Psycho II (1983)

   
Produced & Directed by: Richard Franklin

Written by: Tom Holland

Starring:

Anthony Perkins ... NormanBates
Vera Miles ... Lila Loomis
Meg Tilly ... Mary Loomis
Robert Loggia ... Dr. Bill Raymond
Dennis Franz ... Warren Toomey
Hugh Gillin ... Sheriff John Hunt

Release Date: Theatrical: June 3, 1983

*Images courtesy at: www.thefleshfarm.com

 

 

Rating:

 

After 22 years in the insane asylum, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is considered sane again and released going back to his house and hotel as well as working at a local diner where he meets up with a beautiful woman named Lila Loomis (Vera Miles) but however he is getting strange messages as if his mother was still alive leaving nasty threats wherever he goes.
He also realises that Lila is Marion Crane's sister although she makes out that she's trying to help him is trying to convince him that he's still insane along with her wicked mother Mary (Meg Tilly) while they stay at his resort and house committing some murders there dressed as his mother.
Bates' shrink Dr. Bill Raymond (Robert Loggia) tries to help him keep his sanity but it might be too late as already he's convinced that his mother is still alive.

 

There's many  interesting scenes like  with Norman Bates being questioned in a court with a judge as well as a woman at a court  griping about him being released from his asylum.
There's a good dispute between Norman and
Warren Toomey in a hotel office when Norman himself fires him and this person starts insulting him.
A nice shot on Norman standing on the top of the stairs looking at his phone as well as showing disturbed expressions when he stares at the door thinking of his mother.
There's a good discussion between Norman and Lila Loomis standing outside at night after work when she is upset about her boyfriend dumping her and has nowhere else to go and he offers her to stay at his hotel making out he's not such a bad person after all.
A good shot on Norman opening a cupboard looking for some tea at his house along with a good conversation with Lila.
There's a suspenseful shot on Norman as he uses a knife on some lettuce looking disturbed as well as the close up shot on him cutting it in a restaraunt
Good angle shots on Lila at the restaurant as well as Warren Tooney sitting at the table mocking her although the situations looked very cheesy.
A good shot on Norman bursting out of the kitchen room as well as him staring at a sharp knife next to a cut piece of cake wondering if he is going to go crazy again.
A good distant shot on Warren  shouting obscenities while Norman is staring out at his window of his house.
There's a good close up shot on a hand with a kitchen knife raised in the air along with Warren screaming but the setting looks too obvious.
A good close up shot on two teenage trespassers trying to escape up in a window of a cellar falling over some logs with a killer closing in as well as a good shot on one of the teens hand scraping against a window while being stabbed.
A good shot on Lila
climbing up a chair and looking in a peephole in a wall with a good shot of an eye staring at her and she jumps.
A good mysterious and psychological moment when Norman answers the phone thinking that he is talking to his mother and Lila goes on the other line in his house demanding for him to hang up. This really grabs your attention big time thinking that he will kill again soon.
There's a moment with Norman keeping Lila in a room to keep her safe from mother demanding her to stay put which looks awfully cheesy but then there's a good moment when he turns around and acts very intense when he doesn't believe something she says to him. There's also a good shot on him holding up a knife showing her sleeping.
A good intense quarrelling between Lili and her mother Mary in a hotel lobby when she idly threatens her to leave Norman Bates alone.
There is a good conversation on Dr. Bill Raymond talking to Norman about two women trying to make him go crazy as he shows a very serious attitude about this.
A nice shot on Norman coming up from behind Lila telling him what he heard almost sounding intimidating and not impressed while she is cooking something as you wonder if he's going to do some damage.
There's a good shot on Mary walking up the stairs to the house as well as a good close up shot on her screaming in the cellar when the killer is about to get her.
Things seem twisted when Lila is dressed as mother approaching Norman thinking that he's on the phone with his Mom as she tries to convince him that his Mom is dead and then he slowly walking towards her and good shots on her swinging the knife at him and hitting his hands etc.
Bottom line: UGH! This film doesnt NOT deliver like in the first one as there never should have been a sequel if it was going to look this bad making Hitchcock look bad. It was stale and boring to begin with but it is still psychological watching someone trying to get sane again go insane with what is going on and still very mysterious but apart from that this one bites and goes nowehere. Ignore this piece of junk.

