Monthly Archives: February 2021

Wouldnt even hurt a fly.Screenshot: Paramount Pictures

When most people think of Psycho, they think of Alfred Hitchcocks direction, Bernard Herrmans shrieking score, and Anthony Perkins vulnerable yet terrifying performance as Norman Bates. They probably dont immediately think horror franchise, but Psycho did turn into one over the years.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Psycho III, which happens to be the entry directed by Perkins himself. So in honor of the horror classic and the somewhat diminishing rewards of its sequels, were taking a look back at the iconic character whos been making movie lovers afraid to take a shower since 1960and who certainly evolved a quite bit over the years.

Robert Blochs 1959 novel came first, but Norman Bates (Perkins) made his biggest and most lasting impression in Alfred Hitchcocks acclaimed adaptationstill as suspenseful and shocking today as it was over 60 years ago. Norman enters the movie near the end of act one, his aw-shucks demeanor offering a deceptively calming mood shift for the frantic Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who checks into the Bates Motel mid-flight after impulsively stealing $40,000 from her employer. Little does she know the young man who makes her a sandwich and rambles on just a little awkwardly about his controlling mother and his taxidermy hobby will end up sealing her doom.

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Perkins boyish appearancethats candy corn Normans snacking on throughoutfakes out the audience too, although since we know Hitchcock is pulling the strings, we have a good idea early on that the little old lady sitting in the window of the Bates house isnt quite what she seems. That last scene with the buzzing fly, when Norman has completely given himself over to Mother, yields one of the most chilling facial expressions cinema has ever captured.

Directed by Richard Franklin (Cloak & Dagger), Psycho II opens with a replay of Psychos most famous scene, as if anyone watching had forgotten about Marions fatal shower. Then we flash-forward to the present day to see Norman (a returning Perkins) being released from the institution where hes been held the past two decades. His freedom goes against the strenuous objections of Marions sister (again Vera Miles), who identifies herself as Lila Loomis in a little bit of scriptwriting that fills in a big blank: clearly, Lila married the late Marions boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin in Psycho) sometime between the two films.

Youd think sending Norman back to live in the house behind the Bates Motel (now under sleazy new management, courtesy of Dennis Franz) would be seen as an exceptionally bad idea, given all the traumatizing stuff that happened there. Norman and his doctor (Robert Loggia) both have misgivingswith good reason, as it turns out, because the past quickly comes back to haunt Norman when Mother starts reaching out from beyond the grave. Or does she? And if its not herwhat kind of an asshole would try to turn a reformed Norman Bates psycho again?

Written by horror regular Tom Holland (Childs Play, Fright Night), Psycho IIs lively script is sprinkled with references and winks to the first film (anytime Norman gets near a knife, there might as well be a neon sign illuminated on screen making sure we notice). The supporting charactersincluding Meg Tilly as Mary, a down-on-her-luck young waitress at the diner where Norman starts workingare pretty one-note, even as Mary and Lila reveal a hidden agenda that Norman doesnt pick up on until its too late.

Perkins, who brings layers of nervous yet deeply weary energy to his most famous role, is obviously the main attraction here. When he finally does the thing youve been waiting for him to do the entire movie (with a shovel this time, braining his homicidal auntwho claims to be Normans real mother), hes somehow still incredibly sympathetic.

Perkins himself directed this entry in the series, which opens with a woman screaming THERE IS NO GOD and never really pauses to take a breath after that. The story picks up in the aftermath of Psycho II, and we find Normans been coasting on the goodwill of the locals, who believe hes owed a second chance after being targeted by Lila and Marys mindfuckery in the previous film. Little do the good people of dusty Fairvale, California know: the breakdown that Norman started having at the end of Psycho II is about to rise to a crescendo.

The past is never really past...it stays with me all the time, Norman tells Tracy (Roberta Maxwell), a pushy journalist whos taken an interest in his life story, and that observation becomes quite relevant when Maureen (Diana Scarwid), an ex-nun living with her own towering regrets, blows into town and immediately triggers Norman due to her resemblance to Marion Crane. Norman and Maureen spark a romance after he...rescues her from a suicide attempt in her Bates Motel room bathtub (cabin one, natch)...after creeping into her room dressed as Mother intent on stabbing her to death just like he did Marion.

