Cool Horror Videos: 1987’s Bates Motel television pilot

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

With the success of A&E's hit series "Bates Motel" there is a whole new generation of fans flocking to find all things PSYCHO-inspired. One of the lesser known spin-offs was a long-forgotten 1987 television movie that was originally produced as a pilot for a potential TV series. Its title? BATES MOTEL.

BATES MOTEL (1987) followed Alex West (played by Bud Cort of HAROLD AND MAUDE fame), a mentally disturbed youth who was admitted to an asylum after killing his abusive stepfather. There he befriends Norman Bates and ends up inheriting the infamous Bates Motel. As expected, strange things begin to happen.

Although it was released on VHS in other countries, BATES MOTEL has never been officially released in the United States, but copies of the flick aren't hard to come by as you can find it at almost any horror film convention. But if you're curious to check it out now, you can find the entire film on YouTube. We've embedded the first part (of 10) below so you can get a feel for whether or not you want to see it in its entirety.

View the rest of the film by clicking the links below:

Part 2/10

Part 3/10

Part 4/10

Part 5/10

Part 6/10

Part 7/10

Part 8/10

Part 9/10

Part 10/10