Ed Gein

[David666]

Has anyone seen this, and if so what is your opinion?

Thanks.

[Darkness Fear]

I actually thought it was pretty good.

[Andrew]

It was alright.

I was expecting more. Railsback is excellent, but the rest of the film kinda has that "Lifetime Movie of the Week" feel, with cheap sets and bad production.

I wouldn't buy it or anything, but I guess it's worth a rent.

Oh yeah, beware the CGI fire :D.

[MISFITZ]

Was geeked up myself to watch it and though it didn't truly suck, it wasn't that bad. I don't think I'll watch it again or buy it. But I can see why others may like it. I know that leaves me on the fence, but to give a final rank....


uuuummmmm......

4.5 out of 10

[crank]

It was severly OK. The movie dragged a bit, and didn't feel nearly as dark and menacing as one would think that a movie about Ed Gein should, and lets not forget that burning bush scene. My god.

crank

[Sam D]

It was alright. I would only rent it. The lead actor was pretty good.

[Darkness Fear]

I don't get you people... What did yall expect? It's based on a true story. That's all the people he killed, and how he killed them. Yall just probably expected to much. I thought it was good.

[David666]

Just saw this little flick, and I must say I can certainly understand why people would be disappointed. It is not nearly as dark as it could have been, not where near as disturbing as... say TCM. Snodgrass was good, the best performance in the film, but her character was quite typical, hoplessly one dimentional... however she did wonders with what she had to work with.

Railsback wasn't as over-the-top as he could have been (as he has been in other projects), but his character was also typical... textbook backwoods horror creep, glaringly sinister with two faces, The distinctions are clear, but t here is no depth.

All side characters are extreemly shallow, none taking any dramatic turns over another. This made it hard to determine just who was going to be fodder for the kill.

I think the true problems with this film stemed from time and budget restraints. Had there been perhaps a few rewrites to the script a certain deeper level could have been obtained, and certainly had the acters had more time they could have developed more well rounded characters. I mean look at Piper Laurie in Carrie, that could have been one truely campy performance. BUT, Laurie is a deticated, acomplished actress and she committed herself wholeheartilly to creating a complex character. Maybe that was the problem with Ed Gein, no true commitment? Or perhaps it was the fear of reveling in the evil of a character. So few acters can go to that place within themselves, that deep, hidden region where you're not restrained by society or morality a conceince; that place where you wallow in and enjoy your own vile pathos and sick capabilities. That always seperates the truely frightening baddies from the weak ones.

And don't get me started on CG fire. :D

Someone put it very well when they said it seemed like a made for cable film.

[Yowie]

Low-budget movies are often quite good at this gruesome stuff, take "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" for instance, but I honestly think it would take a big-budget production to really recreate and do the Gein story justice. -And in b/w, if you ask me. Railsback is a fine actor who's good at these oddball characters (he played Charles Manson in the 1976 two-part TV movie "Helter Skelter"), but personally I would love to see someone like Robert DeNiro or David Patrick Kelly as Gein. (-Kelly would also make an excellent Manson, by the way.)

[piggwinn]

I read somewhere Ed Gein was shot on location, and used the actual house, I'm sure it was Fangoria? I thought it was pretty good, and am possibly sub-conciously trying to justify my purchase, but I will give it another watch in the week and use more critique.

[creamstick]

Wasn't the house burned down by locals shortly after the events to stop tourists coming to gawp at it?

[Yowie]

Yes, the real Gein house is gone. I'm not surprised actually, who'd want to live in a small town with that place ?. Many houses of infamous killers no longer stand. -The Fred and Rose West "house of horrors" at 25 Cromwell St. in England is gone too, and so is John Christie's house. The house where the Manson Family killed actress Sharon Tate is also no more.

[gusse]

I saw this new Ed Gein movie a few days back and thought it was OK but nothing special. Some things fellt sort of out of place and/staged in a bad hollywood-way... *MINOR SPOILER* common, was it just me or did the beginning with the young couple making out in the cemetary as Ed was there opening a grave feel like a typical hollywood-cliche!? *END OF SPOILERS*

It has been a while since I last read about Ed Gein so I can't tell whats true and whats made up in the movie but i reccon theres a bit of both worlds in there... All the murders seem pretty accurate though!

All in all I'd say it's an OK movie to rent, but I would personaly not buy it. ...if you want to see a nother movie based on the life and crimes of Ed Gein id recomend you to trace down 'Deranged' wich is a lowbudget movie/documentary about the man and his deeds. It was many years since I saw that movie, but I seem to remember but it had a more rough frightening/unseteling feeling to it... Not as polished as this new movie.

[mcchrist]

I haven't seen this film yet, though I intend to I suppose. From what I've read about it here and elsewhere I think I might just stick with Deranged (DVD comes out next year I think, yippee!)