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30. PSYCHO 2 (horror, 1983) Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) has finally been released after spending 22 years in a mental asylum for the (supposed) murder of his mother. Once back at the Bates Motel he takes in a young female lodger whom he's met whilst working at a local diner. With her help, and that of his psychiatrist (Robert Loggia), he's keen to redeem himself of his crimes. But once back at the old house he starts to hear his mother's chants once again.
Critique: This follow-up to Hitchcock's classic was quickly dismissed by critics (how can anyone improve on the original?). I believe this second installment (there would be a total of 4 sequels) has a superior screenplay (by future director Todd Holland), and cinematography that stands well to the first one. In fact, this is one of the few 'great' sequels to 'classic' firsts (another example was James Cameron's Aliens). The film keeps you guessing from frame one since Perkin's character seems to be back to his old tricks. The smart subtext and jaw-dropping ending makes the Bates character one of the few movie psychos to truly warrant some looking into.
QUOTE: Norman: "Mother? Is that you?"
After 22 years,Norman Bates is coming home!
Takes place 22 years after the first one and it's a really great sequel.Norman Bates(Anthony Perkins)is re-habilitated and declaired sane,much to the dismay of Lila Loomis(Vera Miles),the sister of the shower scene victim in the first one.Norman goes back to live at the motel and the house on the hill where it all started.Lila and her daughter Mary(Meg Tilly)are trying too make Norman go crazy again,in a interesting way.Out of all the horror sequels in the world,this is the only one that lives up to the original one.If Hitchcock was alive today,I think he would have enjoyed this film alot.I loved the fact that Tony Perkins could get back into the skin of Norman Bates after 22 years and when you watch this movie,it was like he never left.Norman Bates is one of those horror movie charcters then you don't care if he's crazy or a killer,you just love them nomatter what.If I saw the original Pyscho back in 1960 and have to wait 22 years for the sequel,I'd say it was sure as hell worth the wait.22 years later,the Bates Motel is about to go back in business.
He's BACK!!!
Psycho II is a good follow-up to the Hitchock classic. It's not a masterpiece by any means, like its 1960 predecessor, but it does a decent job of re-introducing audiences to Norman Bates for a bloodier, more violent film that delivers decent suspense. A terrific cast, which includes pre-fame Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) and the wonderful Meg Tilly, as well as the return of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates and Vera Miles as Lila, add to the fun. Wish Janet Leigh had somehow made a cameo.
This is the plot in a nutshell: Norman Bates has been locked away in a mental institution for over 20 years, but is finally released. Lila Loomis, Marion Crane's (Janet Leigh) sister, protests his release, but her arguments fall on deaf ears. Now Bates is back in town and trying to do right by working in a small diner. Soon he starts to see his long-deceased mother in the Bates Motel window and brutal murders start once again. Could it be Bates or is someone else feeding their deviant need to kill?
Psycho II starts off with the famous shower scene from the original Psycho and holds interest. The film could have resorted to the cheap slasher techniques of the day, but instead it concentrates on developing the character of Norman Bates--a sympathetic soul who is fighting to overcome his past and live as a normal person. Norman is a victim of crazed people who insist on persecuting him and, as a result, seems incredibly sane by comparison. Unfortunately the end to Psycho II contradicts this development, turning Norman into a leering loon in preparation for another sequel.
It would impossible for Psycho II to live up to the original, but the cast and crew give it their best shot. The film is actually pretty competent throughout, though the silly finale ruins what is otherwise an interesting and suspenseful (if totally unnecessary) sequel. Overall, this is a decent sequel with a great cast, and worth seeing for fans of the original, who may or may not like it. Either way, it's good to see and compare.
PSYCHO 3 picks up right where PSYCHO 2 left off and the Bates Motel is back in buisness. This time, not only does Anthony Perkins reprise his role as Norman Bates, he also directs this film and it is his first directing debut. The story follows Norman as he attempts to have a relationship with a young woman who looks alot like Marion Crane (the woman who was stabbed in the shower in the original film). Norman also gives a job to a guitar-playing drifter as the assistant manager to running his motel. It isn't long though before Mother starts to interfere in Norman's relationship, and soon bodies begin to pile up in the swamp behind the Bates Motel. All in all, this is another great sequel follow-up to Alferd Hitchcock's original, even though this one is a bit more violent and sexually... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Anthony Perkins - Diana Scarwid Director(s): Anthony Perkins DVD Release Date: Released the 28 September 1999 THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available.
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At last--a great American movie available on video for the first time in its original aspect ratio. For all the slasher pictures that have ripped off Psycho (and particularly its classic set piece, the "shower scene"), nothing has ever matched the impact of the real thing. More than just a first-rate shocker full of thrills and suspense, Psycho is also an engrossing character study in which director Alfred Hitchcock skillfully seduces you into identifying with the main characters--then pulls the rug (or the bathmat) out from under you. Anthony Perkins is unforgettable as Norman Bates, the mama's boy proprietor of the Bates Motel; and so is Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, who makes an impulsive decision and becomes a fugitive from the law, hiding out at Norman's roadside inn for... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Janet Leigh - Anthony Perkins DVD Release Date: Released the 27 May 1998 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Numerous critics had already sharpened their knives even before Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot color "re-creation" of the 1960 black-and-white Hitchcock classic was released, chiding the Good Will Hunting director for defiling hallowed ground. This intriguing cinematic curiosity, though, is hardly as sacrilegious as critics would lead you to believe. If anything, Van Sant doesn't take enough liberties with his almost slavish devotion to the material, now updated with modern references. At times, you wish Van Sant would cut loose with a little spontaneity, a little energy, a little something. Unfortunately, when he does venture outside Hitchcock's parameters, with inserted shots of storm clouds during the murder sequences, it's to little effect. Granted, he liberally... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Vince Vaughn - Anne Heche Director(s): Gus Van Sant DVD Release Date: Released the 28 August 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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To begin, Tobe Hooper is one of my all-time favourite horror movie directors. From his raw debut shocker THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE to the Spielberg-friendly spookfest POLTERGEIST, Hooper has always managed to raise a fanboy warmth in my heart when one of his new movies is released. THE FUNHOUSE is a minor work in his canon, which benefits from great make-up effects from Craig Reardon/Rick Baker and Hoopers' own strong visual directorial style. The actual script is pretty lame, with four teenagers sneaking into a funhouse for an aftershow scare. They are quickly dispatched by a deformed creature in the most routinest of fashions.
The scares are handled well and the excellently spooky cinematography benefits the look and feel of the production. The movie itself echoes an older style of... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Tobe Hooper Director(s): Tobe Hooper DVD Release Date: Released the 26 October 1999 THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available.
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