The original “Psycho” is a classic from the great Alfred Hitchcock. In 1998, a shot-for-shot remake was made, resulting in one of the most pointless films in existence. This is essentially a novelty movie, you get to see a black and white film turned into colour with different actors. The movie has been resisted by critics and moviegoers alike and rightly so.

In this version of “Psycho” everything is exactly the same as we see Marion Crane (Anne Heche “Donnie Brasco”, “Volcano”) on the run from the law with some stolen money when she decides to stay overnight at the Bates Motel. There she meets the troubled Norman Bates (Vince Vaughn “The Internship”, “Swingers”) and the rest is (a copy of) history.

The biggest issue I have with this film is the casting and one casting decision in particular. Anthony Perkins was perfect in the original “Psycho” as Norman Bates so I wasn’t expecting anybody to come close to matching him but seriously, who hired Vince Vaughn? This has to be one of the worst casting decisions of all-time. Vaughn is almost laughably bad in the role. The other performances are less offensively bad and William H. Macy (“Fargo”) is actually fairly enjoyable as the private detective character.

This film shows us that a great movie is not just about things such as camera angles, there is a magic that transcends the technical aspects. The film is not merely unimpressive on its own, it feels like a complete waste of time because it offers nothing new; it is just a weaker version of the original. I think the fact that it is in colour makes it less sinister and less powerful than the original and again, I must point out that any credibility was eradicated by Vaughn’s performance. 1998’s “Psycho” may serve a purpose for film students but nobody else.