Psycho III gets melodramatic (and somehow makes the riddle of just who, exactly, Normans birth mother really was even more confusing), but Norman almost gets a girlfriend out of it, and the weirder the story gets, Perkins performance gets exponentially more unhinged but also full of surprises. The scene where the sheriff almost discovers a body stashed in the Bates Motel ice cooler while Norman looks on with giddy horror is pitch-black comedy gold.

This made-for-TV sequel, directed by horror veteran Mick Garris and written by Joseph Stefano (who also penned the original adaptation), is really more of a prequel as the title suggests, though we do get Perkins as part of the frame story. Psycho IV follows along as an increasingly jittery Norman calls into a talk radio show (hosted by a chain-smoking CCH Pounder) to weigh in on the subject of matricide. Through his storytelling we see his formative years play out in flashback, with Henry Thomas (eight years post-E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) playing teen Norman and Olivia Hussey as his cruel and abusive (yet also inappropriately seductive at times) motherand we get a glimpse of Normans increasingly dangerous present mindset.

Hes actually been living a relatively normal life with his wifea doctor he met during his hospital staybut is edging closer to the old Norman on the occasion of his birthday and his mounting fear that his pregnant wife will give birth to a Bates who carries on the stab-happy family tradition. Its an interesting enough approach to the story, but it suffers from the fact that the flashback structure (and the fact that we know Normans life story pretty well already) robs the film of any tension whatsoever. Perkins is fine but most of his performance is literally phoned in, which is hardly the most thrilling way to spend time with him.

Psycho IV: The Beginning wasnt actually the first time Norman Bates was played by an actor other than Perkins. That honor goes to Bates Motelnot the TV series, which well talk about in a moment, but a surprisingly sentimental 1987 made-for-TV movie apparently intended to kick off a series that never materialized. It steps outside of the continuity of the two Psycho sequels that preceded it (and retcons a thing or two from the 1960 original), imagining that while institutionalized after the events of the first film, Norman (played by Kurt Paul in flashbacks and still photographs) befriended a fellow patient named Alex, a scared little kid whod killed his own abusive father.

As were told in a sappy voice-over by one of the facilitys doctors, Norman became a father figure to Alexforming an extraordinary relationship that lasted over 27 years, until Normans death. After we sit through Normans funeral, we find out he left the motel to Alex (played by Bud Cort as an adult), whos about to be released into a world (clutching an urn holding Normans ashes!) hes not really prepared to face. While Normans troubled legacy inevitably filters into Alexs story once he starts running the Bates Moteltheres a Scooby Doo plot, plus some actual ghosts for good measurePsychos redeemed killer looms over everything with a benevolent spirit unseen in any other portrayal of the character so far.

Hey, remember when Gus Van Sant did a shot-for-shot remake of Psycho? On paper, an interesting experiment. Once committed to film...it felt like a novelty until the whole Ok, this is entirely excessive and unnecessary vibe started taking over. Vince Vaughn plays Norman; hes more physically imposing than Perkins but the rest of the performance (like the movie itself) is basically an elaborate homage sprinkled with a few awkward little additions.

Bates Motel ran for five seasons on A&E, styled as a prequel to the original movie but set in a Twin Peaks-y coastal Oregon town, circa the present day. The series cleverly put its own spin on the source material, boasting an outstanding castespecially Freddy Highmore as the quietly spiraling young Norman and The Conjurings Vera Farmiga as his fierce mother, Norma. Altogether, it helped the show come into its own (including fashioning an entirely new ending to the Psycho storyline, which arrived in season five) while always staying respectful to the original material. Psycho II has its charms, but if you hunger for a fresh, nuanced take on Norman after watching the original film, its hard to beat Bates Motels creative approach to the never-boring Bates family.

Where will we meet Norman next? Though no new Psycho projects appear to be in the works currently, it seems like only a matter of time before some intrepid creator comes up with a new way to fire up that neon sign above the Bates Motel. And presumably, if the events of Psycho IV are to be believed, theres a new generation of Bates offspring running around out there...

