Freddie Highmore in “Bates Motel.” Freddie Highmore and Kerry Ehrin Closing In On Checkout Time at Bates Motel by Jay S. Jacobs Season four of the acclaimed drama Bates Motel has taken some turns for the strange and the dark. This should not surprise us too much – after all the main characters of the show are Norman and Norma Bates, arguably the most dysfunctional son and mother duo in pop culture, their horrific relationship cemented in our minds through a short final segmen

Nestor Carbonell in “Bates Motel.” Nestor Carbonell and Carlton Cuse Watching Over Bates Motel by Jay S. Jacobs Things are really ramping up on Bates Motel, the best show you may be missing on TV. The fourth season has been had a whirlwind of actions and repercussions as the series sets up its penultimate season. The legendary mother and child characters, Norma and Norman Bates (Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore) are increasingly at loggerheads as Norman’s mental condition se

Freddie Highmore & Vera Farmiga star in Bates Motel Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin Dark Days at Bates Motel by Jay S. Jacobs It’s always dangerous trying to update a masterpiece, so people were understandably concerned when A&E announced a few years ago that they were creating a modern-day prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic Psycho.  Two years later, though, it is hard to remember why we were so concerned. With the strong acting of Acade

Vera Farmiga stars as Norma Bates in the A&E series “Bates Motel.” Vera Farmiga and Kerry Ehrin Checking In To Bates Motel by Jay S. Jacobs It takes a certain amount of self-confidence to take on an iconic character and try to make it your own. Therefore, it must have given Vera Farmiga pause when she was offered the role of arguably the most infamous mom in film history, Norma Bates, the bitter and shrill mother of serial killer Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 196

Disturbia DISTURBIA (2007) Starring Shia LaBeouf, Sarah Roehmer, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse, Aaron Yoo, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Matt Craven, Viola Davis, Brandon Caruso, Luciano Caruso and Daniel Caruso. Screenplay by Christopher Landon and Carl Ellsworth. Directed by D.J. Caruso. Distributed by Dreamworks SKG.  104 minutes.  Rated PG-13. Okay, yes, if you get technical, Disturbia is merely a modern riff on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.  Also, it has one of the worst titles

The Hitcher THE HITCHER  (2007) Starring Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton, Sean Bean, Neal McDonough, Kyle Davis, Skip O’Brien, Travis Schuldt, Danny Bolero, Jeffrey Hutchinson, Yara Martinez, Lauren Cohn, Mike Fisher, Joseph Michael Self, Kurt Grossi and Kurt Bryant. Screenplay by Eric Red. Directed by Dave Meyers. Distributed by Rogue Pictures.  90 minutes.  Rated R. The original version of The Hitcher was filmed on a shoestring in 1986, featuring a couple of just-starting-to-

The Dick Cavett Show – Hollywood Legends The Dick Cavett Show Hollywood Greats (Shout! Factory-2006) Marlon Brando flies all the way from Tahiti to warn us about the plight of the American Indian, whether we want to hear about it or not. Bette Davis calls the film Myra Breckenridge “a disgrace.” Fred Astaire treats us to his singing and dancing until we want to beg him to stop. Alfred Hitchcock unintentionally shows us his Alfred Hitchcock impression. Groucho tells tiresome s