Search - Psycho II [Fullscreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language, Profanity Movie Release: 1983 DVD Release: 01/26/1999 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 53 mins Studio: Universal Studios Total Copies: 5 Genres: Thriller, Slasher Film, Psychological Thriller See Also: Psycho II [Widescreen]

A sequel to one of the most popular horror films of all time, this psychological thriller received a pleasantly surprised, positive critical reception. Anthony Perkins returns as Norman Bates, who has just been released from an insane asylum after 22 years, having been judged clinically sane by the State of California over the objections of Lila Crane Loomis (Vera Miles), sister to one of Norman's murder victims. Norman returns home to the hotel and hilltop mansion he once inhabited with his mother. As a parole condition, Norman is hired at a local diner, where he struggles to join mainstream society, despite the stares of patrons aware of his past. At the diner, Norman befriends Mary (Meg Tilly), a waitress, and it seems that he may be putting some semblance of a life back together. But then Norman begins to experience hallucinatory encounters with his long-dead mother, including a handwritten note, a phone call, and a sighting of her standing at her favorite window. Is Norman's psychosis manifesting itself again, or are old enemies attempting to drive him back into an institution? As the pressure mounts, bodies pile up, and Norman's fragile hold on normality becomes more and more tenuous. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Anthony Perkins - Norman Bates
Vera Miles - Lila Loomis
Meg Tilly - Mary
Robert Loggia - Dr. Raymond
Dennis Franz - Toomey

Goodtime, the company that released Psycho II on DVD, has done a fairly good job on some accounts, a lousy job on others. For starters, the film is shown full frame, not in its theatrical aspect ratio. Still, the picture quality is good, though there is a lack of true clarity -- at
times the picture seems a bit hazy and unfocused. The image never looks awful, just not very sharp; the addition of an anamorphic transfer would greatly have improved the overall quality. The sound is also good, though far from stellar. Presented in what is an equivalent to a Dolby Digital 4.0, this is a surround track without much surround. The front speakers, which get most of the use, do produce a clean sound, but beyond that there is nothing else. Even at lower levels, the center speakers put out decent audio that is free of distortion. As with most of the other titles from Goodtimes, the extras are weak. This disc only has a brief "Production Notes" area, which gives a little behind-the-scenes information. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide