All episodes of Criminally Underrated Movies ... Ep 1 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture ruclips.net/video/yO-QdAFBaZ0/видео.html Ep 2 - Psycho 2 ruclips.net/video/kydlEbyV3vE/видео.html Ep 3 - Heaven Help Us / The Catholic Boys ruclips.net/video/C2-O2RdQz94/видео.html Ep 4 - Red Dawn ruclips.net/video/5IjwZGT4V9U/видео.html Ep 5 - The Black Hole ruclips.net/video/LdhcX9YonMI/видео.html Ep 6 - A.I. Artificial Intelligence ruclips.net/video/hD66njCw_bE/видео.html
My Blue Heaven The Freshman Love your reviews. My only complaint with this film is with the scene where the couple tries to sneak back out the basement window. When the "Mother" figure turns her head, it looks like Mary. Definitely not Ms Spool, Lila or Norman.
Am I the only one that remembers when this movie was the event of the year? I can't believe how easily it's been forgotten. "Criminally Underrated" has never been a more apt description of a film
Psycho II was hugely popular when it was released and remained popular for years and years on cable tv. Somewhere over the years it became obscured by the shadow of the landmark original film, but I've never heard anyone say that Psycho II is bad or mediocre. Any time I've heard someone talk about Psycho II, they only ever shower it with praise and how unexpectedly great it is (i like it even better than the original to give an idea of how highly i think of it).
@@drlight6677 Good to hear! I've never heard anyone dump on Psycho II either, except a few of my parent's generation when the film was brand new. But I have been surprised lately how many people I've heard say "There's a Psycho II?!" Or, at the very least, not include it on enough lists of top thrillers, slashers or horror films, whichever category one's comfortable with. Maybe not fitting snugly into one category is the problem, though
@@michaelschwartz8730 Yeah, Psycho II is a mixture of horror, mystery and thriller and I think like you said it kind of gets lost in the shuffle of 80's horror movie discussions and discussions about horror films in general because it's largely a thriller mystery film with some forced slasher kills added in since it came out right as that genre was in full flight in 1983 (Much like how when Halloween II was released Oct. of 1981 it was forced to become a full sail slasher film because of the Friday the 13th mania causing it to lose much of the magic that made the original so special). Jason Voorhees' iconic hockey mask appearance happened the year before Psycho 2 was released and Freddy Krueger and The Terminator would make their debuts the year after Psycho 2. So Psycho 2 was kind of sandwiched in-between all of these films and series that people think of first when they think of 80's horror. And Return of the Living Dead would happen 2 years later and Aliens 3 years later, not even counting other popular stuff coming out around the same time or a little bit earlier like Gremlins, Christine, Poltergeist, Creepshow, The Thing, Cujo, Evil Dead, etc. But Psycho 2 is one of those films that used to be on tv ALL THE TIME back in the day, but over the past probably 20 years or so i think i've caught it on tv like twice lol so younger people don't even know about it.
Back then, slasher movies were still MOVIES, first and foremost. They were professionally crafted, by serious, dedicated people(I mean, for the most part-obviously, as with everything else, some were less impressive than others). You could find people of substance, like Donald Pleasance...Anthony Perkins....hell, even Glenn Ford...appearing in slasher movies. They were professionally conceived and shot, and the scores were often brilliant. The idea that slasher movies are preordained trash that is aimed at an audience of the absolute lowest forms of human life...that's a recent notion. When Psycho 2 came out, audiences could have a reasonable expectation that it would be solid, if nothing else. Today, anything with that 'slasher' tag....will be excrement. Not sure why, but it's the reality.
@@tgriffin3059 Ever see the first Friday the 13th? I love it, but it's proudly trash on pretty much every level. Cast of almost entirely unknowns, written in a couple weeks, produced and directed by a guy trying to escape from the adult industry. The only real quality elements were Tom Savini's groundbreaking effects. Contemporary films like The Burning weren't of much higher quality either.
I saw this at the cinema, and I couldn't believe how good it was! The final scene when Norman is fully re-activated and descends the steps after re-opening the Motel is fantastic.
It may not be better than the original Psycho, but for me at least, it was more emotionally affecting, as I cared more about Norman and Mary in this film than I did about any of the characters in the original.
mary was such a great addition, even tho they had trouble getting along behind the scenes and diverging about everything... its crazy that she is way less famous than her younger sis
Agree it's a very good movie & sequel but the original will always be a classic which is in the AFI top 100. It's my 3rd favorite Hitchcock movie after Vertigo & Notorious
Psycho II is one of my all time favourite films. Everything from the cinematography, the acting, the music, and everything else is pure magic. I think it's just fantastic from start to finish. Psycho II is highly underrated. I prefer it to Psycho in every way. The music is hauntingly beautiful and full of sadness, and I can easily sit there and listen to it on loop. I can't praise Psycho II enough. I just love it, and I would highly recommend to everyone.
I really liked the character Mary in this movie, and how well Meg Tilly played her. I thought the way she starts out as kind of a laid-back young woman, easily manipulated by her mother into co-opperating with her revenge scheme against Norman, but then gradually, the more she actually gets to know him, comes to see him as the gentle, tragic human being that he actually is, was so moving and well-played. The scene where Mary discovers her mother's corpse towards the end, and, assuming Norman killed her, suddenly goes from sympathizing with and trying so hard to help him, to hating him and trying to kill him, before being shot by the police herself, was so shockingly tragic. I can't help wondering what alternate direction their relationship might have taken if they'd actually run away together, when Mary urged Norman to a bit earlier before discovering the body. Might they have actually developed a mutual romantic attraction? And, of course, the final shock at the end of the movie was a CLASSIC horror movie ending!
He's the deputy standing at the counter when the sheriff says, "If Norman Bates is crazy, then there are a whole lot of people around here running him a close second" after Lila storms off in a huff.
Here’s two bits of trivia for you Rob about Psycho II The scenes when Norman plays Beethoven ‘Moonlight Sonata’ and later ‘Pathetique’ is actually Anthony Perkins he was a highly skilled classical pianist and a piano tutor. When Norman mentions “Toasted Cheese Sandwich” that was Franklin’s input being Australian. American’s then would say ‘Griiled Cheese’ not Toasted. Although it’s used there now it wasn’t when Psycho II was made.
