Psycho II (1983)
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly
Writer: Tom Holland
Director: Richard Franklin
Synopsis:
22 years after the events of Psycho,
Norman Bates is declared sane and released from psychiatric care and
confinement. He returns back to his home and hotel, hoping to live a
normal life, but the horrible memories of his victims and his mother
reemerge almost immediately.
Review:
Making a sequel to Psycho was one
incredibly gutsy move. Not only because Alfred Hitchcock's original
is held is such seriously high regard, but additionally, it's a
sequel that came 2+ decades after its predecessor. Had the film been a
failure, I wouldn't want to imagine the amount of backlash that
Richard Franklin and Tom Holland would have had to live down.
Thankfully, Psycho II was not a failure, and for being a sequel to a
film as legendary as Psycho, it's infinitely better than it has any right
to be.
In order for a story to be a good
followup to Psycho, it couldn't be a barrage of the same old tricks. Tom Holland and Richard Franklin knew this, and Psycho II is anything but a rehash. In a
way, the good and evil from the first film is flip-flopped, making
the antagonist the protagonist. It's impossible to not feel bad for
Norman in this story, and wonder if he would've been okay, had people
just left well enough alone. It's mind games on Bates as soon as he
pulls up to the mansion. Psycho II has a
lot going for it in terms of the narrative, and good grief, what a
satisfying ending that will never not be shocking.
Now, onto the visuals, this movie is
a nod to Hitchcock through and through. The late Richard Franklin was
a Hitch student, and he had a tremendous amount of respect for the man and
his achievements. The way Psycho II starts with a montage of the
original film's shower scene is brilliant, how it slowly pulls out of
the bathroom and eventually takes us to a view of the house, blending
from black and white to color. Albert Whitlock's matte paintings for
the Bates Motel/Mansion backdrops are gorgeous, for daytime and
nighttime scenes. Camera work is great; lots of tilted angle shots of
Norman walking the steps up to the house, all in true Hitchcock form.
The crane-cam work providing overhead scenes make you feel like
you're leaping off the roof of the mansion, looking straight down at
people below. The movie makes great use of wide angle shots, too.
Dean Cundey worked as cinematographer, who has served on some of the
best from John Carpenter's catalog, not to mention Back to the
Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and more. This movie is absolutely
masterful on a visual level.
Every actor/actress in Psycho II gives
100% to their roles. It's honestly difficult to say who is a
standout, especially considering how great the chemistry they all
have together. The late Anthony Perkins is excellent, and a bit more
broken down than he was in the first film. Sure, the original charm
of Norman is still there, but there's even more eccentricity, if you
can imagine that. Perkins shines on his own, but the performance
doubles with whoever he has a scene with. The work between him
and Robert Loggia as his doctor, Bill Raymond, is fantastic. They come off
as if they are truly friends, and Raymond seems genuinely concerned
for Norman's well being. Loggia is awesome here, and a really likable
character. Meg Tilly gives a strong performance as Mary, and the
naturalness of the character makes a reveal later on in the movie so jaw
dropping. Tilly and Perkins together are just simply amazing,
particularly in a scene where Norman reflects on the good ole days of
Mother making him toasted cheese sandwiches. It's a moment worthy of
producing tears from the viewer. Apparently, Perkins had some issues
with Tilly offset. Luckily, it either didn't show through on screen,
or it helped, because the two of them were so great together. Also
shredding in their role is Dennis Franz as Warren Toomey, a slimeball
who has been running the Bates Motel in Norman's absense. And again, the gel Franz and
Perkins have together... just amazing. Particularly in a
confrontational diner scene. Hugh Gillin as the town sheriff is also
a delight, and there are a few other notable performances, as well.
Psycho II was released in 1983, and
slasher films had really started booming at this point. Friday the 13th had sequels, as did Halloween, and additionally films like My
Bloody Valentine, The Burning, The Prowler, Prom Night, and many more were
already out and about. So obviously Psycho II had to up the ante from
the original, in terms of explicit kills. This film is in no way a
gorefest, but there are a couple of scenes that are really intense.
Not so much for the fact that they aren't cutaway moments, but more so
because they come out of nowhere. Ultimately, there are only a small
handful of really graphic moments, but they are indeed hard hitting.
One of my favorite movie music
composers, the late Jerry Goldsmith, provides the score. It's way
different from what Bernard Herrmann brought to the original film,
but it's oh so good. The parts that accompany the horror and suspense
aspects of Psycho II are indeed on point, but nothing tops the main theme for
me. It's wonderfully gorgeous and somber, fitting the true vibe of
the story. From the moment it first comes in (during the opening
credits), featuring a shot of the Bates house, it's breathtaking,
especially with the backdrop of changing colors.
Final Word:
I'm going to go ahead and dare say that
Psycho II is on par with Alfred Hitchcock's iconic masterpiece. I
love a lot of horror sequels, even ones that are nothing but rehash,
but there's a lot to be said about a followup that manages to stand
on its own. This is one of those followups, and I can't really think
of a single bad thing to say about it. Beautifully shot and written, with a
wonderful score and fantastic performances. I think Hitch would be
proud.
Blu-ray
Scream Factory's release of Psycho II
is presented in 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1). To get an
idea of just how much better this looks than any other release, all
you need to do is take a browse over the special features section.
It looks wonderful. And like the other Scream Factory releases I
have had the pleasure of experiencing, they keep all the grain of the
film while making it look better than it ever has. If you're a fan of
this sequel, there will be no other way you'll want to view it. For
audio, there's an option for either 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio or 2.0
DTS-HD Master Audio. I went with 5.1, and while I'm no expert, I can
say that this choice sounds fantastic.
Special Features
Cast & Crew Interviews- 35 minutes
of promo reels for the film, with interviews of director Richard
Franklin, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and more. You get a lot of repeated information out of this feature, but what makes it commendable
is how it manages to take you back to the point in time to when Psycho II was being released. Really interesting and totally charming
to see some production sequences and interviews with Franklin and
Perkins.
Trailers and TV Spots- 2 trailers and 4
TV spots. I'm a sucker for simplistic 15 to 30 second TV spots, so
these were my favorite. They tell you only enough to get you
interested, but not enough to spoil the film. And the voice-overs are
awesome.
Stills Gallery- Lots of great promo
shots of the film, as well as pictures of actors. Plus posters, TV guide-like pics, and
lobby cards.
Play Film With Cast and Crew Interviews
– Audio Only- Pretty nifty little feature that tags in with the
interview feature.
Audio Commentary With Writer Tom
Holland and Robert Galluzzo- Had a blast with this commentary. Robert
Galluzzo (director of the Psycho Legacy) and Tom Holland spit their
knowledge out. It's awesome to hear a commentary between someone who
grew up on Psycho II and someone who wrote it and was there for the
production. Lot of fun stuff here, and plenty of juicy behind the
scenes tidbits.
Final Word:
This is a must own. A fantastic treat in terms of presentation, with plenty of extra features to make a fan
happy. Scream Factory kills it once again.
Available September 24th,
2013 on Blu-ray and DVD. Preorder HERE.
- Eric (Brobocop)
