Psycho (1998)

Starring - Vince Vaughn; Anne Heche; Julianne Moore; William H. Macy & Viggo Mortensen Director - Gus Van Sant MPAA - Rated R for violence and sexuality/nudity. So why remake a classic like Psycho? After seeing the new version I still have no idea why a remake was necessary. The only reason that I can come up with is that they wanted to reach a younger audience that wasn't likely to watch the original Black & White version. So how does this virtual shot for shot remake compare to the original? Not bad. But compared to current horror films, Psycho is dated, even if it is in color. Let's face it; the original Psycho is not real scary by today's standards. I have my doubts that the shower scene that terrified audiences back in 1960 will even faze today's more jaded moviegoers. The original Psycho is a classic; this new version will most likely end up as nothing more than a footnote. This is not to say that the new Psycho is a bad movie, it's just that considering the only differences in the movie are the cast and the color, most people would be better off going to their local video store and renting the original. For the uninformed out there, the plot of Psycho goes something like this. Marion Crane (Anne Heche) steals a large quantity of money from her employer and skips town with it. After a long day of driving, she stops for the night at a motel run by Norman Bates (Vince Vaughn) and his Mother. Marion checks in and then never checks out again after a little mishap in the shower. Marion's sister (Julianne Moore) and Marion's lover (Viggo Mortensen) and among those that set out to try to find out what happened to Marion. In terms of the performances, the entire cast of the remake does a good job. A real credit to them considering they are repeating line for line the original dialogue of the original cast. Of course the main focus is on the character of Norman Bates. Vince Vaughn does a very good job as the shy motel owner with the overbearing mother. It's not good enough to make you forget why Anthony Perkins' performance made the original the classic that it is today. Other standouts in the cast are William H. Macy as a detective working to find Marion Crane and her stolen money. The biggest treat of all is the inclusion of Robert Forster in the cast. His character shows up at the end of the film, and while it isn't a big part, it does end the movie with a nice touch. In terms of the look of the film, director Gus Van Sant does a good job. Of course it would be hard not to do a good job since he basically replicated everything Alfred Hitchcock did 40 years ago. My only complaint was that they changed the exterior of Norman Bates' house, for what seems like no reason other than for the sake of change. Is the remake as good as the original? Not really, but it does have the virtue of being in color. This new Psycho is good for taking a stroll down memory lane. I found myself remembering certain scenes from the original as I was watching this new incarnation. If you hate Black & White movies, then go see this new Psycho. If you are not concerned about the color, rent the original. While this new Psycho is a fairly good movie, the best thing about it is that it will bring a whole new audience to the original 7/10 Reviewed December 5, 1998 by Joe Chamberlain