Psycho II 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Psycho II 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 24, 2023

Note: This version of this film is available as part of Arrow's The Psycho Collection 4K.

Psycho would hardly seem on its face(s) to be a property that would be easily "franchise-able", which may be why it took so long for the first sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's memorable original to come out. One way or the other, though, the four Psycho films aggregated in this handsomely packaged new(ish) set from Arrow have what I personally consider to be some remarkably facile "updates" to a story that is by now so well known that even those who haven't seen the 1960 classic (and I found out after I posted my review of Universal's first Blu-ray release of that film that there were an inordinately huge amount of folks who hadn't) know the "big secret". However, knowledge of that "big secret" arguably partially informs the at least intermittently rather smart attempts at revisiting the inimitable character of Norman Bates in Psycho II and Psycho III, if admittedly that same intelligence may not extend to the made for television Psycho IV.

Shout! Factory released Psycho II in 1080 many years ago for Region A, and my Psycho II Blu-ray review of that release should provide ample plot information as well as a listing of supplements on that release and my reaction to its technical presentation.

Psycho II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from Arrow's standalone 1080 release of the film. This release does not include a 1080 disc.

Psycho II is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Arrow Video with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow has included the same booklet for its 4K UHD and 1080 sets, and that booklet includes the following information on the restoration:

Psycho II is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with stereo 2.0 and 5.1 audio. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution by NBC Universal. The film was restored in 4K and graded in SDR and HDR10 by Heavenly Movie Corp.

While there are noticeable improvements in this 4K UHD rendering of the second Psycho film, some perhaps baked in anomalies can make this a somewhat less pleasing viewing experience in 2160 than it actually is in 1080. Arrow's 1080 version at least somewhat improved an already pretty good Shout! release, offering a bit more clarity and less jarring ebbs and flows of a sometimes pretty yellow and chunky grain field, but the increased resolution of this version probably gets things back at least close to square one, probably arguably more in terms of how grain can look in this presentation. If you don't mind occasional splotchiness and a few moments that come close to pixellation, this 4K version does offer improved levels of suffusion, even if some scenes, like the opening courtroom vignette, can still look a little anemic. Some low light scenes are probably aided by this version's HDR, but I'd argue not by any substantial amounts. My score is 3.75.

Psycho II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Psycho II features both an LPCM 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which to my ears basically duplicate the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and 5.1 tracks I reviewed on the old Shout! release. Both of these tracks sport great fidelity and admirable dynamic range. The 5.1 mix is not overly artificial sounding, tending to posit discrete channelization only in some expected ways, including sound effects (the slash of the knife) or in Jerry Goldsmith's nice score, which does not mimic Bernard Herrmann's iconic work in the original film. Dialogue is always cleanly presented and easy to hear. Optional English subtitles are available.

Psycho II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentaries

  Commentary by film critics Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains

  
  

  Commentary by screenwriter Tom Holland

• Behind the Curtain (HD; 43:03) is a panel discussion featuring Rob Galluzzo, Tom Holland and Mick Garris.


• Giving Bloch His Due (HD; 9:11) is an appreciation of source novelist Robert Bloch by Chet Williamson.


• Anthony Perkins TV Interview (HD; 7:39) is conducted by Ivan Hutchinson.


• Anthony Perkins Audio Interview (2:21) plays to a black screen.


• Richard Franklin Audio Interview (20:00) plays similarly.


• Richard Franklin On Set (HD; 1:54)


• Richard Franklin Scene Commentary (HD; 5:33)


• Vintage Featurettes

  A Sequel to a Classic (HD; 5:58)

  
  

  The House on the Hill (HD; 2:06)

  
  

  Personality Profile: Anthony Perkins (HD; 1:56)

  
  

  Personality Profile: Richard Franklin (HD; 2:05)

  
  

  Still Crazy After All These Years (HD; 6:44)

  
  

  Behind the Scenes (HD; 1:44)

  
  

  Anthony Perkins Interview (HD; 1:23)

  
  

  Vera Miles Interview (HD; 1:26)

  
  

  Janet Leigh Interview (HD; 1:34)

  
  

  Jerry Goldsmith Demo (1:50) is in LPCM 2.0 and plays to a black screen.

  
  

  Trailers (HD; 5:41)

  
  

  TV Spots (HD; 2:01)

  
  

  Image Gallery (HD)

  
  

  Audio Press Kit: Promotional Record (HD; 1:53:06) is in Dolby Digital 2.0 and plays to the film.

  
  

  Promotional Record Gallery (HD)

Psycho II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I saw Psycho II in theaters when it was originally released, not really expecting it to amount to very much, and came out of the theater kind of pleasantly surprised by how smart it generally was. The good news is revisiting the film hasn't diminished my appreciation in any major way. Technical merits are generally secure, though I would offer a minor caveat that some fans may actually prefer Arrow's 1080 version of this film. As usual Arrow has aggregated some excellent supplements. Recommended.