13 Nights of Shocktober: Psycho II

by A. J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 9: Welcome home, Norman: Psycho II

How could anyone dare to make a sequel to one of the greatest films ever made by one of the greatest directors that ever lived? How could a sequel ever live up to the original Psycho, especially when it’s made 22 years later? Would it be just a schlocky 80s slasher embarrassment? Well, no. It’d be impossible for any film to live up to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece, but when taken on its own Psycho II is a very good, solid, and satisfying movie. In the shadow of Psycho, Psycho II is a successful sequel.

Anthony Perkins reprises his role as Norman Bates. Norman has been found not guilty by reason of insanity of the murders in the first movie, and now, 22 years later, he has been declared sane and released into normal society. Vera Miles also returns as Lila Loomis, formerly Lila Crane, the sister of Marion Crane who was murdered so famously in the shower. Lila strongly objects Norman’s release, protesting in court that he is still a homicidal maniac.  However, Norman moves back home and takes a job as a cook at a local diner where he meets and awkwardly befriends Mary, played by Meg Tilly. When Norman finds out that she has nowhere to stay he offers her a room in his house; it’s as awkward as you might expect, but they become unlikely friends.

 

Anthony Perkins, who was so memorable in the first movie, is still great in the role of Norman, but this time he gets to play a different take on the character. This Norman is aware of his troubled past, that Mother was all in his head, and is doing his best to be a normal, regular citizen. However, it seems that no one else is ready to have Norman back, everyone still sees him as a psycho. Suspicious things start to happen almost as soon as he arrives back home. He receives mysterious notes and phone calls from “Mother.” Is he slipping back into insanity? Is someone playing a mean prank on him?

Norman finds out that while he was away a sleazy motel manager, played by Dennis Franz, turned the Bates Motel, which Norman still owns along with the house, into what he sheepishly refers to as “an adult motel.” He fires the manager who is murdered shortly thereafter by a mysterious figure.

Psycho II is a full blown slasher movie. There is a body count and a kills are graphic, but unlike other 80s slasher movies, there is more than just the kills to this movie. There is a real mystery and intriguing plot. A lot of care and thought went into this slasher sequel; which is a rare statement to make. Norman is the prime suspect as more bodies pile up and people go missing. Though she can’t account for where he was for every murder, Mary believes Norman is innocent. She also believes there is someone hiding in the house with her and Norman. We want to believe he's innocent too, not only because Mary trusts him, but because Anthony Perkins is such an amazing actor that we just cannot believe that shy, polite, sweet, meek Norman could ever hurt anyone (again).

Psycho II succeeds because of the smart script by Tom Holland and an extraordinary performance by Anthony Perkins. Perkins was so good in the first movie as Norman Bates that audiences couldn’t see him as anything else. Though he’s playing the same character, Perkins hits so many different notes perfectly as Norman that Psycho II feels like a showcase to remind you that he is a great actor. Psycho II plays with your assumptions about Norman and expectations, or lack thereof, for sequels to deliver a sequel that is a thrilling mystery with a twist (or two) of its own. There are many, many sequels that are uninspired rehashes of the original film, but Psycho II is one sequel that should not be underestimated.

Classic Movie Picks: March

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

This is just my personal theory, but it seems that after a month of Oscar nominees - films of prestige and quality - the TCM elves are feeling a bit mischievous. How else to explain some of this month's more..um..."eclectic" choices? However, there are times when we all crave a bit of cinematic cheese or just want to see a film that's completely unique. So, I welcome whatever delirium caused the programmers to schedule films starring Liberace, an otter named Mij, the band Sorcery, and two Edward G. Robinsons (unfortunately they don't all appear in one movie).

3/7: Musicians as Actors

12:15 PM - Sincerely Yours (1955)

6 PM - Having a Wild Weekend (1965)

In his major motion picture debut, "Mr. Showmanship" Liberace portrays a concert pianist whose career is brought to a halt when he loses his hearing. That doesn't stop Libbie - he learns to read lips by watching people in the park through binoculars! And because he's such a nice, generous young man he just has to help the people he watches and solve their problems. (This isn't creepy at all, right? Right?) Liberace had an undeniable flair for performance, on display during the film's musical numbers, but it's no surprise that his film career basically ended when it started.

The Dave Clark 5 are probably remembered by most as a British Invasion band who wasn't the Beatles; and their film was certainly designed to capitalize on the success of A Hard Day's Night. However, I must defend the DC5. They had some pretty great songs and their movie isn't half bad either! How can you dislike zany Brits on a romp set to peppy music? Fun fact: This was the first film directed by John Boorman, who would go on to direct such classics as Point Blank (1967), Deliverance (1972), and Hope and Glory (1988).

BONUS: 3/3, 5 AM - Girl Happy (1965)

A pick in honor of Joni Collins, the person that introduced me to that wonderful genre of film - The Elvis Movie. She would look after me sometimes when I was little and we watched A LOT of Elvis, but this one was always her favorite.

3/8, 10:15 PM - Pretty Poison (1968)

Anthony Perkins plays a troubled young man, fresh from a psychiatric hospital, who falls for a small town honor student played by Tuesday Weld. He tries to impress her with a harmless bit of sabotage at the local mill, but soon finds himself in over his head when Weld's true murderous nature becomes apparent. Perky, gorgeous Weld is like The Bad Seed's Rhoda, if she grew up to be a drum majorette, and Perkins is perfectly cast as her hapless mark.

