Why so much hype?

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Possible Spoilers:It seems like every small rural town has a man that reminds me of Ed Gein. At least what Ed appeared to be on the outside. In the larger cities people like this are probably treated different, but I wouldn't know. They are a bit strange, but seem harmless enough that parents wouldn't even tell their kids to avoid them, maybe even let him watch the kids while they run some errands for an hour or two.That is why no one believed that Ed could possibly be responsible when strange things happened. It had to be some outsider, maybe even some city folk. In hindsight, Ed was too simple to even hide what he was doing that well. It just didn't seem possible that Ed would cause any type of violence.I loved the way the movie was made. A big budget movie could never have the feel this one did. It simply tells the story as it happened with appropriate flashbacks and very little gratuitous violence or overbearing music.It was almost as if the makers of this film just wanted to tell the real history of a man who fascinated the makers of horror stories and films for decades to come.

Surprisingly good umpteenth re-telling of Ed Gein seems to be the most on-track with how the notorious nutcase's life went down. There's a scene early on where a neighbor proclaims to Ed after going to the movie show with her son, "You guys are going to those horror movies all the time." Ed answers tellingly, "They're very educational." I think this film successfully lets us see what can happen to a man mentally wounded by the upbringing of an overbearing, fanatical mother. The film shows how she seems to be the guiding force behind the murders and cover-ups. For instance, mother(commandingly played by Carrie Snodgress)manipulatively commands Ed to kidnap and kill a bar matron named Mary(Sally Champlin)for dirty-mouthed hussies deserved to have their mouths washed out with poison. And, poor store clerk Collette(Carol Mansell)is singled out for no apparent reason but mainly perhaps she represents that lust that is dormant in Ed's heart. Somehow, despite mama Augusta's death, a huge part of her remains inside Ed's mind..a towering presence that can manipulate and order him to do things.If you see a loosely, but at times accurate film from the early 70's, DERANGED, both are similar in ways, but have a different feel towards the circumstances regarding Ed's situation. This film plays Ed's life more matter-of-factly without the dark humor that lay at the heart of DERANGED. This film wants to show us the way Ed was without winking at how absurd he was and his bizarre, sick habits regarding skinning victims and eating their innards..often feeding the unaware neighbors next door people they've know from the city. The film also shows how Augusta's insistent disgust towards "modern women" has penetrated Ed enough where he can not remain around females who are different from his mother. Her quoting from the bible, mainly Revelations, is often reverberating around in his skull bearing down on him to "do God's work" so that his mother could return to earth to be with him. Steve Railsback, a criminally underrated actor, again is perfect as another serial killer(he portrayed Charles Manson amazingly in "Helter Skelter" in 1976 made-for-TV effort)with Ed Gein. He seems to tap into the man's simple-mindedness and delusional, quiet madness. He makes him strange, but also deceptively harmless. We can see why we might be leery to hang around him, but trusting him doesn't seem that difficult. The film isn't that gory, but does show how he does the work mother tells him to do.

This film is on DVD as "Ed Gein"; a much better title than the generic "In the Light of the Moon".Yes, this is bizarre, and insane. It is also based on truth. I remember reading once that Stephen King when he was a child, grew up being intrigued by Cahrles Starkweather, and his Midwest massacres. This story is all the more infamous because of Gein's necrophilia, and Steve Railsback is excellent(we may remember him from the earliest, and best "Helter Skelter" 1979 TV movie).While there are some oddities to this film, that is to be expected. This occurred in a desolate part of Wisonsin, cold and unforgiving. Augusta Gein (very well portrayed by Carrie Snodgress) was a fire and brimstone old world person, who lived in the Gein household long AFTER her death.....You will enjoy this film, and may want to read up up on the facts after seeing this. Sally Champlin, as Mary Hogan, is also pretty bizarre, as the local obese barmaid Gein takes a liking to.This subject is bizarre, but the film shows it in the cold light of day. In the end, Ed Gein spent his life living tranquilly in a state asylum. The nurses commented that he was very polite, and a gentleman. Good film for Halloween 9/10.

First things first I have been searching for this film for nearly five years because the story of Ed Gein has always interested me. So was it worth it?Well yes and no.Yes that in a way it gives you an idea of this mans horrific mindset and life.I can give credit to Steve Railsback who plays Ed.You can see that he had done his homework on Gein with his posture his facial expressions,his way of life,his love ,hatred and fear for his mother its all good not too convincing but good.Also Sally Champlin and Carol Marshall who play Eds only two victims give a good performance of who they are playing.Sally playing Mary Hogan who was a foulmouth tavern owner and Carol playing Colette a sweet old shop ownerBut other than that some or most of the facts were wrong.In my opinion if the director Chuck Parello and screenwriter Stephen Johnston kept it true to the real life events and giving us more of his horrific work they would of had a sure fire horror hit.Obviously it was not made for it to be a horror but as most movie buffs and fans of Silence of the Lambs and Psycho know that this man was the true inspiration for these horror icons.Like in one scene or fact that Ed made an actual bodysuit made out of womens skin and wore it,it would be most terrifying if they kept it true to real life(in the movie he wears it alright but dances around like a blithering idiot instead of walking around his house you cant help but laugh).Or when he used to dig up graves he was in a state of trance...in the movie he grunts and hisses like an animal.I ain't gonna be too hard on the movie because it IS a low budget movie but it makes you want to see more.We don't get enough about him or his horrific acts or the aftermath of when he was discovered.It ends very suddenly right after he is caught but other than that it was made with good intention 6/10