Disc Reviews

Deranged Blu-ray Review

5th Sep 2013

Newly restored, and available uncut for the first time on Blu-ray high definition DVD from Arrow Video, comes an oft overlooked horror gem.

Coming out the same year as Tobe Hooper’s now legendary The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and featuring a story also based on infamous Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein. Deranged is, by comparison, almost completely forgotten, and now registers very low on the old general awareness meter. Unlike Hooper’s film, where the actual events are really only a jumping off point for what is actually (despite the film’s infamous marketing campaign), a wholly fanciful story; Deranged actually tells Ed Gein’s grisly tale (albeit with names and locations changed), with a reasonable faithfulness to actual events.

Starring an already derelict looking Roberts Blossom (was this man ever actually youthful?!), who some folks (like me), will remember as one of the late night UFO watchers, little Barry happens upon in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and Doc in Clint Eastwood’s Escape From Alcatraz (1979). Slightly younger readers might mainly remember his memorable turn in The Quick and the Dead (1995). He was certainly a very quirky and interesting actor, and his performance here, as Ezra Cobb is on a level somewhat beyond that which one would reasonably expect from a tiny low budget horror flick in 1974. Blossom imbues the character with a depth and nuance that is both vulnerable and legitimately crazy and menacing. His awkward body physicality, and constantly moving facial expressions; keep you watching him intensely, sometimes to the unfortunate detriment of supporting characters. One’s eyes tend to never leave Ezra, regardless of whatever else is happening or who may be speaking. Incidentally, I noticed many of the supporting cast calling him ‘Ezz’, throughout the movie, which if you’re not paying 100% attention; sounds like ‘Ed’. I’m pretty sure that was an intentional way of getting the real life Gein, referenced constantly.

This actually raises an interesting and obvious question; as the story is so close, why didn’t they just make the movie a straight dramatisation of Gein’s true tale, rather than the embellished, name changed version depicted instead? The real story is certainly not lacking in the most grisly of gruel (which is why it continues to inspire horror filmmakers to this day), quite the opposite in fact. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter, although I do wonder why filmmakers seem to always avoid the more ‘sex’ and ‘genitalia’ related nastiness of the true accounts. To mangle a quote by the late, great Bill Hicks: “You’ve already crossed into the Devil’s terrain, there’s no need to be coy”.

I digress.

Upon release, the film became notable for it’s gore, or more specifically, one or two particularly gloopy scenes amid the more standard violence, and immediately fell foul of the censors. The film remained butchered (excuse the pun), in the US and UK for years and years. This new Blu-ray release actually restores the infamous ‘Brain Scooping’ scene, which was just a plop too far back in 1974, and (much like the brain in question), had been unceremoniously removed.

The man responsible for these, and all the other gruesome icky effects, was the one and only Tom Savini, and this was I believe, only his second feature film. Savini would of course gain enormous recognition a few years later with George Romero’s classic zombie sequel flick Dawn of the Dead (1978).

It must be said, that the effects in Deranged; while pretty impressive for 1974, do betray both their age, and the shoestring budget of the movie, when viewing them now. Although I haven’t mentioned the transfer/restoration quality yet; It’s probably a safe bet to say that the clarity afforded by the Blu-ray presentation, may also serve (as it so often does with old movies), to further undermine the convincingness of the effects work. This does, in places sap some of the power the movie originally had. There are times you just cannot maintain the suspension of disbelief, and a dodgy looking cadaver, severed head, or face-skin mask will pull you right out of the moment. Sadly, It is almost impossible to watch the movie, and forget the nearly forty years of horror movie-making, bloodying the water in the interim. Gore effects got a lot better than this, before CG gore took the art backwards. Savini’s own work by the mid 1980s was simply breathtaking in it’s bloody reality.

Luckily, the movie is not wholly dependent on these early gore effects to succeed. Blossom creates much of Deranged‘s distinctive effectiveness by sheer force of personality. The final death scene (more or less, a direct pull from the real Gein story), is still a well crafted, truly disturbing piece of cinema, and works better than some of the more gratuitously sloppy bits, by dint of the power of suggestion and clever editing, combined with just enough gore, and (in this case), nudity, to manifest a crystal clear mental image of what’s occurring. For anyone (like me), who has seen some of the crime scene pictures from the actual event dramatised here, the horror is possibly even more acute.

The Transfer

Well, as you might have already gleaned form my comment regarding the special effects, Deranged has been blessed (and cursed), with a very fine Hi-Def transfer. It’s the usual oft told (in my reviews, anyway), story. The movie looks better than it has any right to, and while it doesn’t quite measure up to the likes of Captain Benchmark (Jaws), or most top floor modern Blu releases for that matter; the picture and sound quality is nevertheless exceptionally good for a low budge 1974 horror flick. Image clarity is certainly at a level where it ceases being something you even think about (if you see what I mean). You just get on with your viewing, and forget how good it looks, compared to the last time you saw it on VHS (if you’ve seen it before).

Audio is the obligatory 2.0 Stereo Lossless 2 channel, and acquits itself well, considering the limited scope for audio hijinks.

The Extras

So, as is the norm for release of this type from Arrow, the disc comes packed with bonus materials. It’s not all super duper worthwhile, and there are one or two bit that feel a bit null or perfunctory. However, most of the extras are cool and worthy.

Top of the heap is a feature commentary with aforementioned effects guru Tom Savini. Savini is always good fun, and adds great value. His tendency to keep two or three separate threads going throughout the commentary is rambling, but completely fascinating. He is free talking, sincere and completely at liberty to just run and run. In this respect, you won’t get a shot by shot, technical commentary, but what you do get is so much better.

Various other featurettes appear and cover not just the making of the movie, but the enduring legacy of both it, and of Ed Gein himself. There is also an interesting focus piece on actor Roberts Blossom.

Original movie trailer, stills gallery, a reversible sleeve, and a collector’s booklet round out the package

Conclusion

Despite the aforementioned embellished nature of the movie’s treatment of real events; Deranged was probably the most accurate telling of Gein’s story until the arrival of Chuck Parello’s Ed Gein (2000). It remains a compelling and uneasy watch. Investing in Blossom’s performance is easy, and one cannot say enough about this curious and offbeat gentleman. It is especially gratifying to see this perennial supporting bit parter in a rare and meaty lead role. The only grating curio is the mysterious and unexplained ‘reporter/narrator’ character, that pops up from time to time, and breaks the fourth wall by talking directly to the viewer. It was an odd stylistic choice then, and still is now.

The film’s lingering effectiveness for a modern viewer, will no doubt be inversely proportional to exactly how much said viewer can suspend their disbelief and commit to the movie’s imagery.

I for one am very glad to see it restored, uncut, and available to a new generation of horror fans. I hope it can find a few young admirers more used to the post torture porn world of modern horror. It certainly deserves to.