Love this movie, its definitely one of the best horror sequels of all time. In fact the entire Psycho franchise, excluding the remake, but including Bates Motel series is excellent. Part 3 is fun 80s slasher with a lot of clever black comedy elements. Part 4 is the least satisfying but still very watchable in my opinion.
@@collativelearning psycho 3 sounds good with Norman running into one of the motel rooms dressed as his mother to kill a woman in the bathroom, only to find the woman layed in the bath with her wrists cut and falling unconscious. That's why he doesn't start stabbing her to death,he instead helps to save her. She is a nun who has run away from her convent and is trying to commit suicide. As she is beginning to pass out from loss of blood and her vision is blurred. She looks up at Norman dressed as his mother and thinks it's the virgin Mary trying to help her. But the film is a disappointment. I think Anthony perkins directed it.
A personal favorite of mine. I'm glad you dove into it. Very insightful. Personally, I've always enjoyed the entire series. Psycho IV in particular. Anthony Perkins and Olivia Hussey are magnificent and Henry Thomas is quite effective, as well. I've always thought that giving Norman the chance to tell his story himself was inspired overall film is very effective.
Denis Franz was actually a star, but on TV. Hill Street Blues, Beverly Hills Buntz, and NYPD Blues were the big ones. He also had a memorable role in Die Hard 2.
He was famous and better playing two different roles in Hill Street Blues and was in an episode of Hunter and even before all of that played in Chicago story
It's a fantastic film. ... easily the best in the series. Anthony Perkins acting in this is top notch. - Especially the parts where Norman is cracking.
Saw this in a theatre when it came out and I do remember being completely blown away by the cinematography, the first time I saw horror film as an art form.
Rob, we are in weird sync...I watched Psycho II today. It is an all time favorite of mine. I also worked in management in mental health for about a decade and....yes...there are many very real irresponsible decisions regarding mental health patients. It is part of what I love about Psycho II.
BTW, the "extra set of stairs" does indeed make sense, some older houses have these intentionally. They used to be called "a pajama route," because you could sneak from the upstairs to the kitchen, for example, without being exposed to people in certain rooms. I remember, for example, we could go from our rooms to the kitchen, without my mother's company being aware during her "bridge night."
Criminally underrated film for me; The Incredible Shrinking Man. Falsely considered a camp cult sci fi film from the 50’s. But it’s so much more, a lovable man is put in a very human and relatable situation; he goes unnoticed. Obviously it’s taken a bit weird with him shrinking to molecule size, but it’s so overlooked in the special effects department, the story department and the character development. It’s so amazingly underrated, please watch it if you haven’t already.
Love that film since I was a kid (I'm in my 20's). Has a really fatalistic vibe in the 2nd half and it is a big reminder that any of us can be pulled out of our comfort zones and the transition to raw survival can be terrifying (I'm talking about sudden changes of living standards, social environments, etc.). I hardly find that film campy at all compared to many other sci-fi films and shows of the time. I might even permanently put it on my list of movies I'll watch last on my deathbed for emotionally comprehending death lol
Collative Learning oh wow, I’d love to see that video from you, you’re analysis on The Thing, The Shining and more recently your Bill Sykes and Psycho II dissections have completely agreed with my own thoughts on each film. Thanks for everything, man!
I saw the film in the theater when it came out. I went in as a massive fan of the original Psycho, so my attendance was more out of morbid curiosity than anything else, but what I got was a stunning surprise.
The Jerry Goldsmith score on this film has been such a huge influence on me since I first saw this film at about 5 years old and still now in my career as a composer. The main theme brilliantly explores the fragility of Norman and whilst expressing the chaos around him and in his mind. The theme is actually the first thing I learnt to play on the piano. Personally feel this is Peak Goldsmith. And the film it’s self is brilliantly done.
Hear, Hear! I love this film - a perfect companion to the original. There's a touching humanity the first film lacks. Where the first film is cold, cynical and brutal, the second has heart.
@Barnaby Was Scream really a critique or just simply self aware? The author of the Psycho books, from what I've read about him, seemed to not be a fan of these kinds of movies and wanted to subvert expectations to grind that axe. Meanwhile, Scream was a Wes Craven film that introduced a new breed of slasher films that other film makers jumped on.
@Barnaby It would've had to have been retooled extensively to work. Again, the Psycho II book came from someone who hated "splatter films," which is what he called the Psycho II film. Scream was written by someone who loved horror films, particularly "Halloween," and was directed by a master of horror. Now, having said all of that, I would still be interested in seeing someone adapt the Psycho II book to film as a kind of side story that works the way New Nightmare worked within the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. So, it would recognize the first Psycho film as just a movie within the world of its own story. Based on the summary I've read, it'd be quite a dark and disturbing film. Don't know much about Psycho House, though.
Robert Bloch wrote the screenplay for the william castle - joan crawford film straight-jacket which is surprisingly similar to tom holland's script here.
Lmfao Genius. Haha. Nothing original, unique or good about the script. Not a bad movie but come on, get over it. It's a basic, slightly above average film
Back stairs (which led from the kitchen to the second floor) were a common feature in Victorian era houses. The maid was able to work unseen by guests in the living room, parlor or dining room.
I vaguely remember watching bits of Psycho 2 years and years ago (in my bedroom with the volume on 1 - we've all been there!). Rob, another fnatastic video. I love how balanced your insights are and how well researched all your videos have been. Looking forward to more!
Psycho 3 is brilliant too, and a large part of it is due to the soundtrack 'Maureen In The Desert' is possibly the loneliest piece of music ever written, fits the character of Bates perfectly
Excellent as always, Rob. I saw this with my family at the drive-in when I was 8 in 83. We all enjoyed it. I saw it years later on vhs and was pleased that it had held up as well as I'd remembered. It is a great movie. Spot on, man!
At about 20:00. Regarding the back staircase in the house. I have seen this in other Victorian houses as well as Edwardian, Tudor, and Colonial Revival houses. In short, some of these houses had a read staircase for the servants or hired help. So it makes sense. It’s generally not needed in newer houses.
