Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (2007)

   

Produced, Written & Directed by: Michael Feifer

Starring:

Shawn Hoffman .... Bobby Mason
Kane Hodder .... Ed Gein
Adrienne Frantz .... Erica
Priscilla Barnes .... Vera Mason
Timothy Oman .... Sheriff

Special Appearance:

Michael Berryman .... Jack

Release Date: Direct-to-DVD: March 6, 2007

 

Rating:

 

A deputy by the name of Bobby Mason (Shawn Hoffman) discovers an abandoned vehicle and disappearances of many locals but doesn't know where to search for all of this.
A disturbed man by the name of Ed Gein (Kane Hodder) seems to kidnap inncocent people that remind him of his abusive childhood life as his whole family have passed away. The he hangs them on hooks or tortures them and cuts them up making furniture decorations, meals and clothes out of their skin.
He also digs up graves and finds people's body parts to top it all off and kills anyone who crosses him whenever he is doing his deeds.

Bobby has it made for him as he has a loving and caring mother by the name of Vera (Priscilla Barnes) and well as a girlfriend named Erica (Adrienne Frantz) who loves him very much and he is concerned for the dangers on both of them with this maniac on the loose. 

Suddenly, his Mom has disappeared as he panic's causing an accident as Erica is injured and he runs for help but now she is in Ed's demented clutches as both Bobby and her father who is the head sheriff risk their lives by breaking into Ed's home to rescue any survivors and put a stop to him before he kills anyone else.

 

The makers were marvellous with his work for this film as he makes it very dark and spooky which is very necessary for a horror film.
The show starts off quite well with Bobby Mason looking at an abandoned car that has some blood on it trying to figure out the case and shows great frightened expressions about it when he sees blood on the car window.
We have excellent shots on Ed Gein using his shovel to dig up some dirt as well as a camera looking up at him while doing this and a perfect close up shot on his vicious looking eyes too as if he really is mentally disturbed.
He also shows great energy when he spots Priscilla Barnes lying on the floor and he runs to her trying to get his attention
We see a nice setting with Bobby, Erica and Vera at a dinner table having a nice family conversation with one another.
We spot a terrific gloomy moment with both Ed and his sidekick Jack when they dig up a corpse late at night where we spot some creepy looking trees around them too. Ed has some great coldness to all of this and Jack does well with not liking at what he's doing.
There's a perfect shot on Ed when he is staring down at the corpse that he dug up as you wonder what he is going to do next.
Theres a nice shot on the truck rolling by with Jack tied to the back of it and a good scene with both Erica and Bobby making out in his vehicle during this moment and Ed driving by looking coldly at them.
There's a disturbing discussion with a graveyard security guard approaching Ed in the deep dark cemetary woods being aggressive to him about trespassing when Ed tries to tell him he's passing through without losing it but this man still gets aggressive with him as you know that's a big mistake.
There's a perfect silent and dark moment with Ed at a bar with a woman there named Sue Layton talking to him and he is just acting silent about stuff and a good shot of a look over his shoulder staring coldly at two lovers flirting with one another.
There's a nice  close up shot. A good shot of him strangling her as she looks good not knowing what to do.
A perfect set with Ed in his room with hooks and Sue lying on a table being drugged while he cuts her up which will make you cringe and squirm with all the terrific camera shots for this one.
A great shot on Ed looking into a store window and  later on catching Vera by surprise when he is standing at the front when she bends down to get something.
A nice quiet setting with Vera playing the piano and suddenly the phone rings which makes you jump.
We spot perfect shots on Ed dressing himself up with people's skin as well as creating it while both Bobby and Erica are speeding to arrive to his home.
After an accident Erica looked good at silently groaning in pain lying on the ground almost lifelessly as you have a feeling something bad is going to happen and a good camera shot on Ed looking down at her.
There's a real effective discussion between Bobby and the sheriff at Ed Gein's farm when they have a serious discussion.
Ed looked good by carrying Erica over his shoulder to the wooded area.
There's a good shot with Erica's hand reaching for a rock to try and escape from him.
Bottom line is that the audio is terrible in this film as the music involved is much louder but sometimes this happens with indie films. Still the story was dark, creepy and excellent throughout the whole film and better than the 2000 flick starring Steve Railsback and the late Carrie Snodgress but however, that one looked more fact based and was a plain crime flick. This was the story that inspired Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs and you can see how those other flicks resemble to this one. The story is disturbing and quite gruesome with a great set of people involved in the making as well as the actors too. Check this one out.

Everyone was terrific in this film. Lead actor Shawn Hoffman (Bobby Mason) really knew his craft as a serious and laid back deputy who acts protective with his loved one's about something dangerous going on in his area and showed nice emotions too throughout the story. Does well in a scene with his serious, concerned and laid back attitude towards someone else about a possible maniac on the loose and to keep the place locked up. He is good in a scene with his panicking while driving his vehicle. Is good in another situation with his panicking and upsetting emotions when he tries to look for help. Was perfect crying on set after spotting his onscreen dead mother in Ed Gein's home. He was terrific almost losing it when he points a gun at someone's head when others shout at him not to do it bringing great intensity to his part.
However, the best of them all is believe it or not horror stunt performer and actor Kane Hodder (Ed Gein) as the demented one in which he knew his part inside out and knew how to be intimidating and yet troubled as well. He proves he can do away with his hockey mask and play a real title role and can go far having other lead roles in movies whether they're horror or not. In a certain scene he shows off great energy when he spots a woman lying on the floor and he runs to her trying to get his attention and does this in another scene too showing some paranoid eyed features which looked great. He was also great with his insane energy by beating someone to death. A perfect reaction on him at his farmhouse crawling down to the floor crying.
Adrienne Frantz (Erica) was good as an outgoing girlfriend to the deputy and knew how to react to the terrifying incidents too.
Priscilla Barnes (Vera Mason) seems to do well acting tense when someone is around her during a certain scene as well as doing well with her wicked words and expressions in many of the hallucination sequences used in the story.
Supporting actor Timothy Oman (Sheriff) was perfect as the tough as nails lawman of the county and brings alot of meaning to his part. Shows a real good angry look after hearing some upsetting news about his onscreen daughter.

Lots of horror violence in this film.
We've got lots of body pieces stored away
A body being chopped up
Plenty of blood too and someone hung by hooks

The music was very well done as we have good synthesizer playing with some dark sounds to the story as it doesn't sound at all Zgrade. Hats off to Glenn Morissette