Ed Gein & Hollywood (Bonus Episode)

In this Halloween inspired bonus episode, we dig into the real-life monster who changed horror forever – Ed Gein, the “Butcher of Plainfield.” His gruesome crimes shocked America in the 1950s and went on to inspire some of cinema’s most iconic villains. After going over Gein’s life and crimes, we explore how Norman Bates in Psycho (1960), Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), and Jame Gumb (Buffalo Bill) in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) each borrowed pieces of Gein’s disturbing psyche – from his obsession with his mother to his skin-crafting horrors. Along the way, we separate fact from fiction to uncover how Hollywood transformed true crime into urban legend.

Primary Source:

• Schechter, Harold. Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original “Psycho.” Pocket Books (1989).
• Ed Gein Documentary

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Theme: DARKNESS (feat. EdKara) by Ghost148