Back or services staircases are not that uncommon in larger, older homes. I've been in a few a across the US, but they do tend to be homes that could have had staff. This staircase case seems to perhaps exit to the outside, benind the kitchen, as you see stairs right outside the sink windows. I love that they showed us other spaces not seen prior. By the way, the dining room remains elusive, unless you consider the latest Bates Motel series where it makes it's grand premiere!
One technical correction for you: there is actually nothing unusual about a house like Norman's having a back staircase; in fact, they were standard for houses of that size for the period. My own house has one, in fact. That staircase would be for servants. For some reasons it was undesirable to have your maid use the same staircase as you. Once again, an excellent review.
I remember absolutely loving this movie when I saw it on TV over a decade ago and it's such a relief to find it being praised like this instead of bashed purely for being a sequel to a classic!!
This film is good because of Dennis Franz's unforgettable over the top performance. His character Warren Toomey is a great antagonist to Norman Bates. His performance also was comedic in this film.
Nice timing, Cody Leach just released his review of this as well! Brings some much needed attention to this stellar film, which was actually the first horror movie I ever saw (yes, before the original, but I already knew the twist ending), so it has a special place in my heart. I keep coming back to it every few years, and I am thrilled that it is available on Netflix, at least in Canada, along with the original and Bates Motel
This is my favorite movie. I've watched it countless times. I'm ashamed to admit I never noticed the sound of mother's bedroom door closing when Norman was escorting Mary to her bedroom. So thanks for that. Great video.
14:00 Here in Canada a man stabbed, beheaded and cannibalized a stranger on a bus and was found not criminally repsinisble because he had schizophrenia and is currently living as a free man. He doesn't even have to check in with anybody anymore. Countless people had to watch him kill, behead and eat a guy and were traumatized. I wish it were just a plothole. It always makes me think of Hannibal Lector's line about moral dignity pants or whatever it was.
There are so many cases. killer Jack Unterweger actually published books while in prison, made himself a poster boy for reform, was released, did TV interviews with psychologists ... and then went on an international kill rampage and was finally caught by the FBI.
I saw this a few months ago, and was shocked to learn that it’s considered a good sequel. Loved this movie and of course the performance from Anthony Perkins.
I discovered Phycho 2 from your video and recently watched it. I really need to thank you cause, though the first one is a classic, this sequel is really original and different. I really loved it!
I'm ashamed to say, I have never seen it. I will rectify that. This looks bloody brilliant. The tea cup poisoner (I forget his name) was released and given a job with chemicals in 1971, where he killed many times again.
I only watched this movie for the first time a week ago and was blown away by it. I avoided it for years thinking it was classic sequel stuff... But I was surprised how emotionally invested I got in Norman's story. I never expected to be terrified for him as I watch the movie. I wasn't crazy about the ending but all in all the journey was awesome.
Many large victorian era homes here in the states had these narrow stairwells for the help and having been in the remodel business for a while I have even seen them installed in modern homes so it may look like a plot device but it could be a genuine feature of the home thanks Rob I really enjoy your content
Brutally underrated sequel. Richard Franklin seemed to be a valid Hitchcock successor who died too early. If you like "Psycho II" then I recommend his 1986 film "Link" about a psychotic (sic!) ape running amok.
Another great underrated film for me is 2010 the sequel to 2001, while not near as artistic nor thought provoking as the original I still think it was a good follow up to it.
I like to watch 2010 more than 2001. But i don't actually consider it to be a sequel in the normal sense. It picks up on events of the original (but not everything) and uses it to create a science fiction film in a very different way and also heads to very different direction story wise.
That’s what the book she’s reading is about?! Wow! This is such a great film! It’s so crushing how Norman ALMOST made it all the way back to being a functional healthy human.
Dean Cundey, although a masterful cinematographer beyond any doubt, had very little to do with the god's-eye shot at 7:51 of this video. That's an Albert Whitlock matte painting, and a classic shot by any standard.
I remember really enjoying this movie back in the 80s but no one else I knew had seen it so to see it regarded in such high esteem was a real nostalgic treat for me. Thank you 🙏🏻👏🏻
Meg Tilly was not the one with the attitude on set. It was Perkins who had the attitude according to interviews by those who worked with both of them on set
Collative Learning I worked for a casino in Melbourne many years ago and had to deal with Meg Tilly when she was there. I found her to be quite hostile and difficult. That doesn’t prove she was the problem on Psycho 2 but I’m inclined to side with Perkins.
I bought this film at FYE in Orlando, Florida when I went on holiday with my Dad and Brother in 2007. I absolutely love this film, It's one of my favourites and of course, I love the first one as well. Very underrated I agree and Dennis Franz is so bloody brilliant in this as Warren Toomey. Of course, Anthony Perkins is always brilliant as Norman Bates, who's troubled and haunting at the same time. Awesome video, I'm new to your channel and I hope to see more from this series.
This film deserves a 4K release with every bit as much lavish respect as the original film. It truly is a classic and complements the first wonderfully.
Want to point out the music of Bernard Herrmann in PSYCHO when Lila investigates Norman's bedroom there is an exquisitely haunting theme of a tragically lost childhood that rises to a kind of beauty of one regards it as music understanding the character of Norman in regards to your point about Goldsmith's score. His is much more pronounced; Herrmann's much more subtle. Not to mention the Sam and Marion music at the beginning of Psycho which is some the most beautifully sensual music ever written.
