PSYCHO II

There are several things about the existence of Psycho II that I find fascinating. The first is that this sequel which arrived twenty-three years after the original is not the most psycho installment in the Psycho franchise. The 1998 Vince Vaughn starring shot-for-shot remake will forever hold that title.
 
I also would love to know the mood on the street at the time about this movie. Hitchcock’s body was still warm when they were making this. I mean, I personally don’t care because I don’t have some movie boner for the original, but I bet at the time people were pretty upset this was made.
 
Psycho II is, strangely, a very 2022 sort of movie. Taking a popular property from the past, mimicking the style of the original, getting Anthony Perkins to reprise his role; all the sort of fan service that's par for the course these days. It’s not the sort of cash grab sequel you would expect from a horror movie coming out in the 1980s. 
 
But by making a movie that in 1983 that so carefully honours a film from 1960 it ends up feeling ancient. In a post-Halloween, post-The Thing, post-Poltergeistworld, this movie has a real “here’s one for your parents” feeling to it.

Does any of this make for a good movie? Not really. It’s not bad, just odd. Norman Bates has been released from a mental institution and he moves back into his old house, overlooking the Bates Motel. He starts working at a diner, meets a young waitress, invites her to live with him, and then “Mother” starts leaving him notes and he starts flipping out again.

Where would I fit into Psycho II? I’ve stayed at bad motels before, no reason to think I wouldn’t stay at this one. Now, even though Norman has moved back into the house, he hasn’t yet taken over the motel again. The new manager is Warren Toomey played by Dennis Franz in a very Dennis Franzian performance.

IF I WERE IN 'PSYCHO II' I WOULD: STAY AT A NORMAL MOTEL RUN BY SOMEBODY WHO HAD NEVER BEEN CAUGHT FOR THE MURDERS THEY DEFINITELY COMMITTED