Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile (1974)

A deranged rural farmer becomes a grave robber and murderer after the death of his possessive mother, whose corpse he keeps, among others, as his companion in a decaying farmhouse.

Directors:

Jeff Gillen, Alan Ormsby

Writer:

Alan Ormsby (original screenplay)

Stars:

Roberts Blossom, Cosette Lee, Leslie Carlson

Cast

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

Storyline

A man living in rural Wisconsin takes care of his bed-ridden mother, who is very domineering and teaches him that all women are evil. After she dies he misses her, so a year later he digs her up and takes her home. He learns about taxidermy and begins robbing graves to get materials to patch her up, and inevitably begins looking for fresher sources of materials. Based closely on the true story of Ed Gein.

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Plot Keywords:

wisconsin | seance | necrophilia | cult film | based on ed gein | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Goldie's Tavern" was actually the tavern lounge on the bottom floor of the Oshawa hotel the cast and crew stayed at while filming.

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Goofs

In the original trailer, "Sally" is referred to as "Christine".

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Quotes

[after exhuming his dead mother]
Ezra Cobb: I apologize for calling you a hog, mama.

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Alternate Versions

The Kino Lorber Bluray release restores scenes originally cut. Also included are 2 Commentary Tracks, and an interview with the producer.

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Connections

Featured in Trailer Trauma Part 4: Television Trauma (2017)

User Reviews

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!

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile

Filming Locations:

Enniskillen, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Karr International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

183 min 83 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1