The completely abnormal characteristics that distinguish a serial killer from the common homicide, as well as the disturbing psychological behavior found in their cases, are probably the reasons of the people's old fascination with Serial Killers. As this fascination is fueled basically by the natural interest on the unknown, it's not a surprise that Serial Killers have become the source for fictional stories of many different genres, with of course, horror being the most representative. Among the many Serial Killers in history, Ed Gein is one of the most interesting, not only because of the horrid acts he committed, but because of the complex and disturbing mind behind them. A mind so deranged that served as inspiration for movies like "Psycho", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Silence of the Lambs", and the theme of this film, which attempts to reconstruct the events that lead to his capture.
"In the Light of the Moon" (now renamed as simply "Ed Gein"), is the story of Ed Gein (Steve Railsback), based on the reports of his capture, accounts of witnesses and the interviews he gave after he was captured. Told from his perspective, we follow the quiet and apparently normal Ed Gein as his relatively simple life becomes drastically changed when his disturbing obsession with his dead mother, Augusta Gein (Carrie Snodgress), grows stronger and takes him to commit acts of grave robbery, necrophilia, and finally, the murders that made him tragically famous. We get a glimpse of his family history and the reasons that made Gein a killer, as well as a fairly realistic theory of how his schizophrenic mind worked and the way he devised the horrific methods of his murders.
Written by Stephen Johnston (whose work has been focused on serial killers since "The Midnight Hour"), the film is a fairly accurate representation of Gein's case, and while some names were obviously changed, it's safe to say that it's one of the best documented films based on the case, as well as probably Johnston's best work. Probably because of the real pathetic melancholy of Gein's life, it's in this film where Johnston finally succeeds in creating a story where the main character is both likable and repulsive at the same time (something he attempted without the same success in "Ted Bundy" and "Starkweather"), to the point that one can feel sympathy for Gein, although not to the point of making him likable. It's a fine line that Johnston works out effectively, in a nicely done script.
Director Chuck Parello, better known as the man behind the sequel to "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer", recreates Gein's life in a surprisingly restrained way. Rather than going the easy way out by building his film as a horror movie (after all, three classics of the genre were "inspired" by Geins' story), he creates a compelling docudrama that attempts to remain as accurate as his limited budget allows him to be. While nothing groundbreaking or original, Parello's slow paced and notoriously restrained approach works remarkably well with Johnston's script, and allows a slightly truer, more realistic glimpse to Gein's sad story.
While it's true that both Johnston and Parello do good jobs, the true star of the film (and basically the reason to watch the film) is the outstanding performance by Steve Railsback as the title character. Railsbeck literally owns Gein's character making the sad, disturbed man alive in a haunting, realistic way. While Railsback is the highlight of the film, Carrie Snodgress also delivers a terrific performance as Geins' religious and dominant mother, and while her screen time is considerably smaller than Railsback's, she steals every scene she is in without problem. Sadly, the rest of the cast is not as convincing, although most do a fairly good job.
The worst mistake one can make when watching "In the Ligh of the Moon" is to take it as a horror film (and even worse, to compare it to the 1974 classic, "Deranged"), as that approach will surely end up in a big disappointment; it's certainly better to see it as an attempt to make a dramatic biopic of a deranged man that became a monster, as that seems to be what Parello intended with his slow, subtle style. However, this is not to say that the film is perfect, far from it, as sometimes the same restrained approach that works effectively in some scenes, becomes painfully tiring at times. Still, like most independent films, this movie shows its biggest flaw in the very cheap special effects (they look as taken out of a cheap TV series) caused by the budget constrains. Once again, the low-budget hurts what otherwise could had been a much better film.
To those familiar with Gein's life, this unpretentious film won't offer anything new, but will be a pleasant surprise due to its fairly accurate retelling of the story. Sure, this movie is nowhere near the level of "Psycho", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or "Silence of the Lambs", but as a serious docudrama of Ed Gein's life, it's a very effective film. Not really as bad as one may believe. 7/10
"In the Light of the Moon" (now renamed as simply "Ed Gein"), is the story of Ed Gein (Steve Railsback), based on the reports of his capture, accounts of witnesses and the interviews he gave after he was captured. Told from his perspective, we follow the quiet and apparently normal Ed Gein as his relatively simple life becomes drastically changed when his disturbing obsession with his dead mother, Augusta Gein (Carrie Snodgress), grows stronger and takes him to commit acts of grave robbery, necrophilia, and finally, the murders that made him tragically famous. We get a glimpse of his family history and the reasons that made Gein a killer, as well as a fairly realistic theory of how his schizophrenic mind worked and the way he devised the horrific methods of his murders.
Written by Stephen Johnston (whose work has been focused on serial killers since "The Midnight Hour"), the film is a fairly accurate representation of Gein's case, and while some names were obviously changed, it's safe to say that it's one of the best documented films based on the case, as well as probably Johnston's best work. Probably because of the real pathetic melancholy of Gein's life, it's in this film where Johnston finally succeeds in creating a story where the main character is both likable and repulsive at the same time (something he attempted without the same success in "Ted Bundy" and "Starkweather"), to the point that one can feel sympathy for Gein, although not to the point of making him likable. It's a fine line that Johnston works out effectively, in a nicely done script.
Director Chuck Parello, better known as the man behind the sequel to "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer", recreates Gein's life in a surprisingly restrained way. Rather than going the easy way out by building his film as a horror movie (after all, three classics of the genre were "inspired" by Geins' story), he creates a compelling docudrama that attempts to remain as accurate as his limited budget allows him to be. While nothing groundbreaking or original, Parello's slow paced and notoriously restrained approach works remarkably well with Johnston's script, and allows a slightly truer, more realistic glimpse to Gein's sad story.
While it's true that both Johnston and Parello do good jobs, the true star of the film (and basically the reason to watch the film) is the outstanding performance by Steve Railsback as the title character. Railsbeck literally owns Gein's character making the sad, disturbed man alive in a haunting, realistic way. While Railsback is the highlight of the film, Carrie Snodgress also delivers a terrific performance as Geins' religious and dominant mother, and while her screen time is considerably smaller than Railsback's, she steals every scene she is in without problem. Sadly, the rest of the cast is not as convincing, although most do a fairly good job.
The worst mistake one can make when watching "In the Ligh of the Moon" is to take it as a horror film (and even worse, to compare it to the 1974 classic, "Deranged"), as that approach will surely end up in a big disappointment; it's certainly better to see it as an attempt to make a dramatic biopic of a deranged man that became a monster, as that seems to be what Parello intended with his slow, subtle style. However, this is not to say that the film is perfect, far from it, as sometimes the same restrained approach that works effectively in some scenes, becomes painfully tiring at times. Still, like most independent films, this movie shows its biggest flaw in the very cheap special effects (they look as taken out of a cheap TV series) caused by the budget constrains. Once again, the low-budget hurts what otherwise could had been a much better film.
To those familiar with Gein's life, this unpretentious film won't offer anything new, but will be a pleasant surprise due to its fairly accurate retelling of the story. Sure, this movie is nowhere near the level of "Psycho", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or "Silence of the Lambs", but as a serious docudrama of Ed Gein's life, it's a very effective film. Not really as bad as one may believe. 7/10