I have great memories of seeing this film on TV as a kid. ITV showed it fairly regularly back in the late 80s/early 90s. I taped it on VHS and watched it over and over. As I was only around 8 years old I couldn't grasp the full nuance of the story but I felt really sorry for Norman Bates. He seemed trapped in this world of torment and the film does a brilliant job of drawing the viewer into his psychosis. I've always found Anthony Perkins a wonderfully sympathetic actor
(Minor spoilers) I'm glad someone made this video-I think Psycho II was robbed of a lot of the credit and attention due it because it was standing in the shadow of Hitchcock's masterpiece, to the point where a number of critics (and would-be critics) dismissed it out of hand with a facile, "why did this movie even need to be made?" I agree with your character analysis, this movie made me fall for Norman in a big way, fleshing him out as the victim he was (of his mother's abuse) and really getting me to root for him. Goldsmith's score goes a long way in supporting that effort-Norman's theme is brave, hopeful, nostalgic, but ultimately just crushingly sad. It also very subtly hints at his continuing insanity by having notes in the melody a half-step higher or lower than the accompanying bass line, which creates a jarring yet beautiful dissonance. The movie has a number of technical errors or awkwardness that do stick out in my mind-the scene towards the end where Mary, dressed as Norma, comes up the stairs behind Norman on the phone to his mother, and the entire frame freezes in order to create a beat that wasn't in the actual action; the way the actress (stunt double?) playing Mrs. Spool bends way the hell forward for no reason at the table while talking to Norman so he can whack her over the head with the shovel; the fakeness of the plastic torso that's supposed to be Josh's chest as he gets stabbed in the basement; the overblown score that plays while Norman and Mary are fighting over the knife on the staircase, which-while a fantastic bit of music-seems far more suited to a scene in which an airplane with hundreds of passengers is plummeting to its doom rather than two people struggling over a potentially fatal weapon-but overall, this is a genuinely touching, suspenseful, engaging thriller worthy of multiple replays, and whose score I've listened to hundreds of times over the last 30+ years (first on vinyl, then on cassette, then on CD, and now digitally downloaded). This is definitely a sequel that should be seen and judged on its own merits rather than being discountenanced solely for the fact that it IS a sequel, let alone a sequel to the AFI's 18th greatest movie of all time....
I haven't seen Psycho 2 so I really appreciated the spoiler warning in the last part of your video. I will come back if i can find this film to watch. Great vid btw.
Produced by Bernard Schwartz. At first, I thought it might be Tony Curtis, but no. Would have been cool if he had produced it, under his real name. Interestingly, both Tony Curtis and Bernard Schwartz were 85 when they died. Anyway, enough of the trivia - it is a great film. Saw it years ago and really want to watch it again, now!
Maybe it's the particular Blu-Ray collection I have, but one thing I found odd is they cut out one shot where Norman was peeping. Didn't notice is at first, but that later clicked as a discrepancy when I saw the movie on VHS so many years ago. Does make me wonder if other movies have been edited on the sly when transferring to a new format.
Right, it was the first time she stayed over and she used the shower. That particular shot stood out partly because puberty and partly because even in movies which showed nudity it's unusual to focus on that part of the body. Arguably it was in better taste to not have the shot, but when a movie has been out 20, almost 30 years, the cat is out of the bag so there's little sense trying to tone down a racier element.
All episodes of Criminally Underrated Movies ...
Ep 1 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture ruclips.net/video/yO-QdAFBaZ0/видео.html
Ep 2 - Psycho 2 ruclips.net/video/kydlEbyV3vE/видео.html
Ep 3 - Heaven Help Us / The Catholic Boys ruclips.net/video/C2-O2RdQz94/видео.html
Ep 4 - Red Dawn ruclips.net/video/5IjwZGT4V9U/видео.html
Ep 5 - The Black Hole ruclips.net/video/LdhcX9YonMI/видео.html
Ep 6 - A.I. Artificial Intelligence ruclips.net/video/hD66njCw_bE/видео.html
My Blue Heaven
The Freshman
Love your reviews. My only complaint with this film is with the scene where the couple tries to sneak back out the basement window. When the "Mother" figure turns her head, it looks like Mary. Definitely not Ms Spool, Lila or Norman.
He looks like my dad @@kurtbarlow9402
Am I the only one that remembers when this movie was the event of the year? I can't believe how easily it's been forgotten. "Criminally Underrated" has never been a more apt description of a film
Psycho II was hugely popular when it was released and remained popular for years and years on cable tv. Somewhere over the years it became obscured by the shadow of the landmark original film, but I've never heard anyone say that Psycho II is bad or mediocre. Any time I've heard someone talk about Psycho II, they only ever shower it with praise and how unexpectedly great it is (i like it even better than the original to give an idea of how highly i think of it).
@@drlight6677 Good to hear! I've never heard anyone dump on Psycho II either, except a few of my parent's generation when the film was brand new. But I have been surprised lately how many people I've heard say "There's a Psycho II?!" Or, at the very least, not include it on enough lists of top thrillers, slashers or horror films, whichever category one's comfortable with. Maybe not fitting snugly into one category is the problem, though
@@michaelschwartz8730 Yeah, Psycho II is a mixture of horror, mystery and thriller and I think like you said it kind of gets lost in the shuffle of 80's horror movie discussions and discussions about horror films in general because it's largely a thriller mystery film with some forced slasher kills added in since it came out right as that genre was in full flight in 1983 (Much like how when Halloween II was released Oct. of 1981 it was forced to become a full sail slasher film because of the Friday the 13th mania causing it to lose much of the magic that made the original so special).
Jason Voorhees' iconic hockey mask appearance happened the year before Psycho 2 was released and Freddy Krueger and The Terminator would make their debuts the year after Psycho 2. So Psycho 2 was kind of sandwiched in-between all of these films and series that people think of first when they think of 80's horror. And Return of the Living Dead would happen 2 years later and Aliens 3 years later, not even counting other popular stuff coming out around the same time or a little bit earlier like Gremlins, Christine, Poltergeist, Creepshow, The Thing, Cujo, Evil Dead, etc.
But Psycho 2 is one of those films that used to be on tv ALL THE TIME back in the day, but over the past probably 20 years or so i think i've caught it on tv like twice lol so younger people don't even know about it.
Back then, slasher movies were still MOVIES, first and foremost. They were professionally crafted, by serious, dedicated people(I mean, for the most part-obviously, as with everything else, some were less impressive than others). You could find people of substance, like Donald Pleasance...Anthony Perkins....hell, even Glenn Ford...appearing in slasher movies. They were professionally conceived and shot, and the scores were often brilliant. The idea that slasher movies are preordained trash that is aimed at an audience of the absolute lowest forms of human life...that's a recent notion. When Psycho 2 came out, audiences could have a reasonable expectation that it would be solid, if nothing else. Today, anything with that 'slasher' tag....will be excrement. Not sure why, but it's the reality.