The acting is very plain and outdated for the era it was done in. Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) returns but isn't the same like he was in the first film but yet can still act disturbed during some parts of the film. He does well putting his head down and loosing his mind thinking his insanity is coming back again yet at the same time is a little overly done. A good disturbed look on his face when he answers the phone thinking that he is talking to his mother. Also does well slowly walking towards someone thinking it's his mother and acting convincingly disturbed.
Vera Miles (Lila Loomis) seems to present herself not too bad as the deceivingly nice one in the film trying to help him out. Shows a good sharp and deceivingly caring attitude. Was strong with her words. Does well near the end of her performance by being dressed up as the psycho killer Mom.
Meg Tilly (Mary Loomis) comes across well at being the wicked one in the film but needed a bit of a push in some spots like her screaming in the end of the flick.
Robert Loggia (Dr. Bill Raymond) seemed to perform well as a psychiartrist in the film with his serious attitude.
Hugh Griffin
(Sheriff John Hunt) seemed to stand out the most as a tough lawman showing good attitude. He made a good impression by questioning two of his fellow actors about a murder in the cellar.

There is a brief breast and butt shot on Vera Miles while taking a shower.

Blood starts flowing out of a toilet
A knife is plunged through a woman's mouth.

The composer is fairly descent with his strong piano playing along with some violin music (But not the creepy intense violin playing like in the first one) as well as some dark keyboard playing by Jerry Goldsmith

Dr. Raymond: Norman was not convicted of murder. He was found not guilty by reasons of insanity, and since he is no longer insane, he has the right to live a normal life like you and I.

Norman Bates: I don't kill people anymore.

Warren Toomey: At least my customers have a good time! What do yours get, Bates? Huh? Dead! That's what! Murdered by you, you loony!

Norman Bates: Would you care to share my toasted cheese sandwich?
Mrs. Spool: No thank you.

Mary: Can I use your phone again?
Norman Bates: Sure. Who you're gonna call?
Mary: Uh, I just remembered of a girl friend I have in town, well, she's sort of a girl friend, but maybe she'll let me spend the night at her place.
Norman Bates: I thought you were going to stay here. You're more than welcome to stay, there's a free room upstairs.
Mary: I don't think that's a good idea.
Norman Bates: Why?
Mary: Look, I don't wanna hurt your feelings or anything, but Myrna talked about you on the Diner today. Mrs Spool told her to shut up but she didn't. She said you've been locked up.
Norman Bates: [upset] Did she tell you why?
[Mary nods no]
Norman Bates: Well I'll tell you. When I was little, I had a fight with my mother, so I put some poison in her tea, you know. But I'm all right now.
Mary: You sure?
Norman Bates: Sure! Otherwise they wouldn't give a job on a diner would they?
Mary: I don't know, it takes a nut to work there.

 [Mary fishes out a blood-soaked towel from the toilet that overflows with blood]
Mary: Jesus! How'd that get in there?
Norman Bates: After I killed that kid, I used that towel to clean up the mess, and then I stuffed it down there.
Mary: Norman, you coudn't have killed that kid. You were locked in the attic.
Norman Bates: It wasn't locked! You said so yourself.
Mary: Norman, stop talking nonsense! I'm telling you, you did not kill anyone.
Norman Bates: Then how do you explain all this blood?
[Mary does not reply]
Norman Bates: [shouts] WELL?
Mary: I can't. I mean... I don't know.

Mary: [to Lila] I think there's someone else in the house.

Mary: Norman, what's wrong?
Norman Bates: It's starting again.

Norman Bates: Mary, I'm becoming confused again, aren't I?
Mary: Of course not.
Norman Bates: [holding the knife] Don't lie to me! Not you!
Mary: Yes, Norman... you are becoming confused again.

Norman Bates: Where did you get that gun?
Mary: Uh... my mother gave it to me.

Mary: You could stop stuffing bloody towels in toilets and peering through peep-holes in the wall.
Lila Loomis: What are you talking about?
Mary: The things you're doing to Norman.

Mary Samuels/Mary Loomis: Then who did it?
Norman Bates: My mother did, she told me so herself.
Mary Samuels/Mary Loomis: Oh Norman... You're mad don't you know that? You're as mad as a hatter.
[the telephone rings]
Norman Bates: Should I answer it?
Mary Samuels/Mary Loomis: Why bother? It's only my mother. She shouldn't be calling she should be sitting back and gloating.
Norman Bates: I better answer it.