Psycho II
1983 Directed by Richard Franklin
Synopsis
It's 22 years later, and Norman Bates is finally coming home.
Years of treatment at a mental institution for the criminally insane, Norman Bates still can't quite elude the demands of "Mother." Vera Miles also returns as the inquisitive woman who is haunted by her sister's brutal murder and the ominous motel where it all occurred.
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I sometimes wonder what reaction the person who first said "Let's make Psycho II" got. Probably shocked faces and a slap in the face.
But someone find that guy and shake his freakin' hand.Psycho II is a great example of what a true sequel should be, take the story from the original and expand on it, take it in a new direction - don't just repeat it.
We, the viewer, had some level of sympathy for Norman in the original movie but Psycho II somehow manages to take the "villain" of the Psycho mythology and turn him into someone we actually root for. When Norman says to Mary "It's starting again" - don't tell me you don't truly feel… -
It's slow in parts, but overall the filmmakers did the impossible here. It's a fact that Hitchcock's Psycho is a landmark film for the genre of horror and anyone back then would have thought a sequel all those years later without Hitchcock or Bernard Herrman's score would have been ludicrous. But, no, this was pretty decent. I liked that it plays out like a mystery movie - you really don't know if Bates is relapsing or if someone else is responsible for the murders. And the ending is awesome.
No doubt all the credit here goes to Tom Holland who is one of my favorite horror writers and directors of all time.
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For what is perhaps the most unnecessary sequel of all time, this movie is so much better than it has any right being. Richard Franklin, a much better Hitchcock imitator than De Palma or Argento, manages the capture of the spirit of the original, without falling into the trap of copying Hitchcock's masterpiece.
Perkins is back in the role that both made and killed his career and besides a few lines on his face, he hasn't changed at all. Behind his lanky and boyish exterior, you can almost see the insanity trying to drill its way out of his head. The support cast is nothing to scoff at either, Vera Miles returns as Lila Crane (now Loomis) and Dennis Franz is deliciously sleazy as the new owner of the Bates Motel.
A nice mixture of Hitchcock's original and the slasher films of the 80s, Psycho II is a surprising success.
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Alright story, kick ass direction.
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It's not as good as the original Hitchcock Psycho, but that was a Hitchcock film. it's hard to even imitate the Master of Suspense. Just ask Gus Van Sant who tried and failed with his disgraceful remake. You can't expect too much from the sequel. I did'nt and I loved it for what it was. Richard Franklen may not be the Master of Suspense but he does a solid job creating a suspenseful atmosphere where high tension is built up all the way until the shocking and thrilling conclusion. It's like a homage, hell a love letter, to the 1960 masterpiece that manages to respect it's predecessor while also creating a new, interesting continuation. Anthony Perkins does a terrific job…
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Psycho II is complete rubbish. I will never understand why they made sequels to a perfect film like Hitchcock's Psycho. I like to pretend they don't exist sometimes. Other times, I'm curious to see how bad they are.
Here's the deal on my rating:
I watched the whole movie (and I should get a trophy) = 1 star
The part where Norman Bates kills an old lady by whacking her in the head with a shovel = 1 star (because it's absolutely hilarious, comes out of nowhere, and it's the best part of the movie)
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Psycho II is complete rubbish. I will never understand why they made sequels to a perfect film like Hitchcock's Psycho. I like to pretend they don't exist sometimes. Other times, I'm curious to see how bad they are.
Here's the deal on my rating:
I watched the whole movie (and I should get a trophy) = 1 star
The part where Norman Bates kills an old lady by whacking her in the head with a shovel = 1 star (because it's absolutely hilarious, comes out of nowhere, and it's the best part of the movie)
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Before I start I need to admit that I really do like this movie. Starting with the Iconic scene from the original was a good choice and it sets up straight away that this is more of a drama about Norman who is just trying to reintegrate into society. How does a man like him do that? It gets a bit ridiculous - one plot twist too far and all but I think, hey you're never going to be able to top Hitchcock, all things considered this was a good story. Anyway... the RIFFTRAX. This was one of the better ones. I think the guys might work a little harder on the view on demand ones, or that everyone was…
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A good film on its own merits that unfortunately has to stand in the shadow of an iconic masterpiece. Perkins plays a less creepy, more sympathetic character, Tilly's decent and Dennis Franz steals the show, as usual, in a minor role. Although Richard Franklin does do a couple of hat-tipping homage shots, he mostly stays with his own style which is strong and effective.
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It's slow in parts, but overall the filmmakers did the impossible here. It's a fact that Hitchcock's Psycho is a landmark film for the genre of horror and anyone back then would have thought a sequel all those years later without Hitchcock or Bernard Herrman's score would have been ludicrous. But, no, this was pretty decent. I liked that it plays out like a mystery movie - you really don't know if Bates is relapsing or if someone else is responsible for the murders. And the ending is awesome.
No doubt all the credit here goes to Tom Holland who is one of my favorite horror writers and directors of all time.
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A surprisingly superb sequel to the Hitchcock classic that includes some bad ass kills. Anthony Perkins is fantastic and the twists and turns keep you guessing all the way to the end.
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Surprisingly good sequel. Was expecting much worse.
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It's sad that most people probably wouldn't give this the time of day it deserves. Criminally underrated.
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Hugely overlooked sequel to the classic original. It's smart, well made and contains the same level of intensity as the original. Really, really cool stuff, if you've not seen the Psycho sequels, check them out.
It's also far more graphic in it's depiction of violence...which is always cool.
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Not a bad follow up to the classic film, it doesn't try to be like it's predecessor and I like that. It's the Norman Osborn story we were curious about. 2/3 of the film is really good and makes for some scary shots, but the ending is a let down while it was promising something big. The build up was great.
Still worth checking out if you are a fan of the original.