and if this were made today I could easily see Drew Carey playing his role. It makes you wonder what might have been.
DESTROYER (1988)
OHHH MY GOD!! This is just terrible. Unquestionably the worst of all Tony's movies and still my least favorite movie of all time. Lyle Azundo is a murderer killed in the electric chair who comes back to slice and dice a film crew shooting in the abandoned prison, Tony being the director. Why, oh, why did Perkins involve himself in this bottom of the barrel piece of filmmaking, full of wooden performances and insipid writing? (When Tony's character talks about filming "the shower scene," I could feel my stomach cringing.) For a while I actually thought Perkins might be able to rise above it until his character was tied in an electric chair and HIS HEAD EXPLODED! Please, please, leave this film alone. If nobody rents it, eventually it will go away.
EDGE OF SANITY (1989)
This is a rather difficult review to write. This IS one of the most wickedly entertaining and delightfully manic performance of Perkins' later years, but it's also sort of a low in his career. The story is a rather clever twist on Jekyll and Hyde where the good doctor turns into Jack the Ripper himself. Perkins chews the scenery with delight, and really seems to be having a good time. However, the movie is sleazy and cheap looking, and I wonder why Tony would again involve himself in something so sexually explicit, which even calls for him to do a simulated masturbation scene. It's all simply beneath the man's dignity. But I gotta admit, there was never a dull moment and it should especially be watched by those who prefer the gaunt, sinister Perkins of the 80's and 90's to the boyishly handsome, nervous Perkins of the 50's and 60's.
Note: I recently bought this film on DVD and - Wow! I don't know if the tape I originally rented was just bad quality, but this film has really been cleaned up. It actually looks like a major studio production. That doesn't change my overall opinion of the movie, but Bravo to MGM nonetheless. Shell out a couple bucks and buy the DVD instead of some fifty-cent tape on Ebay. It's well worth the money.
I'M DANGEROUS TONIGHT (1990)
USA cable film about a young woman (Madchen Abchek) possessed by the evil spirit of an ancient Aztec sacrificial cloak, which she has made into a dress. The movie is well paced and sexy, the leading lady quite engaging, and there's a surprisingly professional look to it. I recommend it. Perkins' performance as her professor is really just a cameo, three or four brief scenes, but he's quite good and has some inspired moments.
PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING (1990)
This is the last of the sequels, but that's not really a bad thing. Norman Bates, now cured (or is he?!), calls a radio show and tells the story of his relationship with his mother, told in flashbacks. Henry Thomas (the kid from E.T.) as a young Norman is really dead on, quite good. I thought the whole flashback concept was a bit unnecessary, though, as everything that happens was explained clearly at the end of the first Psycho. But this film is not pointless as it brings a conclusion to Norman's saga. I'm glad Perkins got to make this resolution, as he didn't have much time left.
Side Note: In 1987 a spin off TV movie was made called Bates Motel, which did not involve Perkins or Norman in any way. Perkins boycotted this movie and was quick to dismiss it. I'm so glad he never had to set through that piece of CRAP remake from 1998, which was a disgrace to the memory of so many people.
DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS (1991)
This made for TV movie is actually one of the better performances of Perkins' later years, as he gets the chance to really act in a non-Norman role or cameo. A woman (Mia Sara) is looking for her father in Romania, and she quickly finds him in the form of vampire Perkins. He's really good, even if he looks and sounds an awful lot like Bela Lugosi. Be careful when you look for this, as there is also a soft-core lesbian flick of the same name. Happy shopping.
A DEMON IN MY VIEW (1991)
I had high hopes for this, especially when the first scene was Perkins strangling a hooker to death, but this film is very, very DULL. Perkins (with an English accent again, oy) plays a repressed man with an unhealthy mannequin obsession who, also, happens to be a serial killer. Sounds a lot better than it is. Horribly slow pacing, bland characters, and a surprisingly uninvolved performance from Tony himself kill this film. For collectors only.
IN THE DEEP WOODS (1992)
Standard made for TV murder mystery will satisfy those who have seen these by the cartload. Rosanna Arquette is involved with the search for a serial killer, and the usual suspects are thrown in front of us, including sinister private investigator Perkins. This was his last film and he does improve it every time he shows up, but he's clearly very ill, and at times seems to have difficulty saying his lines.
