MovieChat Forums > Psycho III (1986) Discussion > Diana Scarwid's acting in this

Diana Scarwid's acting in this


I gotta say her acting in this was pretty bad, i mean every time she delivered a line she sounded so dull and did'nt put no emotion into them at all she just kinda said them like she was reading off her script. Psycho 3 probably would have been a little bit better without her in it. Come to think of it she kinda sounded exactly the same in Psycho 3 as she did in Mommy Dearest real dull, although her acting was slightly better in Mommy Dearest.

One more thing what the hell was up with those big granny panties she was wearing when Norman's watching her through the hole? Hot or not i could'nt get turned on by a big pair of granny panties.

It's always better to burn the evidence.- Esther

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She reminds me Annette O'Toole in this movie.

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She OVERACTED like hell in this movie LOL

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She wasn't awful, but she wasn't really good either. No presence at all.

I'd probably rate her a little higher if she at least did her own nude scene instead of a body double. Which since we pointedly don't see her face, it's 99% for sure that's not her.

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One more thing what the hell was up with those big granny panties she was wearing when Norman's watching her through the hole? Hot or not i could'nt get turned on by a big pair of granny panties.

She just came from a convent. They dress conservatively; I can't imagine the Church giving nuns a wardrobe with bikini or thong undies.

Her acting was OK, not wonderful. Her loneliness really shone through however, and whenever she acts wistfully...she seems genuinely wistful.
I didn't like her performance in "Mommie Dearest".
She really overacted in most scenes.





"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

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I thought she was very good in Psycho III.

And who didn't overact in Mommie Dearest??



------

Wait a minute... who am I here?

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Really, how do you act such a part? The movie was entertaining, but horrible. A serious movie by a good director about life from Norman's point of view could be amazing.....a real insight into mental illness.

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I actually think she was the best part in this movie. Her innocence and loneliness shown through her character. And her scene in the beginning was spine tingling.

You love me more than sunny summer days.

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I found her performance dreary and her screen presence bland and tiresome.

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I don't get her. She ws awful in EXTREMITIES,and questionable in MOMMIE DEAREST.

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She lacks charisma. Forgot she was in EXTREMITIES and have seen this film several times.

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But didn't she get nominated for some film, or good reviews at least?
It's odd she went as far as she did,then. She seems to be trying to hard in her acting.

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INSIDE MOVES in 1980. Haven't seen so can't comment on her performance. It was most likely was a fluke and luck to have gotten it. She play acts. There is no genuine intensity or depth to her performances. It like she learns her lines and takes the direction and then acts it out, without really giving anything extra or special of the character she is playing.

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In acting,we call that "showing", not being. She was downright amusing in EXTREMITIES with some of her line readings; when it's amusing, you know something's wrong.

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I hated her acting in "Extremities"! But then, everyone INCLUDING Farrah Fawcett was terrible!
Farrah was one-note, everyone else over-acted.


"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

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I just recalled, that she plays Cher's girlfriend in SILKWOOD. She was more mannered than Streep, in her small part.

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I hated her acting in "Extremities"! But then, everyone INCLUDING Farrah Fawcett was terrible!
Farrah was one-note, everyone else over-acted.

Gee when IY says this, he gets blasted.

Farrah was OK, and knew technique, but doing pratfalls and being thrown around is not "acting"; it's being well-coordinated.

With exceptions, I sense no urgency from Farrah in this role. Urgency. It has to be a life or death situation, not one-upping each other with line deliveries. I thought Alfre Woodward came off the best of the women.

The Boston Phoenix (my home town) said at the tome of release: "This is encounter-group acting". Funny line, though The Phoenix can be strict in their reviews.



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Back in the fireplace where you belong, fool!


I thought I was gonna die! - Roseanne Roseannadanna

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Referring to yourself in the 3rd person again? What does it mean when you do that? Like you want to absolve yourself of all personal responsibility and everything you've stated about your feelings? Is that why you chose "Inherently Yours" as your moniker, palming off your own crap to others, assuming their complicity? You're a toad, a weasel and a snapping, one-eyed lap dog. Do not make the mistake of thinking that others are with you in your all-consuming disliking of people. Because it's just you.

If anybody "blasts" you, IY, it's because of the way you are. You have good, interesting perceptions from time to time, but the way you state your case is completely offputting. You put your negative spin on everything. Nobody wants to get close to you, unless they feel sorry for you, which I actually did many years ago. Until I realized niceness was wasted on you.

Hey, wasn't it around this exact time back in 2009 when we had our argument on the phone over Elizabeth Taylor and you hung up on me and a few days later you laid "jimellis" to rest and bounced back with "SimpleMindedSociety"?



Ithought I was gonna die! - Roseanne Roseannadanna

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In acting,we call that "showing", not being. She was downright amusing in EXTREMITIES with some of her line readings; when it's amusing, you know something's wrong.

