DERANGED (1974)
DERANGED (1974) is based on the exploits of infamous Wisconsin ghoul Ed Gein,who,along with babysitting the corpse of his dead mama, created such quaint objets d'art as a bowl made from a human skull and a belt of women's nipples.
A number of films were based on his life-most famous being PSYCHO (1960) and the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974).Closer to the facts of the case was DERANGED.
Roberts Blossum plays Ezra Cobb, a sexually repressed mama's boy who loses what little marbles he had after his ma dies. He loved his mama-so much so that he digs up her rotted corpse and hauls her stinkin' carcass back home. But-she's falling apart. No problem-he gets to patching her up with flesh and parts from the local graveyard. And brings her home some wormy freinds,too. But Ezra is lonely as well-so he goes about fetchin' himself some female company-dead or alive.
What makes DERANGED memorable is Roberts Blossum's portrayal of Ezra. He's great in the role (which was originally slated for Harvey Keitel).He's a naive,nervous,confused ,insane wreck of a man. And ya kinda feel for the old boy. Also going for the film is the great black humor-little things like Ezra dipping his chicken leg in a jar of peanut butter while he chats with the corpse of Mama,or expressing his fear to her of "getting lost in all that fat" when telling about the hefty woman he's got the hots for. But don't get me wrong-this IS a horror film-and the tone turns VERY dark once old boy kidnaps a bar maid and takes her home to his house of horrors. And that's just the beginning.
Oh-yeah-a little side note: If ol' Ezra looks kinda famliar-Roberts Blossum is best known to mainstream film goers as the old man with the snow shovel in HOME ALONE (1990).
I rewatched it on COMET tonite-and SUMb***h! they cut out lotsa the good parts!
If ya watch it-make sure ya get the UNCUT version!
