Psycho II (1983)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

A-Z Horror Movie of the Day..."Psycho 2" (R - 1983 - US)Sub-Genre: Slasher/Thriller My Score: 6.2Cast=6 Acting=7 Plot=7 Ending=6 Story=5 Scare=6 Jump=6 F/X=7 Intense=5 Twist=7After twenty-two years of psychiatric care, Norman Bates attempts to return to a life of solitude, but the specters of his crimes - and his mother - continue to haunt him. "Norman was not convicted of murder. He was found not guilty by reasons of insanity, and since he is no longer insane, he has the right to live a normal life like you and I." Twenty-Three years later they do a sequel? Well it wasn't bad...I liked parts of it. I think what I missed most was Hitchcock's cinematography...that flair of terror was just not there. Second verse, same as the first...a little bit louder and a little bit worse.

Months before this film was released I read the book "Psycho II". This film is not that "Psycho II" . In fact the book is a mystery because Norman Bates has escaped and nobody knows where he is but bodies keep piling up. Now a film based on that book could not happen because "Norman" basically makes a cameo in the material. However this movie was a great follow up to the Hitchcock Classic. In delivers a believable story and if you are a huge fan of the original film then you might figure a few things out. I knew something was a miss but I do not want to spoil it. It has now been 22 years since Norman Bates was committed. He is now free because he was found "Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity". He is now back at his house and motel. He has a job at the diner. Things start going bad fast for Norman because "There are people that will not let him forget what he has done".Anthony Perkins returns as Norman. Vera Miles also returns as Lila. Meg Tilly and Robert Loggia round out a the cast. If you can watch it right after you have seen the original. The films play well back to back!

I enjoyed watching this, from the opening b/w re-run of the original shower scene to the fairly delirious and amusing multiple killing ending. But here's the rub, just what is this, comedy or horror? Maybe this should have been a full on reverent homage or else a tongue in cheek comic remake. Trying to be both is okay but between the start and the finish there is a fair bit of film and some of it starts to drag. Partly because director Franklin clearly didn't want to upset the ghost of Hitchcock (or his fans) but couldn't help getting so clever that it became too much. Perkins is fine and carries himself well, managing that double act of past and present Bates. Meg Tilly seemed out of her depth at first but comes good and whilst her sister Jennifer would have been even more fun, she still plays the role well. Not worth going out of your way for but any fan of the original is going to be curious and would at least come away with a smile (and maybe some gnashing of teeth).

The original "Psycho," a classic in the great tradition of Hitchcock's many films, brought so much to the world of movies that it was hard to imagine that any sequel to a movie as stupendous as this would be any good. It's hard to believe that this movie is as good as it is, though it's not so hard to explain why. The movie gets it right by choosing to place most of the movie in the Bates home, which was rarely seen in the first film. Recalling the way in which that house looked so foreboding from the outside, it's absolutely intriguing to actually see the guts of it, to get to see the inside of the house. Seeing everything inside makes the voices and images that haunt Norman believable and convincing. Perkins must also be commended for the film's surprising success. He is able to keep the timidity and degree of gentility that his character possessed in the first outing, and that's what makes us able to care more for him in this film. The beauty of this film is the mystery, that you never truly know what plot twist the film is going to take, in the spirit of Hitchcock. Exhuming graves, dredging the swamp, deception, and murder are some thrilling elements of this film. The atmosphere is wonderful, with some incredible cinematography and a soundtrack that compliments it's dark beauty perfectly. Will Norman Bates be driven back into the insane asylum? All in all, this movie isn't as good as the original, but it's a worthy sequel worth watching.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.