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I find Diana Scarwid's acting style very odd. It's almost impossible to know what she's thinking. The way she speaks her lines is particularly cumbersone.

But, I liked her acting in "Inside Moves". She was fresh and likeable and believable, with none of the sometimes tortuous line readings of her later films. I think she deserved her Oscar nomination.


I thought I was gonna die! - Roseanne Roseannadanna

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Yes, she is an odd one. I haven't seen Inside Moves, so can't really comment on her performance. I wonder how Susan Tyrell would have done in Psycho III, in Scarwid's role. She would have made her nun a bit of an oddball and wacky, but it may have worked and it could also have suited the black tone of the film. I can see Norman falling for a kook like Tyrell.

Don't eat the whole ones! Those are for the guests. 🍪

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I thought I was gonna die! - Roseanne Roseannadanna

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Susan Tyrell playing a nun in "Psycho III". Lord, Rascal. That is one for the ages. Yes, she would have likely turned that movie on its head and even made Norman Bates run for cover. She probably would have added a couple of musical numbers, too. And of course, when Norman is doing his old 'looking through the peephole' thing, SuSu would TOTALLY catch him in the act! "Hey over there! Ya enjoying the view! Well, I got something to show ya! The fellas always gotta charge out of it back in Bakersfield!"

Susan and Anthony would have made for some team is all I can say.

Damnit, Rascal. That is casting genius. Surely the role Susan was born to play. Beautiful. You've made my day!


I thought I was gonna die! - Roseanne Roseannadanna

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😄 Your scenarios are hilarious Mr. H. Tyrell would have toned it down and been a bit more subtle. 😱 Think of her character in Andy Warhol's BAD-77'. She was put-upon in that film and I thought she was going to play one of the crazier characters.

She would have made it more interesting and at least she wouldn't have acted like a dead fish. I can just imagine her screaming at the Mother Superior at the start..."There is no God! You mother f<>kin' penguin!" 

Don't eat the whole ones! Those are for the guests. 🍪

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There is no God, you mother f <>kin penguin!"
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That's hilarious. They should have made a movie in the early 80s, right after "Private Benjamin". Instead of having a pampered JAP unwittingly enrolling in the Army, they could have SuSu, playing herself, more or less, unwittingly enrolling in the convent. Then she does wacky, outrageous things trying to get herself kicked out. Like she'd start getting desperate, starting anonymous rumors about herself selling crack to inner city children, having sex with dogs and oh god, what else. She'd claim to be one of Charlie Manson's groupies. But this just makes the sisters more and more determined to help SuSu get salvation.

What do you think, Rascal? What would you add here?


I thought I was gonna die! - Roseanne Roseannadanna

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Having Tyrell joining a convent and using her characterization of Solly Mosler from Angel-84', would be a hoot. Apart from exclamations of..."There is no God! Ya mother-f<>kin penguin!", Solly, being partial to muff, would be attempting to seduce the other nuns and the only reason why she joined up in the first place and because she was still distressed over Mae's death. That would lead her to being outcast from the nunnery because she told the Mother Superior that she had one f<>kin mouth on her, when she was admonished for painting drag on the crucifix of Christ to remind her of Mae.

When she runs away and Dwayne picks her up, he falls asleep and she starts to unzip him and shine her torch into his crotch. When he calls her a stupid b!tch, she tells him he could be comin' instead of goin', pushes him out of his car and drives away to Bates Motel.

Norman sees a kindred spirit straight away and dyes her hair blonde to remind him of Marion. Dwayne comes along to get a job and he doesn't recognize Solly, and he wants some of what Norman had last night. Solly can't handle all this attention and since she is really into chicks and men are pawing all over her, she smashes in Dwayne's head with his Gheetar and tells him know one must know where Norman's mother is, or where she is going.

When she goes back into the house, she catches Norman all dressed up has his mother and this turns her on; but Norman gets scared and pushes her down the stairs and she impales herself on cupid's arrow. That is the end of Solly and Norman blames his mother for killing the only true love of his life, so he cuts of his stuffed mothers head and sews on Sollys. He then goes around talking in Solly's voice and mimicking what a fu<>kin mouth that broad had.



Don't eat the whole ones! Those are for the guests. 🍪

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yeah she wasn't that good

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I thought Diana Scarwid was fine in this film.

I'm a totally bitchin' bio writer from Mars!

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I think the 80's were probably the last decade to have a decent anount of that sort of old fashion style acting. It works in this movie.

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I thought her performance was excellent, displaying mucho sympathy & rooting value plus she brought out a romantic humanized side to Norman again when he really could have gone all Mother the entire time: his conflict was evident because of her...and her death an ironic tragedy! Plus she was more Norman's and ultimately Hitch's type: the troubled blonde on the lam! Perfect casting as Scarwid's melancholic innocence gave the film a sense of depth as opposed to the rest of the unlikable cast!

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