@@tgriffin3059 Ever see the first Friday the 13th? I love it, but it's proudly trash on pretty much every level. Cast of almost entirely unknowns, written in a couple weeks, produced and directed by a guy trying to escape from the adult industry. The only real quality elements were Tom Savini's groundbreaking effects. Contemporary films like The Burning weren't of much higher quality either.
I saw this at the cinema, and I couldn't believe how good it was! The final scene when Norman is fully re-activated and descends the steps after re-opening the Motel is fantastic.
It’s not better than Psycho, though I will concede that Anthony Perkins is even better in this one. And it is a terrific sequel.
It may not be better than the original Psycho, but for me at least, it was more emotionally affecting, as I cared more about Norman and Mary in this film than I did about any of the characters in the original.
@@sexistatheist6464 fosho
mary was such a great addition, even tho they had trouble getting along behind the scenes and diverging about everything... its crazy that she is way less famous than her younger sis
Agree it's a very good movie & sequel but the original will always be a classic which is in the AFI top 100. It's my 3rd favorite Hitchcock movie after Vertigo & Notorious
I’m not sure if I like it better than the original but it was a damn good movie.
Psycho II is one of my all time favourite films. Everything from the cinematography, the acting, the music, and everything else is pure magic. I think it's just fantastic from start to finish. Psycho II is highly underrated. I prefer it to Psycho in every way. The music is hauntingly beautiful and full of sadness, and I can easily sit there and listen to it on loop. I can't praise Psycho II enough. I just love it, and I would highly recommend to everyone.
psycho ll and Exorcise 3 are both highly underrated and miss understood in my humble opinion.
No blasphemy in preferring Psycho II to the original. Perkins gives an amazing, three dimensional performance. Beautiful film.
The shovel to the head scene will always be a classic.
yes, that scene went right through me ..
I really liked the character Mary in this movie, and how well Meg Tilly played her. I thought the way she starts out as kind of a laid-back young woman, easily manipulated by her mother into co-opperating with her revenge scheme against Norman, but then gradually, the more she actually gets to know him, comes to see him as the gentle, tragic human being that he actually is, was so moving and well-played.
The scene where Mary discovers her mother's corpse towards the end, and, assuming Norman killed her, suddenly goes from sympathizing with and trying so hard to help him, to hating him and trying to kill him, before being shot by the police herself, was so shockingly tragic. I can't help wondering what alternate direction their relationship might have taken if they'd actually run away together, when Mary urged Norman to a bit earlier before discovering the body. Might they have actually developed a mutual romantic attraction?
And, of course, the final shock at the end of the movie was a CLASSIC horror movie ending!
That last shot and score bit is so incredibly iconic and moving!
Very good choice. Great movie, and Perkins is such a treat to watch.
Psycho II is a classic, but i also think that Psycho III is vastly underrated too.
Major correction folks. Screenwriter Tom Holland does play a deputy in the film, but in a different scene to the one I cited !
He's the deputy standing at the counter when the sheriff says, "If Norman Bates is crazy, then there are a whole lot of people around here running him a close second" after Lila storms off in a huff.
Minor correction --
"It's so good that I actually like it *_more_* than the first Psycho film."
@@chiefscheider That's certainly not a correction.
Point of privilege 😂
Thank you for this post. I agree that it is totally underrated.
Here’s two bits of trivia for you Rob about Psycho II
The scenes when Norman plays Beethoven ‘Moonlight Sonata’ and later ‘Pathetique’ is actually Anthony Perkins he was a highly skilled classical pianist and a piano tutor.
When Norman mentions “Toasted Cheese Sandwich” that was Franklin’s input being Australian.
American’s then would say ‘Griiled Cheese’ not Toasted.
Although it’s used there now it wasn’t when Psycho II was made.
So glad this video was made. Psycho 2 is amazing. I agree 100%
It is unironcially one of the greatest sequels ever. Such a good horror mystery. Love it.
Love this movie, its definitely one of the best horror sequels of all time. In fact the entire Psycho franchise, excluding the remake, but including Bates Motel series is excellent. Part 3 is fun 80s slasher with a lot of clever black comedy elements. Part 4 is the least satisfying but still very watchable in my opinion.
All i remember from 3 was laughing my head off at Bates beating a guy to death with his own guitar!
@@collativelearning thats was truly an funny epic scene
Just finished Bates Motel and it did not disappoint! Really enjoyed it.
@@collativelearning psycho 3 sounds good with Norman running into one of the motel rooms dressed as his mother to kill a woman in the bathroom, only to find the woman layed in the bath with her wrists cut and falling unconscious. That's why he doesn't start stabbing her to death,he instead helps to save her. She is a nun who has run away from her convent and is trying to commit suicide. As she is beginning to pass out from loss of blood and her vision is blurred. She looks up at Norman dressed as his mother and thinks it's the virgin Mary trying to help her. But the film is a disappointment. I think Anthony perkins directed it.
Nothing like Vince Vaughn playing Master Bates.
A personal favorite of mine. I'm glad you dove into it. Very insightful.
Personally, I've always enjoyed the entire series. Psycho IV in particular. Anthony Perkins and Olivia Hussey are magnificent and Henry Thomas is quite effective, as well. I've always thought that giving Norman the chance to tell his story himself was inspired overall film is very effective.
Denis Franz was actually a star, but on TV. Hill Street Blues, Beverly Hills Buntz, and NYPD Blues were the big ones. He also had a memorable role in Die Hard 2.
He also did great in the Nicolas Cage movie City of Angels.
@@Leonard1977ful He got the Peter Falk gig in that one.
He was also good in a couple of DePalma films.
Yeah Cundy and Holland were sold short too!!
He was famous and better playing two different roles in Hill Street Blues and was in an episode of Hunter and even before all of that played in Chicago story
This was one of those gems I caught by accident as a teen on late night cable.
It's a fantastic film. ... easily the best in the series. Anthony Perkins acting in this is top notch. - Especially the parts where Norman is cracking.
Saw this in a theatre when it came out and I do remember being completely blown away by the cinematography, the first time I saw horror film as an art form.
Rob, we are in weird sync...I watched Psycho II today. It is an all time favorite of mine.
