Psycho II (1983) Review (Part One)

Horror is a complex genre of film that consists of several sub genres such as: exploitation horror, body horror, the paranormal, and of course slashers! My personal favorite sub genre of horror is the slasher sub genre. One of the earliest examples of a slasher film came from Alfred Hitchcock’s masterful film Psycho, which was released in 1960. The film may not align with the modern perception of slasher films, but it undoubtedly crafted the blue-print for the entire slasher sub genre. If you are reading this article, I am guessing you have seen the original Psycho before and are well aware of how iconic that film is. What some of you may not know is that Psycho also spawned three sequel films. Psycho II (1983) and Psycho III (1986) were theatrically released while Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990) was released for cable television (Showtime). In this blog post I will be reviewing and discussing some stylistic elements I observed when recently rewatching Psycho II. Within the second part of this post I plan on reviewing and discussing the story, characters, and overall impact the film had on me.

Psycho II was theatrically released during the summer of 1983. The timeline in Psycho II takes place 22 years after the timeline in the original film. The film, Psycho II, was released 23 years after the original film.

Psycho II opens with a flashback to the iconic shower scene and then transitions from black and white to color during the main credits. Some may think it is cheap to open up a sequel with the best scene from the previous film, but I think it makes sense in this case. It had been 23 years since the original Psycho was released in theaters and showing the shower scene in the very beginning of the film allows the viewers who saw the original film to reinvigorate that fear, and it also allows those who have never seen the film to experience that fear for the very first time. The transition from black and white to color was also a very creative way to let the audience know we are transitioning into a new story. Although the original film was indeed presented in black and white, I found the shower scene being in black and white for this flashback more significant because the scene is now a past event that transitions into the present day in the film. From my perspective, black and white symbolizes the past and the transition to color symbolizes moving into the present day.

Jerry Goldsmith composed the soundtrack for the film and created some truly haunting original music while borrowing lightly from cues heard in Bernard Herrmann’s soundtrack for the original film. The only music cue Jerry Goldsmith borrowed from Bernard Herrmann’s original score was the shower scene murder, which is famously known as the violin screech. According to the composers notes, the music Jerry Goldsmith composed for the main theme is meant to convey a more sympathetic and innocent side to Norman that is explored in this sequel’s story. Jerry Goldsmith also composed the music with the intent for it to move forward Norman’s character narratively. Different variations of the main theme were composed and each one seems to reflect the mood in the scene that the track is played in.

While listening to the musical score, I really get a sense of Norman’s haunted and tragic past but I also get a sense of his desire to be innocent despite the harm he unknowingly causes. The theme Jerry Goldsmith composed for the murders utilizes screeching sounds and the sounds of knives being sharpened. A truly 80’s slasher music aesthetic and style is also incorporated within the cues played during the murder scenes. In my opinion, the music that was composed for the murder scenes made the murders seem even more sadistic and terrifying. Overall I have to say that just like with the first film, the score in Psycho II is part of what makes the film so effective. Jerry Goldsmith did a phenomenal job composing a truly hauntingly beautiful score for Psycho II.

The way Psycho II was shot and filmed is also incredibly moody and atmospheric. Rooms in the house are shot from certain angles that almost make Psycho II feel like a haunted house movie. The cinematography works as an effective stylistic element because the way the house is shot also works in a narrative sense. The house being shot like a haunted house works narratively because both Norman and Mary are afraid of being there for different reasons. Norman is afraid of being back home because of the bad memories he has there and Mary is afraid to be there because of what Norman has done in the past (Norman did murder her aunt after all). The exterior of the house and the motel was also masterfully shot, especially at night and towards the end of the film when Norman is outside on the steps. I also really liked the blue tinge that was added to the night sky during the final shot of the film, which is also on the poster. I really like when slasher films have a poster with a dark blue tinge (Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers 1995 has a poster with a similar blue color). Speaking of the Halloween franchise, Dean Cundey who is the cinematographer for Halloween (1978) is also the cinematographer for Psycho II. Dean Cundey did a spectacular job with the cinematography and I would even say that the Bates Motel and house look the best in Psycho II.

The murder scenes in Psycho II definitely contain tuned up violence for the bloodthirsty 80’s slasher movie audiences but the film still maintains a strong story and places more focus into the narrative rather than the violence, much like the original film. The reason the violence was amped up was because censorship had changed since the original film and other more violent films like Halloween (1978) and Friday The 13th (1980) had already arrived. The violence in the film is indeed more intense but what makes it truly work is the fact that there is not a lot of it. By having a few violent sequences interwoven throughout a lengthy intricate story, it makes those violent sequences all the more effective. I also really admired how they kept the killer’s face obscured just like in the original.

The stylistic elements of Psycho II are a big part of what make the film work. It feels like every piece of this film, from the atmosphere to the music, acts as a narrative force for Norman. Psycho II is a perfect example of how every element of a film can be a driving narrative force.

To Be Continued…