Serial Killer Movies

[Elvis_Christ]

I've just recently seen Deranged and Ted Bundy. What do you guys think about them. I personally thought the were the best of the genre they amazing moments of black humour and were excellent characterizations of their protagonists (Ed Gein and Ted Bundy). I think Deranged kicked the film Ed Gein's ass.

[avenger00soul]

Deranged was WAY better than Gein. Roberts Blossom was great in it. Haven't seen Bundy.

[Elvis_Christ]

You should definatley check it out its good kinda in a similar vein to Deranged. Tom Savini does the effects and has a cameo in it. Its everything that the disappointing American Psycho lacked.

[Dr.Kelvinstein]

Ted Bundy and Deranged are both excellent. Deranged is my favorite serial killer movie (hate Silence of the Lambs--whish Demme had stuck to women in prison flicks). Stick those two movies with Henry and you have quite the triple feature.

I thought Ed Gein was pretty lame, though the Ilsa reference was funny. It did follow the facts pretty closely, but who cares if it's still boring. The Dahmer movie was especially bad.

[orangestar]

Coincedentally, I was just looking up stuff on Ed Gein because I thought his story was an interesting one, then came back here and saw this thread.

Anyway, I accidentally came upon a site that had "actual" pictures of the victims (I'm not to sure though) and they gave me chills, this guy was a few french fries short of a happy meal. Are the movies over the top gory? Or was it more implied?

[Dr.Kelvinstein]

Ed Gein isn't really violent, but there are pieces of the victims nailed to the wall, etc. The special effects are pretty much done to mirror the actual crime scene photos.


Deranged gets a bit gooey at times. The suff with Ezra Cobb (the Ed character in the movie) robbing graves of body parts is a bit unsettling, but it's so over the top that it's kinda hard to take seriously. There's a scene of blood spilling over a girl's bare breasts at the end that was cut from most theatrical prints and all the first video editions--not because it was especially violent, but because the blood and the nudity were considered an unhealthy mix. Whatever.

Both films are worth watching if you're interested in Gein--especially Deranged, which has a brilliant performance from character actor Roberts Blossom. You can also get it real cheap on a double-feature disc with Motel Hell (also groovy).

The best Ed Gein-related fiction, however, is the Cormac McCarthy novel Child Of God. It's a beautiful southern Gothic about Lester Ballard, a poor white-trash outcast in rural Tennessee who loses his home and is completely shunned by everyone in his community. He starts collecting dead women for companionship and is soon dressing in their clothes and braying at the moon. What's really clever about the novel is that you don't hate or fear Lester as you do Leather Face or Hannibal Lector. You simply pity him. He's a really sad individual who just needs to be loved. A very touching book, and McCarthy's prose is like reading poetry. Beautiful stuff.

The absolute worst of Gein-related fiction is the horrible movie Three on a Meathook (gotta admit, though--it's a great title for an exploitation film).

[Elvis_Christ]

Deranged is my favorite serial killer movie (hate Silence of the Lambs--whish Demme had stuck to women in prison flicks). Stick those two movies with Henry and you have quite the triple feature.

Henry is a amazing movie one of my favorites fits in their nicely with neo realisim and exploitation. We only have a very edited version of the film due to our censorship laws but i still found it very unsettling and intruiging. I look fowad to seeing the uncensored version. The prision movies that Demme has written (did he direct?) have impressed me so far I saw Black Mama, White Mama last week it was classic :)

[avenger00soul]

Originally posted by Elvis_Christ
You should definatley check it out its good kinda in a similar vein to Deranged. Tom Savini does the effects and has a cameo in it. Its everything that the disappointing American Psycho lacked.

Haha, I liked American Psycho. But, I will still give it a go for the sake of Savini. And Dr. K recommended it to me as well and we have very similar tastes.

[Elvis_Christ]

I think I would've liked American Psycho better if I hadn't read the book first.

[HappyCamper]

i agree with you Elvis_Christ...the book was great..but i actually loved the movie...i died laughing during the 'is that a raincoat..yes it is!' scene and the 'i tried to cook a little' scene. i thought Christian Bale did a great job as Patrick Bateman and he also kicked much ass in Equilibrium another fav of mine. I don't know if i would classify American Psycho (the movie..not the book) as a horror film...no gore really..the book is alot gorey) not to mention the book has the brutal killing of a child, which the movie leaves out. i have the movie poster too!