The film starts with a journalist saying we are about to watch a true story and nothing has been left to the imagination. We are given the warning: "The movie you are about to see is absolutely true", then he gives a voice over like a documentary describing Ezra Cobb's (aka Ed Gein) life and within just 30 seconds, already strays from the facts in this "true" story.
The movie's plot is about Ezra who turns to grave robbing and murder when his possessive mom kicks the bucket. The mother obsession and necrophilia is taken from Ed Gein's life, but they get his childhood wrong. The scene where he helps a woman after he ruined her tire is straight from the Ted Bundy file. The 58 year old clerk that Gein killed is portrayed as a 16 year old girl instead. The filmmakers say this is a true story, but it is really a mashup of different real life killers. And if it was a true story, Why not use the name Gein and call it a biopic? I have no idea what the point of the film was. It seems like a boring combo of dramatic stage play, educational documentary, and a creepy serial killer flick. It cannot be a documentary because it gets the facts wrong. It cannot elicit sympathy for a serial killer with a bad childhood when the killer is an idiot and his abusive mom is hilarious. Overall, I do not like the serious documentary tone. That they would paint a serial killer as a victim is obnoxious, the facts they kept getting wrong irritated me, and I do not feel anger, sympathy or fear because the actor is a bore.
My confusion makes sense if you take into account that there are 2 directors credited here, Alan Ormsby and Jeff Gillen. While Gillen hardly has any credits to his resume, Orsmby has made a name for himself as a decent screenwriter (Deathdream), among other things. I have a sneaking suspicion Ormsby deserves the credit for the well written material. It felt as though the directors had 2 different ideas of what to present here, shot scenes individually, then edited it all together. Also, Bob Clark (Black Christmas, A Christmas Story) produced this film, but later asked for his name to be removed from the credits due to the crappy, uh I mean, horrific content.
Unfortunately, this disturbing flick cuts away from most gore/ violence. It is rated 'R', but feels very PG-13. There is essentially no violence, gore, or sex for the majority of the film. There are a couple of cool scenes with corpses and Ezra in a sort of skin suit, but they could have been better. There is a part when a woman is captured and tied to a chair in her underwear and even that is made to be boring and nonthreatening. There is one noteworthy scene at the very end when he hangs a nude girl and cuts her body down the middle. This is oddly gratuitous considering they were so damn stingy on gore/ nudity the rest of the film.
The film also strikes me as sexist in that it perpetuates the notion that it is not the serial killers fault; his overbearing mom made him do it and all the sluts deserve it. There is in-depth talk of flesh hanging off "fatties" and a pretty 34 year old waitress is described as "over the hill". And these instances are not within the mind of the serial killer, but rather reported on by the neutral journalist as though they were facts.
There are three versions of the flick floating around running at 78, 82, and 84 minutes. This one runs 82 minutes and is missing the Momma Mutilation scene. Basically, after he digs up his dead mom he scoops out her eye, cuts open her head, and scoops out her brain. Frankly, this added gore was much needed in my opinion.
The sound seems like it was captured with one mic and no boom, which made it difficult to hear characters other than the main person talking in a scene. The acting, direction, and camera work are odd and remind me of a stage play. And sadly, at times, like a high school play.
Weird Fact: This is Tom Savini's first credited make-up gig. The next one was Deathdream (1974) that was also written by Ormsby.
Favorite Quote: Mother to Ezra, "Call Maureen. She is the only woman I ever did trust. She's fat. A big heifer. The rest are filthy sluts." DVD Extras: Theatrical trailer and English subtitles.
Bottom Line: Highly flawed pseudo-documentary on the life of Ed Gein. Watch only if a huge admirer of serial killer flicks. For real Momma's boy scares, watch Psycho (1960). For a more accurate Ed portrayal, watch Ed Gein (2001).
Rating: 6.5/10 by Molly Celaschi www.HorrorYearbook.com
The movie's plot is about Ezra who turns to grave robbing and murder when his possessive mom kicks the bucket. The mother obsession and necrophilia is taken from Ed Gein's life, but they get his childhood wrong. The scene where he helps a woman after he ruined her tire is straight from the Ted Bundy file. The 58 year old clerk that Gein killed is portrayed as a 16 year old girl instead. The filmmakers say this is a true story, but it is really a mashup of different real life killers. And if it was a true story, Why not use the name Gein and call it a biopic? I have no idea what the point of the film was. It seems like a boring combo of dramatic stage play, educational documentary, and a creepy serial killer flick. It cannot be a documentary because it gets the facts wrong. It cannot elicit sympathy for a serial killer with a bad childhood when the killer is an idiot and his abusive mom is hilarious. Overall, I do not like the serious documentary tone. That they would paint a serial killer as a victim is obnoxious, the facts they kept getting wrong irritated me, and I do not feel anger, sympathy or fear because the actor is a bore.
My confusion makes sense if you take into account that there are 2 directors credited here, Alan Ormsby and Jeff Gillen. While Gillen hardly has any credits to his resume, Orsmby has made a name for himself as a decent screenwriter (Deathdream), among other things. I have a sneaking suspicion Ormsby deserves the credit for the well written material. It felt as though the directors had 2 different ideas of what to present here, shot scenes individually, then edited it all together. Also, Bob Clark (Black Christmas, A Christmas Story) produced this film, but later asked for his name to be removed from the credits due to the crappy, uh I mean, horrific content.
Unfortunately, this disturbing flick cuts away from most gore/ violence. It is rated 'R', but feels very PG-13. There is essentially no violence, gore, or sex for the majority of the film. There are a couple of cool scenes with corpses and Ezra in a sort of skin suit, but they could have been better. There is a part when a woman is captured and tied to a chair in her underwear and even that is made to be boring and nonthreatening. There is one noteworthy scene at the very end when he hangs a nude girl and cuts her body down the middle. This is oddly gratuitous considering they were so damn stingy on gore/ nudity the rest of the film.
The film also strikes me as sexist in that it perpetuates the notion that it is not the serial killers fault; his overbearing mom made him do it and all the sluts deserve it. There is in-depth talk of flesh hanging off "fatties" and a pretty 34 year old waitress is described as "over the hill". And these instances are not within the mind of the serial killer, but rather reported on by the neutral journalist as though they were facts.
There are three versions of the flick floating around running at 78, 82, and 84 minutes. This one runs 82 minutes and is missing the Momma Mutilation scene. Basically, after he digs up his dead mom he scoops out her eye, cuts open her head, and scoops out her brain. Frankly, this added gore was much needed in my opinion.
The sound seems like it was captured with one mic and no boom, which made it difficult to hear characters other than the main person talking in a scene. The acting, direction, and camera work are odd and remind me of a stage play. And sadly, at times, like a high school play.
Weird Fact: This is Tom Savini's first credited make-up gig. The next one was Deathdream (1974) that was also written by Ormsby.
Favorite Quote: Mother to Ezra, "Call Maureen. She is the only woman I ever did trust. She's fat. A big heifer. The rest are filthy sluts." DVD Extras: Theatrical trailer and English subtitles.
Bottom Line: Highly flawed pseudo-documentary on the life of Ed Gein. Watch only if a huge admirer of serial killer flicks. For real Momma's boy scares, watch Psycho (1960). For a more accurate Ed portrayal, watch Ed Gein (2001).
Rating: 6.5/10 by Molly Celaschi www.HorrorYearbook.com