Psycho 2 (1982)

I'm sure some of you will disagree with me on this, but in my own humble opinion, this film has got to be one of the top sequels of all time and is right up there in my own personal top ten. Taking a huge risk in attempting to follow up to such a classic film as the original "Psycho", this one stands on it's own as a true top-notch film that Hitchcock himself would have been proud of. Released after 22 years in the nuthouse, Norman Bates is deemed sane and is thus thrust back into society, supposedly recovered from his previous "troubles". Returning back to the old homestead, Norman soon is getting letters and phone calls from someone claiming to be his dear old mother...or is it actually mother herself, checking in on her boy?

Anthony Perkins turns in a damn fine performance as Norman Bates, probably my favorite ever in a horror film. The man portrays Norman perfectly, and the thing is, you actually feel sorry for the poor bastard. The Bates character is trapped between wanting to do what is right and the murderous "mother side" of which he can't control, no matter how hard he tries. I almost want to cry every time I see the scene of Norman playing the piano all by himself in that big old house, consumed by a past he can never escape. The little things about the character are what I truly enjoy, from how Norman says cutlery to his psychotic twitches and "yes mother" lines. It's just a joy to watch Perkins play the part, plain and simple. The story is also full of nice twists and turns, if you have no prior knowledge of the plot before going in you'll have fun with this one. The film is not overly graphic; the murder scenes are nicely filmed and even sorta classy. One scene sure to make you grimace is the part where Norman's hands try to grab a knife blade only to have it pulled away...damn that was painful to watch. Another top f/x moment is where Norman lays out old lady Spool with a direct hit to the head with a shovel. That scene is fucking seamless, top notch editing done there; whoever worked on that scene deserves a pat on the back. Even though Norman is as crazy as they come, I still cheer him on every time I see that final shot of him standing triumphant by the house, mother back in hand, with some badass storm clouds rolling in. A truly awesome film that is, without a doubt, "Horror Apocalypse" approved.