It’s no doubt in my mind, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 adaptation of Psycho is a cult classic for all the right reasons, the same however, CAN’T, be said for the 1998 shot for shot remake by Gus Van Sant.
But when I do look back on it, there are some things that do make it good, just not a whole lot. Let’s check into the Bates Motel one last time, for like Arbogast, we will be looking for clues to see what makes this movie, decent, if not 100% thrilling as the original.
- For starters, the amount of money Marion steals (or $400,000) is modernized to fit with the times.
- Such as the price of the car she buys, which is $4,000, it was $700 in the original.
- The following actors and actresses ones who do a good job in my opinion:
- Julianne Moore as Lila Crane
- Especially seeing as her version of Lila can stand up for herself during her and Sam’s final confrontation with Norman.
- We even learn what she does for a living: She works at a Vinyl/Record store, which explains her Walkman.
- Especially seeing as her version of Lila can stand up for herself during her and Sam’s final confrontation with Norman.
- Viggo Mortensen as Sam Loomis
- William H. Macy as Milton Arbogast
- Phillip Baker Hall as Sheriff Al Chambers
- Anne Haney as Eliza Chambers
- Who is more diligent than a bit of an airhead compared the version as played by Lurene Tuttle in the original.
- James Remar as the Highway Patrolman
- Rita Wilson, aka Tom Hanks’ wife, as Caroline
- And finally, Gus Van Sant doing the same cameo as Alfred Hitchcock
- Julianne Moore as Lila Crane
- We actually do get some end credits for this film, something the original film didn’t, but the Psycho sequels did.
- In the scene, we do see the police drag Marion’s new car and everything else dragged out of the swamp completely.
- It’s quite clear that Vince Vaughn’s version of Norman will get no sympathy from me, nor will he ever escape prison or be given parole.
- Plus, he’s clearly more unhinged here.
- .Where as I do feel more sympathetic towards Anthony Perkins’s take.
- Plus, he’s clearly more unhinged here.
- Just before leaving to change her car, Marion (Anne Heche) is told by the Highway Patrolman to ‘have a nice day’, something that was absent in the original film.
- Due to the use of color in the movie: Marion’s undergarments and purses are different colors before and after she steals the $400,000: orange is used before and green is used after.
- Smart thinking, Van Sant. But I think you should’ve use a different color than orange to represent before. Maybe a nice pink or something should’ve been in order?
- Flies play a more stronger role in the film than just the ending, they are seen during Marion and Sam’s lunch in opening.
- And last but not least, some of the dialogue is either extended or modernized, probably a good thing too, or there is even some new dialogue.
- The most strong example is this bit of dialogue shared between Norman and Marion, which was in the original script by Hitchcock and Joseph Stefano, but not in his final (original) film:
- Norman: You have something that most girls don’t have.
- Marion: I have?
- Norman: There’s not a name for it… But it’s something that, that puts a person at ease.
- Marion: Well, thank you again.
- The most strong example is this bit of dialogue shared between Norman and Marion, which was in the original script by Hitchcock and Joseph Stefano, but not in his final (original) film:
That’s all for today, but don’t forget to tune next time as to my next page.
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