Deranged (1974)

Directors:

Jeff Gillen
Alan Ormsby

Writer:

Alan Ormsby (writer)

Release Date:

February 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | 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:

Grave | Grave Robber | Corpse | Wisconsin | Taxidermy

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

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:

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

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Karr International Pictures

Trivia:

Harvey Keitel auditioned for the role of Ezra Cobb.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Although supposedly set in the United States (US cash is shown), the cars have Ontario (Canada) license plates.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Horror Business (2005) (V)

Ezra Cobb is a homicidal mamma's boy

This is partly inspired by the real life murderer Ed Gein. Ezra is a middle aged momma's boy. He's also a pet moron.Mommy is a raving twisty herself as she is a zealot and always preaching about "dirty women"(finest kind).So when mom drops dead old Ez starts to get lonely.

Well Ezra starts hearing mom's voice after a year. She's lonely & so is he. He digs her up and brings her back home where everybody is happy.His neighbors try and set him up with a woman.This is a really funny scene as his date tries to seduce him. She's kind of crazy herself and tells Ez that her dead husband wants them to play beneath the sheets. Well, she winds up under the sheets permanently.

Ez starts digging up the graveyard and bringing mom some company.He also starts semi stalking a waitress.Finally he sandbags her, brings her back to his place and it gets wild from there.She finds herself trussed to a chair with a table full of rotting corpses.Ez is dressed in the skin of a dead woman.There is no way out of this house of hell.

Ez really goes off the deep end on a trip to town. It involves a rifle, a young girl and a harrowing chase through the woods.This is another gripping scene that spirals into complete madness.

There are a few drawbacks. This movie could have done without the narrator.When he popped up it seemed like we were in a different movie.Old Ezra is the most sympathetic person in the movie.Everyone else is cruel, stupid or as nutty as he is.

On the upside Roberts Blossom gives a great portrayal of Ezra. You feel for Ezra and can really understand his madness.There are many shocking and disturbing scenes in this movie. But it uses suggestion rather than out and out gore.It looks rather tame compared to slasher flicks but that's why this is better. I had to wait 25 years to see this film and all in all it was worth the wait.