Directed by Richard Franklin
Starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia and Dennis Franz
Even more than the Friday the 13th franchise, the original Psycho and its sequels really did define my early horror fandom. I remember reading about the first book back when Roger Ebert still did those massive yearly video companions, piquing my curiosity thumbing through that thing by reading about every slasher flick in the book. Soon enough, USA Up All Night ran a marathon of the sequels, meaning that the Hitchcock original is actually the LAST movie in the series that I saw. Sacrilege, I know.
Released in 1982, the movie in question today has to be considered nothing short of a total success on every level. It was made on a budget of $5 million and grossed almost seven times that much. Having a creative team consisting entirely of Hitchcock geeks (director Richard Franklin and screenwriter Tom Holland, respectfully, two guys who are pretty highly regarded in horror circles) also had its perks, as critical and fan response were by and large extremely positive. Just like the original movie, Psycho II has got this trademark suspenseful atmosphere. Having a cast that seems to actively give a fuck about it also helps. No further jabbering necessary. Let's get to it!
Now, I will admit that the movie is based on a pretty far-flung crux. Norman Bates (still played by Anthony Perkins, amazingly enough, and he continues to be just as phenomenal and sympathetic as he was in the original film) has just been released from a mental institution and is summarily welcomed back into the community that he left with open arms. Yeah, I highly doubt it. Once you get past that faux pas, however, the movie introduces us to more than a few memorable characters.
First and foremost is Dr. Raymond. He's played by Robert Loggia, one of my favorite character actors of all time, and this is the guy primarily responsible for getting Norman a "not guilty by reason of insanity" verdict and turning public support in his favor. In one of the better "what a fantastic idea" ideas in horror history, Norman returns to the Bates Motel and the creaky old house on the hill, the former of which is now lorded over by excellent supporting character #2 - Warren Toomey, with Dennis Franz lending all of his usual sleazy charm to the role of a guy who has turned Norman's business into a swinger's hotel. And then there is Mary Samuels (a name that is more than familiar to any hardcore fan of the original film), with the certifiably hot Meg Tilly as a young woman working in the diner with Norman who needs a place to stay. 'Cus what better place to stay than with an admitted murderer in a creepy old house?
Logistical qualms aside, this movie does a very admirable job recreating the feel and locations of the original. There's no 30-minute red herring segment to start this film, and we spend a lot more time actually inside the Bates household this time. Director Franklin does fantastic giving the few locations we saw in Hitchcock's movie a slight facelift, including the cellar and Mother's room, while also recreating some iconic stuff like that legendary high-angle shot from the top of the second-floor steps. It's that atmosphere that gives this movie life when Mother begins to make her presence felt.
Psycho II is a very plot heavy movie, and I won't delve into everything that it has to offer. The gist of it is this: With Mary in the house and a hotel to prepare for a re-opening, Norman begins actually seeing his mother again. In between this, there are also some sporadic (and very tense) murder sequences, with the bit involving the teenage couple in the cellar robbing me of some sleep during my grade school years. Said murders are also very blood-free, something that stood in stark contrast to the slasher flicks that were all the rage at the time. While I'm a huge fan of the slasher genre, this move is definitely for the better here. While none of the bodies or murders are discovered, Norman does confide in Dr. Raymond about the Mother sightings. It seems that someone is trying to convince Norman that his mother is still alive, and the clever script by Holland establishes that the killer absolutely CANNOT be Norman. Confused yet? Thought so.
All that scatterbrained stuff above aside, Holland really did do a wonderful job balancing everything out here. The relationship between Norman and Mary gets plenty of ink, and it manages to come across as totally believable that Mary would come to see this guy as a protector and a friend. The various twists and turns that the movie throws our way also reveal themselves in a way that are both surprising and NOT annoying. The ending twist also absolutely floored me as an 11-year-old, and I suspect would also be quite surprising to first-time viewers these days. Oh, and the use of Vera Miles, co-star of the original movie? Absolutely perfect.
*** 1/2 out of ****. It's got one or two minor quibbles in the form of the opening setup, but it quickly gives way to a suspenseful, very entertaining little flick that actually IS worthy of the Hitchcock stamp. Check this one out.
No comments:
Post a Comment