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The 60-Year Evolution of Psycho's Norman Bates - Gizmodo

February 19, 2021

I never thought I would grow up to be a Cat Daddy, so thats one more thing I was wrong about.

After my retirement, cats started arriving as frequently as Social Security checks. Some briefly, but others liked the amenities and decided to hang. I am up to three cats, which is manageable, but I worry that they wont stop coming, and I will have to eat cat food with them or start a GoFundUs page.

The problem with cats is there isnt much return on the investment. It is all about the cat. They eat and sleep and when the mood is right permit you to rub their belly. Oh yea, they will occasionally deposit a maimed rodent, dead or soon to be, on the porch.

As far as being a companion, they are aloof. Nothing like dogs, who actually return the affection.

Ive always been a dog person, but havent had a dog since Poker, my German shepherd, died in 1992. I never got another dog because I was rarely home and dogs need companionship. Cats could care less about company.

My conversion to Cat Daddy status was not by choice. It was either feed them or watch them starve.

Let me introduce them.

Boots was my first, emerging from The Jungle in July 2018 as a kitten, probably just a couple of weeks old at the time. I videotaped our courtship and put them on Facebook, including his first foray into my humble home, and a star was born. It wasnt me.

A tuxedo cat, Boots is a handsome fellow, perfectly symmetric, regal even. He once told me that he was actually born in a tuxedo. But hes no longer much use for the ladies if you know what I mean.

Weve written two books together Boots and Me: Life with the King of the Jungle, and Boots and Me: Getting Down to Business that hover around a single premise, Boots making fun of me. He says there is an infinite amount of material.

Hundreds of books have been sold, raising several thousand dollars to share among two local rescue groups, the Robeson County Humane Society and Frannys Friends. If you want one, both or a really cool T-shirt, let me know. I will be cutting a check soon to the Humane Society.

A couple of months ago Juice arrived, a grown tabby cat who is a male and whose age I have no clue. I named him Juice because he was orange, not after O.J. Simpson, a football idol of my childhood who fell out of favor when he cut off his ex-wifes head. That was a dealbreaker.

Juice, unlike Boots, is an outside cat, rejecting daily invitations to come inside no matter how wet and cold it is outside. I think he is traumatized from the one time he did come inside. When the door closed behind him, he morphed into a pinball in search of an escape. When none could be found, he levitated and found himself atop a 7-foot-tall hutch. It made me question all I believed about gravity.

He stayed there for an hour hissing at me until I had enough Bud Lite to get up the nerve to toss a towel over his head and grab him. His hind right paw dug into my right arm as I opened the door and gave him a good toss into the yard. The blood loss was minimal, but it was all mine.

Juice was back on the top step eating 10 minutes later, so he doesnt hold grudges.

Juice is still a male in every sense, apparently territorial, and returns each day with fresh wounds on his face. He is on a steady diet of antibiotics. I am concerned that he will return with injuries so bad I will have to get him to a veterinarian. Should that happen, I will be the one with flesh wounds.

His fighting mate is another tuxedo who arrived a few weeks ago. I dont know for sure this cats gender, but I suspect it is a male because he and Juice make war, not love.

Full grown and perhaps kin to Boots, this fellow is glad to eat the cat food I put out, but our relationship is distant. I have not gotten within 15 feet of him before he flees into The Jungle, so he hasnt yet qualified for a name. If he does, a Facebook friend suggested Oreo.

On Thursday night, during the midst of an unnamed hurricane and with temperatures near freezing, Juice, the unnamed feral and Opie hes an opossum named for the Ron Howard character on Andy Griffith were outside, social distancing, soaked to the bone, staring at the back door, waiting to be fed.

Boots was inside, sleeping on a pillow, warm, comfortable and content. Every once in a while he would rise from his slumber, saunter to the back door, and gaze at the three. I dont know what he was thinking, but I have ruled out sympathy.

As he often reminds me, its good to be King.