I also worked in management in mental health for about a decade and....yes...there are many very real irresponsible decisions regarding mental health patients. It is part of what I love about Psycho II.
I love all of the Psycho films but part 2 was a solid sequel that compliments the original and in some ways surpasses it.
Dennis Franz became one of television's biggest stars of the 90's on "NYPD Blue".
This is true. He became a household name from the role of detective Sipowicz and earned many awards including four Emmy awards.
and hill street blues , great show ..
@@derekhallows9479 He was also in an episode of the A-team in the 80's
He was pretty good in the Psycho re-telling Bates Motel on Netflix.
@@heartlights You buy those though. You have to be approved of course, but they are not like awards, you purchase them.
BTW, the "extra set of stairs" does indeed make sense, some older houses have these intentionally. They used to be called "a pajama route," because you could sneak from the upstairs to the kitchen, for example, without being exposed to people in certain rooms. I remember, for example, we could go from our rooms to the kitchen, without my mother's company being aware during her "bridge night."
Fantastic analysis of a fantastic sequel, thank you!
Criminally underrated film for me; The Incredible Shrinking Man. Falsely considered a camp cult sci fi film from the 50’s. But it’s so much more, a lovable man is put in a very human and relatable situation; he goes unnoticed. Obviously it’s taken a bit weird with him shrinking to molecule size, but it’s so overlooked in the special effects department, the story department and the character development. It’s so amazingly underrated, please watch it if you haven’t already.
That's an awesome film. I read the novel specifically in prep for making a video about the movie.
Love that film since I was a kid (I'm in my 20's). Has a really fatalistic vibe in the 2nd half and it is a big reminder that any of us can be pulled out of our comfort zones and the transition to raw survival can be terrifying (I'm talking about sudden changes of living standards, social environments, etc.). I hardly find that film campy at all compared to many other sci-fi films and shows of the time. I might even permanently put it on my list of movies I'll watch last on my deathbed for emotionally comprehending death lol
Collative Learning oh wow, I’d love to see that video from you, you’re analysis on The Thing, The Shining and more recently your Bill Sykes and Psycho II dissections have completely agreed with my own thoughts on each film. Thanks for everything, man!
I saw the film in the theater when it came out. I went in as a massive fan of the original Psycho, so my attendance was more out of morbid curiosity than anything else, but what I got was a stunning surprise.
Agreed, Ager. Nice to see someone praise this forgotten little gem.
You know, I'm outright moved by this video. I wish the director could have seen this.
Dude, Dennis Franz DID become a star! NYPD Blue! He won at least one Emmy for that.
@@kentjensen4504 Richard Franklin died too young. Such a shame.
Thanks, Rob! Had to stop @ 22:22 fearing too much would be revealed, but looking forward to seeing the rest after I watch the film.
Many thanks!!
8:31 Legend has it that Jerry Goldsmith gave Anthony Perkins a cassette tape of this soundtrack and was so moved Perkins broke down in tears.
True story: Perkins was so gratified that somebody else -- The GOAT, Jerry -- understood the Bates character and saw his story as a tragedy.
This one’s got a knockout ending...
TRoL MaRz pun intended? 😆
I dig it.
No kidding
Are you sure you don’t want a toasted cheese sandwich?
I nearly choked on my tea.
Very true.
The Jerry Goldsmith score on this film has been such a huge influence on me since I first saw this film at about 5 years old and still now in my career as a composer. The main theme brilliantly explores the fragility of Norman and whilst expressing the chaos around him and in his mind. The theme is actually the first thing I learnt to play on the piano. Personally feel this is Peak Goldsmith. And the film it’s self is brilliantly done.
Ahh psycho 2🔪 all time classic i had such a crush on meg tilly
Seen Masquerade? She's so beautiful in that film.
Same ! it's a shame she doesn't like the movie , because she aside from Perkins , was the best character
Never would have considered watching this movie but now it's on my list. Good analysis.
I just rewatched Psycho II last week, and I'm sure to watch it many more times again in the future!
Hear, Hear! I love this film - a perfect companion to the original. There's a touching humanity the first film lacks. Where the first film is cold, cynical and brutal, the second has heart.
Did we really need a sequel to Psycho? Nah but what we got from Tom Holland's script was genius.
@Barnaby The book was a critique of slasher films. As a film, it would have been experiencing some kind of existential crisis.
@Barnaby Was Scream really a critique or just simply self aware? The author of the Psycho books, from what I've read about him, seemed to not be a fan of these kinds of movies and wanted to subvert expectations to grind that axe. Meanwhile, Scream was a Wes Craven film that introduced a new breed of slasher films that other film makers jumped on.
@Barnaby It would've had to have been retooled extensively to work. Again, the Psycho II book came from someone who hated "splatter films," which is what he called the Psycho II film. Scream was written by someone who loved horror films, particularly "Halloween," and was directed by a master of horror.
Now, having said all of that, I would still be interested in seeing someone adapt the Psycho II book to film as a kind of side story that works the way New Nightmare worked within the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. So, it would recognize the first Psycho film as just a movie within the world of its own story. Based on the summary I've read, it'd be quite a dark and disturbing film. Don't know much about Psycho House, though.
Robert Bloch wrote the screenplay for the william castle - joan crawford film straight-jacket which is surprisingly similar to tom holland's script here.
Lmfao Genius. Haha. Nothing original, unique or good about the script. Not a bad movie but come on, get over it. It's a basic, slightly above average film
I remember when I found out Psycho II was being made - I was really excited! I did really like the movie as well.
psycho 2 was an amazing movie. liked this break down and look forward to the analysis when it's here.
Back stairs (which led from the kitchen to the second floor) were a common feature in Victorian era houses. The maid was able to work unseen by guests in the living room, parlor or dining room.
True. Couldn't be having the riff raff seen on the same stairway!
Great video Rob, good to see you give the underrated movies a nod!
I vaguely remember watching bits of Psycho 2 years and years ago (in my bedroom with the volume on 1 - we've all been there!). Rob, another fnatastic video. I love how balanced your insights are and how well researched all your videos have been. Looking forward to more!
Just watch this for the first time, surely one of the best sequels I can remember
It's a great film. Interesting sounding video series. I personally enjoy this more than the original too.
