Fame (1980)

A chronicle of the lives of several teenagers who attend a New York high school for students gifted in the performing arts.

From memory: professionally made with some good scenes and music, but has a messy and rather puzzling set of storylines.

Halliwell*: "Cleverly shot and edited slice of life which unfortunately features people whose language and personalities are fairly repellent. The result is like A Chorus Line without the music."

Maltin**1/2: "...should have made a great film, but this one just misses the mark, despite good ingredients and Oscar-winning music...Moments of insight, , excitement, and creativity eventually get lost in abrupt, disjointed continuity, which leaves a bushel of loose ends and unresolved ideas."

Psycho II (1983)

 

After twenty-two years of psychiatric care, Norman Bates attempts to return to a life of solitude, but the specters of his crimes - and his mother - continue to haunt him.

Amazingly imaginative (late) sequel makes you route for the former villain, Anthony Perkins in a wonderfully ambiguous role, and actually continues the saga with some surprising twists.

Halliwell*: "A reasonably inventive sequel, if on the gory side. It probably holds the record for the longest delayed follow-up."

Maltin**1/2: "Surprisingly good sequel, with Perkins in a wonderfully canny reprise of his role as Norman Bates...Director Franklin builds some terrific suspense scenes, but finally goes for graphic violence toward the end, and tacks on a silly conclusion, undermining an otherwise first-rate shocker."