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Transition to green energy needs to be an evolution, not a revolution - The Robesonian

Traditional advertising has done one thing really, really well over the past 70 years. Its stolen attention. What I mean by that is, advertising was created to take time away from content consumption and shift it to brand/product awareness. Think of it this way: back when we used to watch cable TV, what would happen every 7 minutes or so? A slew of television commercials that lasted for 4 to6 minutes.

As you were reading an article on Forbes.com what would happen as you scrolled down? A thumb stopping ad for BMW that took up your entire computer screen. If you were reading an interview in Sports Illustrated magazine 25 years ago, what happened as you turned the page? A full page ad that took your attention away from the content you were consuming. The same thing happened if you were in your car 30 years ago, listening to Howard Stern. Suddenly, youd hear an ad for prime ribseven though you were a vegetarian. We used to encounter countless ads from various places that had varying degrees of applicability to our lives. But social media and streaming services have started the process of changing the game entirely.

Think about it. How much cable television do you currently watch? Can you name evenoneclose friend who doesnt subscribe to a video streaming service? Studies show that close to 70 percent of US households have a TV/movie subscription, so even if you have a friend that uses cable, its likely he or she is using Netflix as well.

Dont believe it? This year,Netflix racked up more views on their platformthan viewers of cable and satellite TV combined. Although I havent done the research myself, I live by common sense and by paying attention to culture. The growth potential of HBO MAX, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, etc and Hulu is alarming or exciting depending on what side you sit on. Conservative estimates show that up to30 percent of households were cord cutters, meaning they turned away from cable altogether, in 2017. That was in 2017, now lets think about that number in 2021.

What does all this mean? It means that television commercials are in major friction against the market.Collectively were watching less TVand were spending more time on our phones. Entertainment has continued to evolve, and with it, so has human attention. With this in mind, its key to understand a few pieces of information.

Number 1, this is not a childish phenomenon. Yes,the pandemic accelerated cord-cutting, but this isnt a new trend. Social media isnt just for teenagersin fact, there is no social media. Theres just mediaa media landscape that has changed rapidly.Today, more than 80 percent of each generation uses social media.Meaning, your GenZ kid is just as likely to have a social media presence as her grandma. The internet doesnt care if you believe me or not, it doesnt care if youre not willing to learn its language. It will move on without you. Therefore, your marketing strategy needs to evolve.

Number 2,influencers are the new editors in chief.You, as a marketer or business leader, cannot underestimate the importance of internet culture. That doesnt mean that the traditional way of advertising has died, and you should forget about old methods that may have worked in the past. It does mean that you cant afford to write off these new creators who are disrupting your space.DoggFace208 is a perfect example of this. Through the years, Ocean Spray has spent millions upon millions of dollars to grasp less attention and cultural relevance than DoggFace208 garnered in 1 minute. Side note, kudos to Ocean Sprayfor jumping on to that attention and adding to thenarrative (Ill go further in-depth on that cultural moment in a later article).

As I mentioned before, traditional advertising steals attention from what the consumer actually wants to consume. Advertising execs do this with thehopethat the consumer might want to buy or be aware of what he or she is selling. Take that and flip it, now youre giving time to a consumer who youknowwill want more information about what youre offering. Look at the big picture and understand whats happening in social media. Most platforms give us a single stream of feed dynamics. People are consuming content from many different parties (individuals, brands, publications, etc.). If a brand were to understand how to make content or how to team up with influencers to create far more native and contextual content for that stream, they would have a far greater upside.

When a TV show goes to a commercial, you can feel it. When you integrate a marketing campaign, whether youre doing it yourself or youre working with an influencer, it can be a little more seamless. That is the point. What does this look like in real life? Collaborations and sponsorships with influencers; supporting the things and people adjacent to the target audience you want to reach.

Above all, you have to realize that the market decides whats impactful now, not executives in a boardroom. Customers have always decided what they like, but television commercials and radio ads havent given advertising execs a feedback loop. They did not provide quant and qual metrics. These metrics, created immediately within a social media environment, shape insights for social media marketers that can be used to educate brands and produce more effective messaging. The comments section matters, which leads me to my next point.