@Barnaby Try living in the UK, I beg to differ. I can well imagine him being returned to the same home.
@Barnaby That's a fair point. Having never read the book I couldn't have made a similar criticism.
Psycho 3 is brilliant too, and a large part of it is due to the soundtrack
'Maureen In The Desert' is possibly the loneliest piece of music ever written, fits the character of Bates perfectly
Fantastic review of psycho two! Gonna watch it again! Thank you!
Excellent as always, Rob. I saw this with my family at the drive-in when I was 8 in 83. We all enjoyed it. I saw it years later on vhs and was pleased that it had held up as well as I'd remembered. It is a great movie. Spot on, man!
At about 20:00. Regarding the back staircase in the house. I have seen this in other Victorian houses as well as Edwardian, Tudor, and Colonial Revival houses. In short, some of these houses had a read staircase for the servants or hired help. So it makes sense. It’s generally not needed in newer houses.
Back or services staircases are not that uncommon in larger, older homes. I've been in a few a across the US, but they do tend to be homes that could have had staff. This staircase case seems to perhaps exit to the outside, benind the kitchen, as you see stairs right outside the sink windows. I love that they showed us other spaces not seen prior. By the way, the dining room remains elusive, unless you consider the latest Bates Motel series where it makes it's grand premiere!
One technical correction for you: there is actually nothing unusual about a house like Norman's having a back staircase; in fact, they were standard for houses of that size for the period. My own house has one, in fact. That staircase would be for servants. For some reasons it was undesirable to have your maid use the same staircase as you.
Once again, an excellent review.
Predator 2 is another great underrated masterpiece
I remember absolutely loving this movie when I saw it on TV over a decade ago and it's such a relief to find it being praised like this instead of bashed purely for being a sequel to a classic!!
What are your thoughts on Brazil (1985) ? Should we expect an analysis at some point?
I like Brazil definitely a underrated flick all of Terry Gilliam movies are great even the bad ones like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
@@Thespeedrap But Fear and Loathing may be his best! I also love The Fisher King.
great movie
@@Thespeedrap I wouldn't call it underrated whatsoever.
@@kentjensen4504 I can't Terry Gilliam dont got the same respect like Kubrick Hitchcock and Tarantino
This film is good because of Dennis Franz's unforgettable over the top performance. His character Warren Toomey is a great antagonist to Norman Bates. His performance also was comedic in this film.
Nice timing, Cody Leach just released his review of this as well! Brings some much needed attention to this stellar film, which was actually the first horror movie I ever saw (yes, before the original, but I already knew the twist ending), so it has a special place in my heart. I keep coming back to it every few years, and I am thrilled that it is available on Netflix, at least in Canada, along with the original and Bates Motel
This is my favorite movie. I've watched it countless times. I'm ashamed to admit I never noticed the sound of mother's bedroom door closing when Norman was escorting Mary to her bedroom. So thanks for that. Great video.
Brilliant story, cast and cinematography...I highly recommend Psycho II.
14:00 Here in Canada a man stabbed, beheaded and cannibalized a stranger on a bus and was found not criminally repsinisble because he had schizophrenia and is currently living as a free man. He doesn't even have to check in with anybody anymore. Countless people had to watch him kill, behead and eat a guy and were traumatized. I wish it were just a plothole. It always makes me think of Hannibal Lector's line about moral dignity pants or whatever it was.
There are so many cases. killer Jack Unterweger actually published books while in prison, made himself a poster boy for reform, was released, did TV interviews with psychologists ... and then went on an international kill rampage and was finally caught by the FBI.
Would not the second staircase be the servant's stairs?
I saw this a few months ago, and was shocked to learn that it’s considered a good sequel. Loved this movie and of course the performance from Anthony Perkins.
I discovered Phycho 2 from your video and recently watched it. I really need to thank you cause, though the first one is a classic, this sequel is really original and different. I really loved it!
I'm ashamed to say, I have never seen it. I will rectify that. This looks bloody brilliant. The tea cup poisoner (I forget his name) was released and given a job with chemicals in 1971, where he killed many times again.
Seen it last night on your suggestion Rob, what a great movie, I loved it.
I can’t believe I’ve watched your videos for years and never subscribed. This has been amended. Keep up the good work mate :)
This is one of the best film analysts I've ever seen. Someone get this man his own film review show.
Where at?
I only watched this movie for the first time a week ago and was blown away by it. I avoided it for years thinking it was classic sequel stuff... But I was surprised how emotionally invested I got in Norman's story. I never expected to be terrified for him as I watch the movie.
I wasn't crazy about the ending but all in all the journey was awesome.
Many large victorian era homes here in the states had these narrow stairwells for the help and having been in the remodel business for a while I have even seen them installed in modern homes so it may look like a plot device but it could be a genuine feature of the home thanks Rob I really enjoy your content
Brutally underrated sequel. Richard Franklin seemed to be a valid Hitchcock successor who died too early. If you like "Psycho II" then I recommend his 1986 film "Link" about a psychotic (sic!) ape running amok.
What a great movie! And Perkins' performance is even better in this one.
Yes for me it's his career defining performance.
Patiently waiting to see a review on Midsommar Rob!
Another great underrated film for me is 2010 the sequel to 2001, while not near as artistic nor thought provoking as the original I still think it was a good follow up to it.
Rob agrees. He’s called 2010: The Year We Make Contact “quite good.”
Absolutely I think it's a very good film
I like to watch 2010 more than 2001. But i don't actually consider it to be a sequel in the normal sense. It picks up on events of the original (but not everything) and uses it to create a science fiction film in a very different way and also heads to very different direction story wise.
Psycho 2 is a well-conceived and well-rendered psychological thriller, but it's not even close to the same level of artistry as the original film.
Unjustly underrated film, Goldsmith`s score is so original, and surprisingly poignant.
Thank you for this. This film is the very definition of a criminally underrated film. It deserves to be treated as the brilliant film that it is.
That’s what the book she’s reading is about?! Wow! This is such a great film!
It’s so crushing how Norman ALMOST made it all the way back to being a functional healthy human.
Dean Cundey, although a masterful cinematographer beyond any doubt, had very little to do with the god's-eye shot at 7:51 of this video. That's an Albert Whitlock matte painting, and a classic shot by any standard.
