1998, 1 hr 49 min., Rated R for violence and sexuality/nudity. Dir: Gus Van Sant. Cast: Vince Vaughn (Norman Bates) Anne Heche (Marion Crane), Julianne Moore (Lila Crane), Viggo Mortensen (Sam), William H. Macy (Det. Arbogast), Philip Baker Hall (Sheriff Chambers), Rita Wilson (Caroline), Robert Forster (Dr. Simon).

Read my review of the original Psycho and compare!

Prelude to movie: Two commercials. Ugh, stop it already! Trailers: Patch Adams, Robin Williams may be a bit old for this part; Rushmore with Bill Murray looks pretty good, so I'll go see it; Virus with Jamie Lee Curtis, looks way too scary for me to see alone, or with 200 people; Varsity Blues is the next MTV picture, starring James Van Der Beek of "Dawson's Creek" and Jon Voight, and looks like a movie made to sell a soundtrack; and Ravenous, a film about an 1800's military outpost where cannabalism is the food of choice. I'll skip that one.

I had doubts going into Psycho '98, because trying to re-create a masterpiece is a bad idea. If Jackson Pollack had painted the Mona Lisa, would it be considered art or just a copycat nothing? Same with Psycho, remaking what may be the best known of Hitchcock's work, just doesn't have the same charm and acting quality of the original.

If you haven't seen the original, do so NOW before you ever step foot in this remake. If only because the 1998 version is a shot-by-shot recreation, with a couple of notable exceptions. Every detail is there, like the dove landing on a branch outside Marion Crane's window. But some things are more modern, such as the cars and the amount of money stolen.

The opening credits are pretty cool seen on the big screen, something you can't get at home, and with the music it's even better. The music is so much better on the big screen, because it keeps the movie suspenseful, and is something you can't get by watching the original on the VCR. I never realized how cool the score was, and how well used it was when watching the original.

Vaughn had the most difficult role, trying to remake one of the greatest parts in movie history, that of Norman Bates. Anthony Perkins was too good in the original for anyone to ever top him. Vaughn just doesn't have the innocent, boyishness that Perkins has, and comes across a lot more sinister. The harrowing "Oh, God! Mother!" is almost unintelligible by Vaughn, and would have gone unnoticed if I wasn't looking for it. Plus, here's a part that wasn't needed to be included (swipe below):

When Bates peeks at Marion Crane through the eyehole when she's undressing, Vaughn is heard masturbating. It might as well be There's Something About Marion. It's tasteless and unnecessary.

Attention Hollywood: Anne Heche is NOT a sexual goddess. I don't care if she's gay or if she were a parrot, she's not sexy. So as her role as Marion Crane in Psycho or last summer's Six Days, Seven Nights, she does not have a great body to drool over, so stop putting her in bathing suits and bras and skimpy outfits. I know she couldn't help what she wore as Marion Crane, but the fact she got the part says something. She's not a bad actress, though, so she deserves decent roles, and delivers a passable performance in Psycho, trying to step in Janet Leigh's shoes.

The rest of the cast is okay, nothing to scoff at, but nothing exceptional, either. Take note of a cameo by Flea, guitarist for The Red Hot Chili Peppers, as a clerk at Sam's store.

Julianne Moore's shirt, the illusion one, has GOT to go! It was distracting in its ugliness and tackiness (that's another thing to add, that Van Sant should have kept it in black-and-white, because color detracts). And I'd read a report that Moore was portraying Lila Crane, Marion's sister, as a lesbian, which you can kind of see if you're looking for it, but it didn't matter anyway.