It received mixed reviews from critics and was followed by a television prequel, Psycho IV: The Beginning, which was released on Showtime in November 1990.
When Spool remains missing after a month, Norman's ex-boss, Ralph Statler, and local law enforcement grow concerned.
Duane Duke, a sleazy musician desperate for money, is offered the job of assistant manager at the motel.
Tracy Venable, a journalist from Los Angeles, is working on an article about serial killers being released from custody.
Maureen resembles his former victim, Marion Crane, who Norman killed twenty-two years earlier which resulted in his incarceration.
"Mother" enters Maureen's bathroom that night, intending to kill her, only to find that she attempted suicide by cutting her wrists.
Tracy searches Spool's apartment, discovering the motel's phone number written on a magazine cover.
Tracy meets with Leach, a resident at an assisted living facility, and is informed that Spool was also institutionalized for murder.
Tracy enters the house and finds Maureen dead, then sees Norman dressed as "Mother" bearing a knife, but is unable to flee.
Burwell flew to Los Angeles and recorded the score largely on a Synclavier electronic music station, augmented by women's and boys' choirs as well as percussion by Steve Forman.
[6] Universal finally agreed to let Burwell take a motif from the score he'd composed and develop it into an instrumental electronic pop song.
The song, "Scream of Love"—co-written by jazz saxophonist David Sanborn—was released as a 7" single and a series of dance remixes were commissioned from Arthur Baker and featured on the 12" version.
[6] The rest of the songs composed by Burwell, Miranda and Bray were used as background music in the film, playing from car stereos and jukeboxes.
Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote a generally positive review, calling Perkins a "very creditable director" and Pogue's screenplay "efficient", concluding that "Psycho III expresses its appreciation of the Hitchcock legacy without seeming to rip it off".
[9] Variety wrote that the film "has its moments—about 20 minutes' worth—but the rest is filler in which the filmmakers gamely but futilely try to breathe new life into a tired body".
[10] Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times thought that the film was "better in most respects than 'II'", but "it fails any sequel's acid test.
[12] Tom Milne of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that Perkins gave "an excellent performance" but "there isn't very much more to be said about Norman Bates".
The site's consensus states: "While it can't come close to the original's elemental horror, Psycho III makes a persuasive -- and blackly funny -- case for itself as a sequel".