Product Details

• Actors: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia, Dennis Franz
• Directors: Richard Franklin
• Writers: Robert Bloch, Tom Holland
• Producers: Bernard Schwartz, Hilton A. Green
• Format: PAL
• Language: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Run Time: 113 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004R6AR
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #495,599 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A darn fine (and worthy) sequel, February 9, 2000

By 

Steven W. Hill "Owner of shillpages.com" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psycho 2 (DVD)

How can you top the original PSYCHO?

You can't.

But you can do it justice, and PSYCHO II accomplishes that. Its most important key to success, coming over 20 years after the first film, is the return of the same performers - Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and the HOUSE. Using the same exact house/motel set lends this sequel incalculable credibility and continuity. Without it, the movie probably would have been "just another sequel."

Perkins is simply outstanding as Norman (gotta love the way he says "cu- u- utlery") and Meg Tilly and Robert Loggia are nicely cast in their roles. The plot has a nice handful of twists throughout, and a whopper of an afterthought ending. Jerry Goldsmith provides a fine score, wisely avoiding the temptation to mimic Herrmann's original.

The DVD presentation is full-frame, but DON'T let that stop you from buying it. The film is open-matte, which means a widescreen version would simply MASK the top and bottom. In other words, this is NOT a pan-and-scan presentation. There is nothing chopped off at the sides. Instead, you're seeing MORE picture here than you would if it were presented in widescreen format.

Picture and sound quality are good, and the lack of extras is not too disappointing, really, and it's a decent price.

To sum up: great acting, good direction from a Hitchcock apprentice, good score, good plot, good picture and sound, and excellent continuity from the original film. If you're a devotee of Hitchcock's film and you've never seen this, I urge you to give it a try. It really does do justice to the original.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Sequel 4.5 stars, April 5, 2004

By 

Amy Lynn (Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Psycho 2 (DVD)

Smart, entertaining and creepy sequal to the masterpiece Pyscho. Stars anthony perkins in his returning role as Norman Bates. Very clever plot and really good acting. Norman is coming home after being declared sane nearly 22 years later but marion cranes sister isnt to happy about that so her and her daughter devise a plan/ wont say what it is cause i dont want to give story away but the movie is excellent and more murders happen. The ending is also clever. Meg Tilly is excellent as Lila loomis's daughter/ all the actors in the movie are good but she stands out and norman is excellent as always. Dvd also includes the shower scene from the original psycho. This is probably the best sequal to a horror film ive ever seen. First rate thriller. Highly recomended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The "Mother" of all sequels (heh, heh), July 18, 2005

By 

A. Gammill (West Point, MS United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psycho II (DVD)

Finally, I can use my Goodtimes DVD of Psycho 2 for a coaster! A belated thanks to Universal for finally giving this superior sequel a decent DVD release.

As for the film itself, it's certainly one of the best sequels ever made. It's 22 years later, and Norman Bates is judged restored to sanity. He takes back his roadside motel from a sleazy manager (a pre-NYPD BLUE Dennis Franz), and takes in a seemingly innocent waitress (Meg Tilly). But even though Norman has put his past behind him, he starts getting notes from "Mother." And someone (Norman?) is dressing up like Mrs. Bates and soon the Bates Motel is back in business, 1960-style.

There are a few surprises--although the identity of the murderer is fairly obvious long before it's revealed. Director Richard Franklin even throws in an admirable Hitchcock cameo! The pacing is deliberate and slow by today's standards, but the performances should hold your attention. Anthony Perkins deserves special mention for recreating his role as the screen's most sympathetic serial killer; his "toasted cheese sandwich" speech is probably the most emotional scene in all four PSYCHO films.

Psycho 2 is a first-rate sequel, one made with obvious care and attention to characters...a far cry from the seemingly endless cycle of slasher films being released around the same time.