Number 3, you might want to hire apost-creative strategist. You need someone who is willing to understand everything: the platform, the target audience, and how it relates to what you want to do. This person is going to be a key member of your team, the one who informs your content strategy. The PCS is a person that recognizes where the attention is and where it could go.

Post creative strategists pay attention to the comments from the creative that you put out. This allows for 20 percent of everyones creative team to just be creative. Now, they can create solely to receive insights from the consumer. Whether its strategic and you made the content specifically to get insights about questions you have, or if its the serendipity of a volume of comments that you read when the intent was to just build awareness around your productyou now have this rich feedback loop. Somebody whose business is about beingearsfor your brand is completely imperative. We live in a world today where the majority of brands focus on theirmouth, i.e. what they say. Using social media as a consumer insights tool is imperative, hence why the PCS matters so much. However, 99 percent of marketers arent thinking about this role.

Ultimately, its important to remember that the media landscape is constantly evolving.

Effective social media strategies arent built overnight. They take patience, humility, and an abundance of empathy. You have to give something back to your community, find value in providing entertainment or informationyou have to give something of value in exchange for the time that youre taking away. For example, Im very stressed with making sure this was a valuable 7-minute read for you. To summarize, you have to ask/earn their attention, rather than demand it.

This might sound scary, and counterintuitive to everything youve been taught. But, youve got to make it about them. Once you approach your content strategy with the mindset of giving, rather than taking, youll be ready to provide so much value to your end consumer.

Reprinted by permission.

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Advertising Through The Years: The Evolution of Attention - AlleyWatch

New York, Feb. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Evolution of Electric Vehicles Transforming the Global Automotive Lubricants Industry" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06025970/?utm_source=GNW The key end-user segments covered in this study are passenger car motor oils (PCMO) and heavy-duty diesel oils (HDDO).

The study analyzes two major vertical markets: lubricant additives and base oils. The major additive types used in these products are detergents, dispersants, antioxidants, viscosity index improvers (VIIs), and pour-point depressants (PPDs).

The trend of the use of various base-oil groups Group I (<90% saturates, >0.03% sulfur, 80-120 viscosity index (only mineral oils)), Group II (?90% saturates, ?0.03% sulfur, 80-120 viscosity index (only mineral oils)) and Group III (?90% saturates, ?0.03% sulfur, ?120 viscosity index (Includes synthetic oils and other oils)) is analyzed. Lubricants are selected for a vehicle based on a variety of requirements such as durability, emission levels, length of drain intervals, and ability to improve fuel efficiency. The requirements vary depending on the customer preferences, global and regional regulatory landscape, and the brand and model of the vehicle. This report tracks the industrys transformation and seeks to identify future opportunities that exist for lubricant manufacturers. The study analyses the change in the product landscape because of the high growth of electric vehicles (EVs) and variants in the automotive industry. The market for automotive lubricants and additives is greatly impacted by other Mega Trends such as the Covid-19 pandemic, changing international trade relationships, sustainability targets adopted by governments and regulatory authorities, and the miles driven by end customers around the world. The competitive environment in the lubricant additives market is highly skewed towards the larger market participants because of the high entry barrier for new entrants due to the significant amount of capital expenditure required. On the other hand, the finished lubricants market is highly fragmented amongst the smaller participants, while the major share of the market is held by a few global companies. The automotive lubricants and additives face regulatory pressure from organizations such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and REACH that mandate the use of products with reduced emissions. They are also mandated to adhere to the specifications put forth by organizations such as the American Petroleum Institute (API), International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC), Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). There is an increasing trend of customers demanding lower viscosity oils that also provide for higher drain intervals between oil changes. Manufacturers are increasingly investing in product development to enhance environmental sustainability and product efficiency. The research analyzes the global automotive lubricants and additives market. Volume and revenue forecasts have been provided from 2017 to 2027. At the sub-segment level, the analysis focuses on the additive types and base-oil groups used in these products. Competitive structure and market share data have been provided at the top level. The base year is 2020 and the forecast period ends in 2027.Author: Christeena ThomasRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06025970/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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Evolution of Electric Vehicles Transforming the Global Automotive Lubricants Industry - GlobeNewswire