A darn fine (and worthy) sequel
How can you top the original PSYCHO?
You can't.
But you can do it justice, and PSYCHO II accomplishes that. Its most important key to success, coming over 20 years after the first film, is the return of the same performers - Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and the HOUSE. Using the same exact house/motel set lends this sequel incalculable credibility and continuity. Without it, the movie probably would have been "just another sequel."
Perkins is simply outstanding as Norman (gotta love the way he says "cu- u- utlery") and Meg Tilly and Robert Loggia are nicely cast in their roles. The plot has a nice handful of twists throughout, and a whopper of an afterthought ending. Jerry Goldsmith provides a fine score, wisely avoiding the temptation to mimic Herrmann's original.
The DVD presentation is full-frame, but DON'T let that stop you from buying it. The film is open-matte, which means a widescreen version would simply MASK the top and bottom. In other...
As good as sequels get.
The original "Psycho," a classic in the great tradition of Hitckcock'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. Sequels, especially those of the horror genre, tend to be very trite and uninvolving, which is why, after watching "Psycho II," I was in a state of shock over how good it actually was. Of course, it's not Hitchcock, and will never live up to the caliber of the first film, but for what it's worth, it gets its formula right and keeps it right.
The movie picks up many years later, after the horrific murders at the Bates Motel, and Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) has just been released back into the world despite harsh protest from Lila Crane (Vera Miles), the sister who stopped at nothing to find her sister, Bates's shower victim. He returns to the motel, a drug-ridden sex house run by a sleazy man, and to his home, the place where his mental problems...
The "Mother" of all sequels (heh, heh)
Finally, I can use my Goodtimes DVD of Psycho 2 for a coaster! A belated thanks to Universal for finally giving this superior sequel a decent DVD release.
As for the film itself, it's certainly one of the best sequels ever made. It's 22 years later, and Norman Bates is judged restored to sanity. He takes back his roadside motel from a sleazy manager (a pre-NYPD BLUE Dennis Franz), and takes in a seemingly innocent waitress (Meg Tilly). But even though Norman has put his past behind him, he starts getting notes from "Mother." And someone (Norman?) is dressing up like Mrs. Bates and soon the Bates Motel is back in business, 1960-style.
There are a few surprises--although the identity of the murderer is fairly obvious long before it's revealed. Director Richard Franklin even throws in an admirable Hitchcock cameo! The pacing is deliberate and slow by today's standards, but the performances should hold your attention. Anthony Perkins deserves special mention...
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