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Psycho 2
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I am probably on my own here but does anyone else think Psycho 2 is better than Psycho. I love Psycho but I think the sequel just beats it, I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it but I think there are some great scenes in this film.
Anthony Perkins is still good in the role ( unlike Psychos 3 and 4 where he seems to go over the top) and it's good to see Vera Miles reprising her role as the vengeful sister of Janet Leigh from the first film. Also the film has a great ending:eek:.
Anthony Perkins is still good in the role ( unlike Psychos 3 and 4 where he seems to go over the top) and it's good to see Vera Miles reprising her role as the vengeful sister of Janet Leigh from the first film. Also the film has a great ending:eek:.
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It drove hime to write his own version of
Psycho 2 as a book,which has absolutely
no resemblance to the film in any way!
As a horror fan,it was okay but couldn't
have the impact of the first,as you knew
from the off that Norman was a weirdo!
However.......Psycho II is a really good film and a vastly underrated sequel. As we know only too well sequels often give you more or less the same story as the original but with "bigger and better" mentality.
Psycho II is one of the rare examples where the mythology and back-story is developed and explored. It is a genuine continuation of the story rather than a re-hash.
An outstanding performance by Perkins that deserved so much more recognition, i'm not sure there are many other actors who have been able to portray a psychopath in such a sympathetic light. Norman actually becomes a "baddie" we root for as we see his chance of a new life falling in around him. The end result is inevitable and terribly sad.
One of Psycho II's strongest points is the score by Jerry Goldsmith, it would've been very easy to copy Bernard Hermanns original Psycho score but Jerry obviously recognised the underlying sadness of the story and makes use of touching, emotional themes. It hard to believe that the Psycho II score has still not had a full unedited release but score fans, like me, are hopeful that the film music label Intrada wil put this right one day.
I'm very fond of Psycho III which also attempts to steer clear of copying it predecessors by taking on a bit of a dark humour angle. Perkins stepped behind the camera this time to direct and his knowledge of Hitchcock and the Psycho imagery is very noticable. His reconstruction of he shower scene in a phone booth is a perfect tribute whilst having its own style.
Psycho III does a great job of taking what we learned in Psycho II and twisting it even more, allowing us a greater insight into the history of the Bates family. Great to see Hugh Gillin reprising his role as the Sherrif.
Psycho IV whilst very obviously is a tv movie still has much to offer to the story of Norman but plays more as a novelty piece. Good performances from Henry Thomas and Olivia Hussey. Very nice to see the Bates Mansion House in all it's glory - and very sad to see it burned down too.
Collectively the Psycho series is probably one of the most consistent but sadly suffers due some peoples reluctance to "accept" it as a series and view it as a Hitchcock classic with some poorer sequels which is most definitely is not.
Anyone who doubts the sequels should find the time to watch them all with an open mind and witness how the sad story of Norman Bates develops over the 4 films.
I hope Psycho II & III get a blu-ray release very soon.
Check out Road Games also by Franklin, it was dubbed "Rear Window in the outback".
Thanks haven't seen that, have to give it a look.
I've not seen 'Psycho II', but want to! I was surprised (and pleased) to see that Vera Miles returned!
I think we got the bragging rights that night. Yes, a very good film in need of more praise.
Speaking of the TV movies, the 1987 Bates Motel is frankly bizarre as it seems to have been made by people who never even bothered to watch the original Psycho. I must say, I am looking forward to the completely new Bates Motel TV series which reboots the Psycho story, though.
I've just purchased of eBay The Psycho Collection I-IV DVD Box Set, not watched the sequels yet but looking forward to these, also have Psycho on Blu Ray and the first season of Bates Motel on Blu Ray, going to get season 2 blu ray soon.
Shame the sequels are not available in the UK on Blu Ray, no release date announced yet.
I like Psycho 2 but the one thing I've never liked about it is the way Anthony Perkins talks. He talks a bit childlike when in the original he didn't. I think part of the reason for that is because there was a 23 year gap between the original and the second one and he'd probably forgotten how to portray the character exactly as he did in the original. I hope someone knows what I mean. Even Vera Miles wasn't quite as convincing as in the original. Everything about the original is better. I know when Hitchcock directed Psycho he described it as a very black comedy which I've never quite understood. If one of your brothers or sisters went to stay at a motel, you couldn't get in contact with them and then you found out they'd been stabbed to death by the owner and dumped in a swamp I don't think many people would find that funny.
Even though he described it as a black comedy the original just feels a much darker and way more suspenseful film.
I laughed so much at that scene.It's one of the best ever.:cool:
Sort of a stroke of good fortune, since you could believe, authorities would release Bates after all these years, thinking 'Mother' had been put to rest!
Whatever happened to Meg Tilly?
Psycho III, imo had the best line of the franchise.
Maureen: I'm sorry, I left the bathroom in a mess.
Norman: I've seen worse.
Psycho (1960) 9/10 - Classic also own the Blu Ray
Psycho II (1983) 8/10
Psycho III (1986) 8/10
Psycho IV (1990) 6/10
While she was retired she did a couple of guest tv bits as favours to actor mates but she returned to full time acting a couple of years back as a lead in the Canadian Show "Bomb Girls"
Thanks. I never knew that.
Good for her.
That's just your opinion, not fact set in stone. The OP certainly prefers it to the original.
I'm a fan of all the psycho movies bar the pointless remake of the original, the original was a groundbreaking movie in many ways and heralded in a new genre of horror movies but it's certainly not a classic imo.
Psycho in colour would be like The Statue of David in jeans.