For myself the original Psycho is one of the best films in the horror genre and it's definitely the best to come from Alfred Hitchcock. It's hard to go from that film which holds such high regard amongst film fans to doing a sequel so many years later. For myself the first time watching Psycho 2 I was quite skeptical if it could stand up strong aside the original. My skepticism quickly disappeared as the film went on further and further along. In my eyes it's actually one of the best sequels to ever be made and works perfectly with the first film in having some very tense moments and twists that keep you thinking and wondering what is going to happen next.
Review: Psycho 2 takes place 22 years after the original and stars Anthony Perkins once again as Norman Bates which no other actor could do (yes I mean you Vince Vaughn!). This time he is out of the psychiatric hospital and now he is back to the Bates Motel and trying to adapt to life again, but there is people who want him to revert back to his old ways. As things progress things start happening that makes you wonder if Norman is really slipping into his old ways or is someone else who is playing mindgames with Norman and setting him up? Come check into the Bates Motel once again and hope that you get to check out!
I absolutely love the plot of this film and think it works excellent as a sequel. Instead of them just doing something bland the makers of this film actually did something interesting and fresh. The twists and turns that are setup along the way seriously kept me guessing what and who was doing the killings and phone calls to Norman. The suspense at times actually gets quite overwhelming and the atmosphere can be quite tense. Now I can't really talk much about what happens in this film because I don't want to give away any of the twists to those who have not seen this one. One last thing I will say is that it ends spectacularly.
As I mentioned before Anthony Perkins comes back for his role as Norman Bates and there is also another cast member back and that is Vera Miles who plays as Lila Loomis (formerly Lila Crane). Each one of them coming back really adds so much to the story and helps to make this a good film. Along the side of those 2 there is also a great cast that includes Robert Loggia as Dr. Bill Raymond, Dennis Franz as Warren Toomey, and Meg Tilly as Mary Loomis. The actors/actresses involved are all top notch and really take their roles seriously. I honestly will say that there really is no bad acting going on here and really liked who they cast.
The presentation of the this release is fantastic and really does the film justice. Now I have previously seen this film on VHS and even the older DVD release and each of them looked good for their time, but the new blu-ray release is the best that you can find. The picture is cleaned up quite well and has not been destroyed by DNR or edge enhancement. The audio track on this blu-ray is fantastic as well and is very clear. You get a choice between either an 5.1 HD Master Audio or an 2.0 Master Audio track. Along with the great presentation you also get some pretty cool special features that include TV Spots, Theatrical Trailers, Audio Commentary from screenwriter Tom Holland, and Vintage Video and Audio Interviews with Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and Richard Franklin. Get this release if you enjoy this film as much as I do!
Overall this is a great sequel and really works greatly. For any of those who have doubt about this film I highly suggest that you give it a chance like I did because I think you may actually enjoy what Psycho 2 has to offer.
-Daniel "Damnation" Lee
Director: Richard Franklin
Lead Actor/Actress: Anthony Perkins
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Blu-ray Release Year: 2013
Theatrical Release Year: 1983
Time Length: 113 mins.
Rating: R
Region Code: A
Release Company: Shout! Factory/Scream Factory
Website:
www.shoutfactory.com
For myself the original Psycho is one of the best films in the horror genre and it's definitely the best to come from Alfred Hitchcock. It's hard to go from that film which holds such high regard amongst film fans to doing a sequel so many years later. For myself the first time watching Psycho 2 I was quite skeptical if it could stand up strong aside the original. My skepticism quickly disappeared as the film went on further and further along. In my eyes it's actually one of the best sequels to ever be made and works perfectly with the first film in having some very tense moments and twists that keep you thinking and wondering what is going to happen next.
