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If you've ever wanted proof that both Psycho and TCM are based on the same character, Deranged exists as the thematic bridge between the two horror classics. Produced by rock music promoter Tom Karr (who used his earnings from concerts to fund the film) and released by the legendary American International Pictures, Deranged opens and closes with reminders that the things that occur in the film are based on true events. And, despite many changes (including the character's name), the film manages to mimic much of Gein's infamous life.
The star of the film - playing the disturbed Midwestern killer Ezra Cobb - is Roberts Blossom, who sadly passed away at the age of 87 last Friday. Blossom is most likely most known to the younger generation of film fans as the creepy old man from Home Alone, and is also known to horror fans as the man who sells a red car to a nerdy teenager in John Carpenter's Christine. But Deranged - for better or worse - is certainly his most iconic performance. The soft-spoken actor certainly doesn't look like someone who would be caught up in such brutal affairs, but he shows often that he's able to slip into the primal side as an aggressor. It's the kind of role that most actors wouldn't take, but Blossom seems very natural in the dual-purpose role. (What that says about the man, who I'd like to believe was as sweet as his Home Alone character, is something I'll leave to your interpretation.)
That's co-director Alan Ormsby, cameo-ing via photo. Ormsby would go on to write FMWL favorite Popcorn. |
There's something really haunting about just how unpolished this film is. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre also benefited from its gritty nature but, unlike Hooper's take on Gein, the filmmakers never really push Deranged to move more quickly and to turn into a race for your life. Ormsby and Gillen prefer to unravel the plot slowly by giving us only small doses of Ezra's violence, which are surrounded by the character being a helpless, tragic soul. It's hard to really dislike the guy, because we don't see him as someone who's plotting out vicious crimes for most of the film - he's just a deeply disturbed dude who goes a little mad (sometimes).
When the carnage does occur, Savini and crew bring their best stuff to the table. The reveal of Ezra covered in a skin mask is certainly an unsettling sight, and his final victim's demise (which is taken almost directly from the real Gein case) shocked even me. I'm not saying the brutality on screen matches up with today's CGI standards, but I will say that it complements the true crime feel of the film wonderfully. We know what the film's end game is from the first time our narrator walks on screen, but even then there's no way our narrator could have prepared us for what we do see in the second half of the film.
Norman Bates, Buffalo Bill and Leatherface may have re-written history in the name of horror, but there's still something to be said for Ezra Cobb's place in history. This is "true" horror at its grittiest, and the film has survived as a great drive-in horror film that is carried by a powerful lead performance. These days, Deranged is available to watch instantly on Netflix (and is part of an awesome Midnite Movies Double Feature DVD with Motel Hell!), and I urge anyone who is a fan of '70s horror, true crime stories, and/or Home Alone to seek it out soon. This is the unique kind of '70s horror film that is worth finding.
I Just watched this last week and freaking loved it.
ReplyDeleteRIP Roberts Blossom! This is a must-see flick for fans of vintage '70s horror.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me of this one. Time to unearth the VCR for a re-watch.
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