That's a matte painting, wow.
Ah yes. Kinda throws us back to those high shots in Vertigo and North by Northwest.
I remember really enjoying this movie back in the 80s but no one else I knew had seen it so to see it regarded in such high esteem was a real nostalgic treat for me. Thank you 🙏🏻👏🏻
Always loved this film and score .
So I'm not the only one who thinks this is one is superior to the original.
Anyone else stop this video to watch it first? It didn't disappoint
Well done.
Yup.
Norman Bates is one of my favorite horror movie characters. Even named my rabbit after him.
Got to admit that Bates Motel did an uncanny job of recreating the set for Psycho II
Meg Tilly was not the one with the attitude on set. It was Perkins who had the attitude according to interviews by those who worked with both of them on set
Any links to the interviews? I meant to ask Tom Holland about it in my interview with him but didn't have time to get the question in.
Collative Learning I worked for a casino in Melbourne many years ago and had to deal with Meg Tilly when she was there. I found her to be quite hostile and difficult. That doesn’t prove she was the problem on Psycho 2 but I’m inclined to side with Perkins.
I bought this film at FYE in Orlando, Florida when I went on holiday with my Dad and Brother in 2007. I absolutely love this film, It's one of my favourites and of course, I love the first one as well. Very underrated I agree and Dennis Franz is so bloody brilliant in this as Warren Toomey. Of course, Anthony Perkins is always brilliant as Norman Bates, who's troubled and haunting at the same time. Awesome video, I'm new to your channel and I hope to see more from this series.
I could not agree more with you on Psycho 2. Have you also seen Exorcist 3?
yes it's really good.
Brad Dourif is amazing! Talk about a criminally underrated **actor**.
This film deserves a 4K release with every bit as much lavish respect as the original film. It truly is a classic and complements the first wonderfully.
Meg Tilly was stunning.
I dig the ending of this movie. Really is a knockout, I nearly choked on my tea.
Want to point out the music of Bernard Herrmann in PSYCHO when Lila investigates Norman's bedroom there is an exquisitely haunting theme of a tragically lost childhood that rises to a kind of beauty of one regards it as music understanding the character of Norman in regards to your point about Goldsmith's score. His is much more pronounced; Herrmann's much more subtle. Not to mention the Sam and Marion music at the beginning of Psycho which is some the most beautifully sensual music ever written.
I have great memories of seeing this film on TV as a kid. ITV showed it fairly regularly back in the late 80s/early 90s.
I taped it on VHS and watched it over and over.
As I was only around 8 years old I couldn't grasp the full nuance of the story but I felt really sorry for Norman Bates. He seemed trapped in this world of torment and the film does a brilliant job of drawing the viewer into his psychosis.
I've always found Anthony Perkins a wonderfully sympathetic actor
(Minor spoilers) I'm glad someone made this video-I think Psycho II was robbed of a lot of the credit and attention due it because it was standing in the shadow of Hitchcock's masterpiece, to the point where a number of critics (and would-be critics) dismissed it out of hand with a facile, "why did this movie even need to be made?" I agree with your character analysis, this movie made me fall for Norman in a big way, fleshing him out as the victim he was (of his mother's abuse) and really getting me to root for him. Goldsmith's score goes a long way in supporting that effort-Norman's theme is brave, hopeful, nostalgic, but ultimately just crushingly sad. It also very subtly hints at his continuing insanity by having notes in the melody a half-step higher or lower than the accompanying bass line, which creates a jarring yet beautiful dissonance. The movie has a number of technical errors or awkwardness that do stick out in my mind-the scene towards the end where Mary, dressed as Norma, comes up the stairs behind Norman on the phone to his mother, and the entire frame freezes in order to create a beat that wasn't in the actual action; the way the actress (stunt double?) playing Mrs. Spool bends way the hell forward for no reason at the table while talking to Norman so he can whack her over the head with the shovel; the fakeness of the plastic torso that's supposed to be Josh's chest as he gets stabbed in the basement; the overblown score that plays while Norman and Mary are fighting over the knife on the staircase, which-while a fantastic bit of music-seems far more suited to a scene in which an airplane with hundreds of passengers is plummeting to its doom rather than two people struggling over a potentially fatal weapon-but overall, this is a genuinely touching, suspenseful, engaging thriller worthy of multiple replays, and whose score I've listened to hundreds of times over the last 30+ years (first on vinyl, then on cassette, then on CD, and now digitally downloaded). This is definitely a sequel that should be seen and judged on its own merits rather than being discountenanced solely for the fact that it IS a sequel, let alone a sequel to the AFI's 18th greatest movie of all time....
Apocalypse Now is the gold standard of troubled shoots leading to a fantastic film. Sometimes Art is created out of chaos haha
Ha yes.
Deuce Bigalow 2: Electric Boogaloo was a relatively trouble free shoot.
I haven't seen Psycho 2 so I really appreciated the spoiler warning in the last part of your video. I will come back if i can find this film to watch. Great vid btw.
Produced by Bernard Schwartz. At first, I thought it might be Tony Curtis, but no. Would have been cool if he had produced it, under his real name. Interestingly, both Tony Curtis and Bernard Schwartz were 85 when they died. Anyway, enough of the trivia - it is a great film. Saw it years ago and really want to watch it again, now!
Maybe it's the particular Blu-Ray collection I have, but one thing I found odd is they cut out one shot where Norman was peeping. Didn't notice is at first, but that later clicked as a discrepancy when I saw the movie on VHS so many years ago.
Does make me wonder if other movies have been edited on the sly when transferring to a new format.
Who is he spying on, Mary?
Right, it was the first time she stayed over and she used the shower.
That particular shot stood out partly because puberty and partly because even in movies which showed nudity it's unusual to focus on that part of the body.
Arguably it was in better taste to not have the shot, but when a movie has been out 20, almost 30 years, the cat is out of the bag so there's little sense trying to tone down a racier element.
Another wonderful work
Yes excellent film loved Meg Tilley
MOTHER will be delighted with your review!
To anyone who would dismiss _Psycho II_ as a "cash grab sequel," let us not forget that this film was 23 years in the making.