![]() His previous film, Roadgames, is also a huge love letter to Rear Window, and with Franklin already following up a Hitchcock film there, so to speak, there was a degree of rationale to this choice. Franklin was a true student of Hitchcock and had even met with him on several occasions. ![]() With Hitchcock not even being a possible contender to be director here, the decision of who would helm the anticipatory film was obviously a huge question, with the Australian Richard Franklin being a pretty solid choice. It’s more than clear that Perkins has an enormous respect and love for this character and franchise (it’s not at all surprising to me that he would go on to be the director of Psycho III-who better to understand that world?). This is the product of 22 years of extensive therapy being put to work. He does masterful work in his delivery of lines, and small touches like the quiver in his voice and his speech being just slightly off speak volumes for what is going on with him internally. There are moments where he feels like a completely different person than who he is in the first film. This is a much more layered version of Norman Bates and Perkins relishes the opportunity to rise to the challenge. Then again, this story is very concerned with Norman confronting his demons in order to overcome his problems once and for all, which requires him returning to this place.Īs incredible as Anthony Perkins is in the original film, he really knocks his previous work out of the park here. It’s just a shame that Norman’s home in the case is Bates Motel, a building full of triggers for him in what seems like a situation designed to bring on a relapse of the crazy. Norman’s been passively not hurting flies for long enough to finally be deemed worthy of going home. There’s a solid story being told here with everyone’s favorite schizophrenic seeing release from his 22-year long tenure from a mental institution. This is again something that can only be achieved through a sequel (or remake/reboot) with Psycho II inevitably having more to say than the original because it’s additionally commenting upon the original. Who knows what that character now looks like in that new light? Along the same lines, Psycho II also smartly plays with the lore and reverence of the original film’s events, treating it like a legend as much as the film itself is. Seeing what Norman’s up to a week later arguably holds diminishing returns, but checking in on him after two decades of rehab is a solid premise. The film becomes a conversation all about that lost time, using the past decades as justification for revisiting this world in the first place. It’s a product that has aged in real-time, simultaneously giving both Norman and the audience 22 years to heal. This isn’t a sequel that takes place immediately after the first film. The film even uses the 22-year break between films to its advantage. Imagine what a crazy double feature that could have been? In that light, I kind of respect the hell out of this film opening against Return of the Jedi of all things, too. Everyone was aware of the stakes present here. The heavy gap between these films paired with Anthony Perkins’ return to his career-making role shows that this sequel wasn’t headed into without trepidation. ![]() ![]() Hell, films weren’t even being shot in black-and-white anymore. This is a sequel that was released 22 years after the original. Psycho II is not a film that was just rushed into by any means. Now, right after the film’s 33 rd anniversary, what better time to revisit the misunderstood title and look at what makes it such an exciting piece of horror? It’s safe to say that a lack of expectations are usually at the door for fodder like this, so the fact that Psycho II isn’t only a passable sequel to Hitchcock’s original, but that it’s actually a very good film that’s arguably as fulfilling as its predecessor makes the sequel’s impact hit even harder. While Psycho II’s existence might come as a surprise to many, that almost ends up making the film be all the more effective. Most have even moved through life having no idea that Psycho is in fact one piece of a larger franchise chronicling the journey of Norman Bates. A lot of people consider this film to be the be-all and end-all of horror that how dare they ever try to attempt a sequel to this legend in the first place. To many people Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1960s horror film, Psycho, is an untouchable piece of art on a whole other level than the rest of cinema. The sequel to Hitchcock’s horror classic is not only a satisfying piece of film, but arguably a richer experience than its predecessor ![]()
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