Leslie Caron: Single Mom

3/12, 10 PM - The L-Shaped Room (1962)

3/24, 4 AM - Promise Her Anything (1966)

In the 50s, spritely dancer Leslie Caron starred in a string of delightful musicals - An American in Paris, Daddy Long Legs, Gigi. But in the 60s, she began taking on more mature roles such as in these two films in which she plays a single mother-to-be and a widow, respectively. My image of Caron is as a young ballerina, so it is hard to imagine her playing a grown-up lady. However, she received an Oscar nomination for her role in The L-Shaped Room, a British "kitchen sink" drama. Promise Her Anything is less well-regarded, but it is notable for being the film on which Leslie met co-star Warren Beatty. Life was soon imitating art when the newly-divorced mother of two and Beatty became a couple.

3/15, 10 PM - The Whole Town's Talking (1935)

This film reminds me of an old Ray Romano joke about twins - if they're even slightly ugly, it's magnified. Thank goodness Edward G. Robinson is a great actor because he is not going to win any beauty contests. He stars here in a dual role, effortlessly changing between ruthless criminal Mannion and a meek advertising clerk, a.k.a. "The Man Who Looks Like Mannion." Yes, that is the actual nickname given to the clerk in this film, a nickname which frankly seems to downplay the resemblance (considering the two characters are identical). You could be forgiven for mistaking this film for The Talk of the Town (playing 3/6, 8 PM), which also co-stars Jean Arthur and involves someone hiding out from the law. For extra fun while watching, take a drink each time someone says the name Mannion, or reads a newspaper headline about Mannion. I imagine that director John Ford was playing this same drinking game on set.

3/18, 10 PM - Ring of Bright Water (1969)

I'm a sucker for films about animals, but I don't think I've ever seen one about an otter before. This movie stars Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, the same actors from Born Free (scheduled tonight at 8 PM), as the owners of yet another exotic pet. By the end of the film we all learn that while otters may not make good housepets, they're certainly cute!

BONUS: 3/18, 8 AM - Good-bye, My Lady (1956)

If you prefer films about more traditional pets, try this one about a stray dog in the Georgia swamps. It also has a great human cast, including Walter Brennan, Brandon de Wilde, and Sidney Poitier.

3/30, 2 AM - Stunt Rock (1980)

Director Brian Trenchard-Smith has called this the worst film he ever made, which is saying something considering he also directed Leprechaun 3 and Leprechaun 4: In Space. Fair warning aside, sometimes a silly movie about stunts and rock music is what I'm in the mood for at 2 AM. The film stars Australian stuntman Grant Page as an Australian stunt man named Grant Page who comes to Hollywood to take the movie biz by storm. He soon hooks up with the band Sorcery and is able to apply his expertise to the band's elaborate rock shows. For a straight-faced example of what This is Spinal Tap (3/3, 2 AM) was spoofing, look no further than this footage of Sorcery.

TCM Imports

There were so many intriguing foreign films scheduled this month, I couldn't narrow it down to one. Some of these are part of the "TCM Imports" series, but there are also two silent films by director Abel Gance.

3/4, 2:15 AM - Sans Soleil (1983)

3/4, 4 AM - La Jetee (1962)

3/18, 12 AM - J'Accuse (1919)

3/25, 12 AM - La Roue (1922)

3/25, 4:30 AM - Closely Watched Trains (1967)

You may know him from...

An actor’s image is so often synonymous with his most famous roles. When you think of Harrison Ford, you see Indiana Jones or Han Solo. Clark Gable is forever Rhett Butler. But just as often, you may love an actor’s performance in a movie that no one else remembers. For example, sometimes I forget that not everyone thinks of Anthony Perkins as the cute college boy from Tall Story; they’re more likely thinking of troubled, creepy Norman Bates from Psycho. So, if I admit I have a little crush on Tony…well, some people just won’t get it. But seriously, watch Tall Story (1960), a sweet romantic comedy about a co-ed (Jane Fonda) who is determined to marry her college sweetheart (Perkins), and you’ll see that he’s capable of being completely endearing. Perkins even brought glimpses of charm to his portrayal of Norman Bates, but people usually just remember the "stabbier" aspects of that character. Psycho came out the same year as Tall Story…but we all know which one ultimately cast the longer shadow. Tall Story is not currently available on DVD, but it occasionally airs on TCM. If you are interested in the kinder, gentler Tony, you should also check out his Oscar-nominated performance as a young Quaker in Friendly Persuasion (1956); this one is available on DVD.

Sterling Hayden’s most memorable roles are tough, macho characters like The Asphalt Jungle’s (1950) career criminal Dix Handley, insane Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper in Dr. Strangelove... (1964), and crooked police captain McCluskey in The Godfather (1972). But I first saw Hayden in The Star (1952) opposite Bette Davis. Here, his character – a former actor who works in a shipyard – is still masculine and tough; however, he’s also nurturing and kind. His down-to-earth presence offers a perfect contrast to Davis’s deluded and desperate “faded star.” The Star is available on DVD as part of the Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 1, alongside Davis classics Dark Victory, The Letter, Mr. Skeffington, and Now, Voyager.

Walter Matthau played his share of slobs, hucksters, and grumps, and brilliantly so, in comedies like The Odd Couple (1968) and The Bad News Bears (1976). But I think it was while watching A New Leaf (1971) when I began to appreciate Walter Matthau as a comedian. His character is spoiled, selfish, irresponsible, arrogant, and homicidal – in short, completely reprehensible. But Matthau is so hilarious, somehow I can’t hate him. Of course, I don’t want him to hurt sweet, hapless co-star Elaine May, either. (May also wrote and directed this film, proving herself to be a triple-threat filmmaker.) Unfortunately, A New Leaf is not available on video and as far as I know it hasn’t been shown on TCM either. (But you can vote on the TCM website for it to be released on DVD!)

Now that I've mentioned three actors, I feel the need to say that this applies to actresses, too! I guess I need to write a "You may know her from" list next...