Review of Ed Gein

Introduction

The cover states `The story of America`s first serial killer" and he really was. If it hadn`t been for Mr Gein, and this is a very morbid thought, we wouldn`t probably have had the screen gems such as Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre or even Seven!
These are the real horror movie and the things that scare the hell out of me. This is real life horror, about the mind bendingly terrible things human beings can do to each other.

Video

The video is pin sharp, probably shot digitally, and suffers from no grain or macro blocking. Now on most films this would be a fabulous enditement, but on a film of this nature the lack of grain gives it a false, plastic made for TV feel. Serial killer films need to be dark and edgy but this is too bright and vivid to pull of the real under the skin scare factor.

Audio

The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is clear and punchy but a little bland and only the slight use of ambient effects boost this.

Features

You get an average set of filmographies, production notes, trailer and deleted scenes. For a film of this type a nice documentary on Gein would have been good. I`m sure some must have been done
but putting them on the DVD may have clashed with some of the obvious artistic license used on this film.

Conclusion

A gruesome film about a gruesome subject. That said these ventures into the deranged human mind have produced some of the greatest cinema moments in history. This isn`t up there with the greats but is well executed but lacks the severe edge of the modern serial killer movie.
The disc isn`t feature packed but what is there is above average for the title it covers.