News

Ed Gein: How the Notorious Psychopath Inspired Some of Horror’s Greatest Villains

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2022

Ed Gein, born August 27, 1906, is perhaps one of the most notoriously deranged maniacs in American history.

While we all recognize the household names of Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and John Wayne Gacy Jr., their legacies have a shorter reach. Gein’s crimes were so horrific that they went on to inspire some of the most recognizable villains in pop culture.

Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

While the film is marketed as a true story, I’m sorry to say that there was no real Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The “real events” are actually referring to Ed Gein’s farmhouse of horrors in rural Wisconsin.

Gein confessed to killing two women, but his reputation grew from his disturbing fascination with human taxidermy. When he was taken by authorities, his house was decorated with human skulls on the bedposts and carved into bowls. Lampshades, a wastebasket, and chair coverings were made from human skin, and it doesn’t end there. Leatherface’s mask was inspired by Gein’s own choice of adornments.

While Leatherface is seen as the main antagonist of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, he does take a lot of influence and direction from his family. If we can get any indication from the trailer, we should see more of this in the upcoming 2017 film. Leatherface’s dependent relationship with his toxic family could have been inspired by Gein’s own challenges with his mother.

What challenges, you ask? Well, I’m glad you brought it up.

Norman Bates (Psycho)

Prior to his crimes, Gein had an unhealthy relationship with his domineering mother, Augusta. She raised her two sons – Ed and his older brother, Henry – mostly in isolation, punishing them when they attempted to make friends at school. The boys were often abused by their mother, who was convinced that they were destined to become failures like their alcoholic father.

Augusta vehemently preached to Ed and Henry about the innate immorality of the world – she believed that all women (herself excluded) were prostitutes and instruments of the devil. Every day Augusta would read to the boys from the Old Testament – her usual selections were graphic stories about death, murder, and divine retribution.

Naturally, these lessons had a great effect on young Ed. After all, a boy’s best friend is his mother.

Horror writer Robert Bloch drew inspiration from Gein’s maternal obsession to build the prototype for the modern-day slasher. Norman Bates “transformed” into his mother to carry out his violent acts, much in the way that Gein wanted to create a woman suit to become his mother – to “crawl into her skin”.

Which brings me to our next character.

Buffalo Bill (Silence of the Lambs)

Jame Gumb (aka Buffalo Bill) was inspired by a few different serial killers, including Ted Bundy’s modus operandi (he would pretend to be injured to seek assistance from his victims) and Edmund Kemper (who killed his grandparents as a teen, “just to see what it felt like”).

Gein obtained “trophies” from the bodies of recently deceased middle-aged women who he thought resembled his mother, probably in an attempt to remain close to her. It’s said that shortly after his mother’s death, Gein wanted a sex change, not just to become a woman, but to become his mother.

Like Gein, Gumb made a “woman suit” for himself using human skin. He, too, wanted to take the identity of a woman, but as an extremely misguided reaction to his perceived gender dysphoria, misattributed due to his intense self-hatred. In the book The Silence of the Lambs, Jack Crawford explains that Gumb is “not in fact transsexual but merely believes himself to be”. Gumb didn’t just want to change his gender, he wanted a transformative rebirth.

Although there are numerous elements that contribute to the unnerving terror of Buffalo Bill, the number one thing that stands out in everyone’s memory is the woman suit. Ed Gein pioneered that look, and it’s not a good one, but the pure horror of it effectively crawls under your skin (so to speak).

It’s a terrifying thought, but sometimes the worst things we can imagine have already been done.

If you’re not creeped out yet, check out these Ed Gein inspired creations

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News

New Jason Universe to Spin Friday the 13th Franchise Into Many Directions

Published

51 mins ago

May 16, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The entertainment site IGN has confirmed today that Jason Voorhees isn’t dead. It reports that Horror, Inc. is behind the launch of Jason Universe a Friday the 13th-based outlet that will, “span a wide range of platforms from entertainment, games, immersive experiences, merchandise and more…” with more announcements to be made about the project coming this year.

