DVD Review: Deranged (D+)

Deranged (1974)
Directed by Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby
Starring Robert Blossoms and Cosette Lee
MPAA: R
Grade: D+

Review by Bobby Nashville

Based on the true story of Wisconsin mass murderer Ed Gein, Deranged is one of those weird horror movies that has gained some cult status over the years. It's one part Psycho and one part Jeffrey Dahmer (wasn't he also from Wisconsin?). The Ed Gein case was reportedly also the inspiration behind the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The plot involves Ezra Cobb, a man who lives with his mom in Woodside Wisconsin. He's a bit too close to her, and seems to dote on her all day and night. She tells him that all women are evil, and that they will attempt to lure him into damnation through their sexual charms. Well, after the old lady passes away, Ezra is left with some pretty messed up ideas about women and death.

Ezra decides its a good idea to find himself a wife, so he starts targeting women in town. Once he gets too excited with any of them, he flips his gourd, and they all end up dead. Did I mention that Ezra is a necrophiliac that likes to wear the skin of his victims? So the title Deranged is certainly apt here.

Deranged is a very strange film and I don't mean strange in a good way. Its really not scary enough to work as a horror film and its not campy enough to be a good "bad movie". Sure there are some humorous parts (the geeky documentary host newscaster that appears at several points in the movie is hilarious, albeit unintentially), but there are not enough laughs here to make this work. The sick subject matter of the movie makes it a bit long to sit through without some kind of angle. Humor, insane setups, seriously freaky characters would have made this a bit better (aliens and vampires always work best for me), but then again, it would not have been a true story.

Despite the shocking truth behind the twisted film Deranged, some viewers might be wise to look elsewhere for chills and or laughs.

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