Ed Gein – The Butcher Of Plainfield
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C- Feature: C-
Many
already know that Ed Gein’s horrific murders inspired and influenced some of
the best fiction about the subject of psychosis, murder and serial
killers. However, every time a project
is done about him, it misses the mark.
This time, Kane Hodder (famous for playing Jason in the Friday The 13th films) takes
on the title role in Michael Feifer’s Ed
Gein – The Butcher Of Plainfield (2007) that tries to show Gein as more
“normal” and less of an exaggerated freak.
Unfortunately,
as good as Hodder plays down the stereotypical “freak” stereotype and other
such aspects, Feifer’s script does not know where to go with it. Add the mostly unknown cast (though Pricilla Barnes
is here) not begin given enough to do and a string of moments that are either
bad or do not work, and you get very little to recommend. I had low expectations, but when it started,
it looked like it could have gone somewhere.
Too bad I was right to begin with.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 is very soft and looks like a digital HD shoot
of some kind. Camerawork by Roberto
Schein is just not that memorable, but it is not gutted color, so give him
point for that. The Dolby Digital 5.1
and 2.0 mixes are about the same because this was a low budget shoot and that
shows in the 5.1 mix in particular.
Stills, trailers, so-so deleted scenes and an audio commentary are the
extras, but too bad this did not work because they were onto something.
- Nicholas Sheffo