Robert Barsamian, President of Horror, Inc., said in a statement to IGN, “For decades, Jason shocked and thrilled audiences who kept coming back for more. We’re excited to work with Victor Miller and Marc Toberoff on new projects we’ll announce in the coming months.”

For those following the Friday the 13th rights courtroom drama, Miller wrote the first film and was granted full control over those rights, but director Sean S. Cunningham owns Jason as an intellectual property (read hockey mask) since, plot twist, he wasn’t the killer in the original. Notably, Miller is not a part of Horror, Inc. Also, curiously a hockey mask is used as a part of the Horror, Inc. logo.

Robert Barsamian has a history with the franchise, having funded the first film and a few of its sequels. He is also an executive producer of Crystal Lake in production at Peacock for A24 and funded the making of Friday the 13th: The Game.

Bryan Fuller was a part of the team for the Peacock spin-off but left the project because, as he posted on Instagram, “A24 has elected to go a different way with the material.” his ambiguous statement had some fans wondering if Crystal Lake would shirk its simple slasher rep to become a more “elevated” experience.

However, Barsamian says it can be both, “We’re focused on honoring the legacy while elevating the fan experience and appealing to today’s horror audiences as we develop new ways to watch, interact and engage with the Jason Universe.”

Sheri Conn, Global GM of Horror, Inc, says Jason has been a pop culture icon for over 40 years thanks to movies and video games, “We can’t wait to introduce new Jason Universe activations to these amazing fans.”

If you want to follow what Horror Inc. has in store for our beloved Jason you can follow them at the official Jason Universe website.

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Movies

‘Fall’ Team Finds ‘Daybreakers’ Brothers to Helm Follow-Up

Published

3 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The sleeper hit Fall (2022) is getting not one, but two sequels. Written and directed by Scott Mann, Fall was slow out of the gate thanks to a crunchy CGI trailer, but thanks to the performances, writing and outstanding direction, it found its footing to pull in seven times its original $3 million budget. That cashfall was mostly thanks to word of mouth and VOD.

The Spierig Brothers, Michael and Peter, are taking over the reins for Fall 2, with Mann returning to the director’s chair for its sequel Fall 3.

The Spierig Brothers delved into horror movies starting with Undead in 2003, and after that the apocalyptic vampire action thriller Daybreakers (2009). Perhaps their biggest break was getting to add to the Saw universe in 2017 with Jigsaw which led them to Winchester (2018) starring Helen Mirren.

Variety got a statement from the directing duo, in which they said, “We’re extremely excited to helm the second installment of this franchise and bring to life another nail biting, vertigo inducing thrill ride.“

Mann said he can’t wait for Flawless (his production company) to work with the brothers on this latest installment. “I am so proud to hand over the reins to the Spierigs, two highly respected genre directors whose addition will undoubtedly make this follow-up even more of a must-see experience than we already knew it would be.”

Fall 2 is written by Mann and his co-writer of the first film, Jonathan Frank. No plot details are being released at this time, however, movie site JoBlo has said some characters from the first film will return for the sequel.

So what do you think? Will lightning strike twice for Fall 2 and Fall 3 or was the first one enough for you? Let us know.

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News

Chilling New Alt Poster for “Mickey Vs Winnie” Unveiled

Published

23 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Anthony Pernicka

Buzz is growing around “Mickey vs Winnie,” a new slasher film that reimagines Mickey and Winnie as twisted, monstrous adversaries. Directed by Glenn Douglas Packard, the movie follows a group of friends who stumble upon these nightmarish characters in a cursed forest. While the plot sounds straightforward, it promises unexpected twists that horror fans will relish. The newly released alt poster captures the film’s eerie essence with a dark, Rob Zombie-esque album cover vibe, enhancing its sinister appeal.

This alt version adds a vibrant, edgy tone, setting the stage for a unique slasher movie experience that blends childhood memories with nightmarish twists. This new version suggests that as the silhouetted girl runs deeper into the forest, she delves further into the sinister realm dominated by the twisted incarnations of Mickey and Winnie. Stay tuned for more updates and set photos as production continues for “Mickey vs Winnie”.