Posted by Chiusano at hiper2-d201.stk.cwnet.com on February 11, 2000 at 10:41:21:
In Reply to: Psycho 1998 (kevin, thoughts) posted by Jar Jar on February 11, 2000 at 03:18:54:
Can we expect your hot-off-the-presses review of Scream 2 anytime soon?
I realize that this was a stab at humor (if it wasn't, than I hope you're able to locate your medication soon), but if'n you really wanted Kevin's thoughts on Psycho 1A, then I can make myself useful for a change...I have to start sometime, might as well be now.
Kevin Smith on Van Sant's Psycho: "The Most Startling Moment In MPAA Film History......can be found in Gus' 'Psycho', when Marian Crane hits the deck in the shower scene, and here it is (Spoilers, people! Spoilers)..."
"You can just about make out Anne Heche's asshole."
"Rude, but true. I can't remember another moment in an MPAA rated mainstream release where any browneye was ever featured. I believe this to be a first. As I sat there watching the flick, and the new Ms. Crane was falling forward, I was thinking to myself "The angle her legs are spread at, if they stay on this shot, her bung is going to be on full display," (these are the things I think about in movies, folks). And sure enough, if you look moderately closely, you can make out her unholiest of holys."
"That being said, I left the flick with the feeling that it was an interesting yet unnecessary exercise, this shot-for- shot remake. When the fun of shot-spotting wore off (marveling at how close the whole affair was to the original), all I was left with was the impression that it would've been an infinitely more enjoyable film had it NOT been shot-for-shot. The few moments when the film did deviate ever-so-slightly (the killing of Arbogast with those bizarre inserts of the sheep comes to mind), left me wanting far more of that, and far less of the 'exercise'."
"Cast-wise, I found Bill Macy and James LeGros to be improvements over the original. Vince Vaughn - while enjoyable as always to watch - didn't hold a candle to Anthony Perkins (particularly in the Norman/Mother reveal shot at the end, which - in the original - was way creepier, courtesy of Perkins' childlike, ear-to-ear grin). Anne Heche was... Anne Heche. Everyone else was fine, but I got the most enjoyment out of Macy and LeGros."
"All-in-all, it was worth seeing, but left this rube scratching his head, asking "Why go through all the trouble?"