Deranged (1974)

Directors:

Jeff Gillen
Alan Ormsby

Writer:

Alan Ormsby (writer)

Release Date:

February 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Pretty Sally Mae died a very unnatural death! ... But the worst hasn't happened to her yet! DERANGED ... confessions of a necrophile

Plot:

Based on the Ed Gein case, a deranged rural farmer becomes a grave robber and murderer after the death of his possessive mother whom he keeps her corpse, among others, as his companions in his decaying farmhouse

Plot Keywords:

Disturbing | One Word Title | Psychopath | Serial Killer | 1950s

Cast

Roberts Blossom	...	Ezra Cobb
Cosette Lee	...	Ma Cobb
Leslie Carlson	...	Tom Sims
Robert Warner	...	Harlon Kootz
Marcia Diamond	...	Jenny Kootz
Brian Smeagle	...	Brad Kootz
Arlene Gillen	...	Miss Johnson
Robert McHeady	...	Sheriff
Marian Waldman	...	Maureen Selby (as Marion Waldman)
Jack Mather	...	Drunk
Micki Moore	...	Mary
Pat Orr	...	Sally

Directed by
Jeff Gillen
Alan Ormsby

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alan Ormsby		writer

Produced by
Peter James	....	executive producer
Tom Karr	....	producer
Bob Clark	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Carl Zittrer

Cinematography by
Jack McGowan

Costume Design by
Elizabeth Leroy

Makeup Department
Jerome Bergson	....	makeup artist
Alan Ormsby	....	makeup artist
Tom Savini	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Dennie Judson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ken Goch	....	first assistant director

Production Companies

• Karr International Pictures

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1974) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Exploited Film (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Fright Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Moore Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Shocking Videos (????) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen) (uncut)

Also Known As:

Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile (USA)

Runtime:

82 min | UK:84 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG (cut) | USA:R | Germany:16 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Karr International Pictures

Trivia:

Based on the story of real-life Wisconsin serial killer / cannibal Ed Gein.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Ezra is clubbing Mary Ransom, the blood is clearly coming from the club, not her head.

Quotes:

[explaining his deer-hunting philosophy]
Harlon Kootz: If we didn't shoot em, they'd just starve to death.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 3 (1996) (V)

Deranged indeed!

Deranged is an adaptation of the same story that inspired such horror classics as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho and Silence of the Lambs, among others. It's the story of deranged psychotic Edward Gein, only in this film the story is a lot closer to how it actually happened than in any of the classics that it influenced. Deranged is a film not for the feint hearted. Shot on an extremely low budget of just two hundred thousand dollars, the directorial team of Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby have created one of the most vile and disgusting films that I've ever seen. Subtitled 'Confessions of a Necrophile' for the US market, Deranged tells the story of Ezra Cobb; a simple farm owner who lives with his domineering mother. After her death, Ezra gradually slips into insanity; starting with the unearthing of his yearlong dead mother from the grave. Ezra then decides that she needs patching up, and so embarks on unearthing more bodies for the task. It isn't long, however, before the psychopath is on the rampage for fresher victims...

Deranged goes all out to shock from the outset. The image of Ezra carrying his dead mother into her bedroom is sickening in a way that few movies manage. The amoral attitude of the character adds to this sickness, and ensures that most audience members will be uncomfortable watching this film. Deranged benefits from a superb lead performance courtesy of Roberts Blossom. Blossom does an amazing job of convincing us that he really is the psycho at the centre of the film. Usually in films like this, I am firmly on the side of the killer; not really caring about the victims - but Blossom is so vile in this film that I was actually praying he DIDN'T catch his prey! The film has a short running time, but this time is used excellently on a series of nasty and weird sequences, and the movie never really lets the pace go once it has set itself up. On the whole, this film has gained itself a cult following for a reason. It's certainly not for everyone's taste, and it's not as good as the most famous of the films that the story has influenced - but if you like your cinema to grisly and shocking; Deranged is a film that you should seek out!