Monster - the ED GEIN story on Netflix

[ozarina]

Started this last night. It's beautifully filmed in parts but wow it takes you aback at certain bits. I didn't realise that the movie Psycho was based on this guy. It's not for the faint hearted.

There isn’t much that’s made up. For example the voice CH uses is based on Gein’s own voice which CH listened to from an interview recording.

There isn’t much that’s made up.

🤔

I'm enjoying the story about actual ed gein/"mother"/Adeline.

But.... I'm really not enjoying the oddly placed/disjointed/pointless "mini films within the film" sub plots: Hitchcock, the gay dude, the Berlin bitch or whatever she was called + others. It makes for a very confusing and odd episode. It's not interesting or entertaining, it's just distracting from the story we're actually trying to watch !

I think it's someone's attempt at clever directing/writing, but I think they've worked their degree in film too hard there. Trying too hard.

The actual writing and filming of Ed Gein/mother/Adeline is actually very good. It's odd how you have feelings stirred up of feeling intermittently sorry for him and seeing his vulnerability, then feel sickened and disgusted by him in other scenes. Same with Adeline.

In the kindest way I think you should do your research before you state these claims, honestly most of this series is made up and many of the stories came from the actual police officers who worked the case, knew of the case and the locals that lived there.

See I disagree. I think he came across very very convincingly as an odd creepy weirdo. Its not easy for a stunning looking man to look and sound like an oddball weirdo: and boy he did it ! Good acting! The voice was so weird and grating but I think it added successfully to the creepiness/oddness. I'd be interested too to know if he actually did talk like that or whether it was embellished?

What research have you done?

Do you think Charlie Hunnam is lying about listening to the recording?

There are actually hardly any recordings left of Eds real voice. There are transcripts but lots of evidence was lost, illegally obtained and sold and even burnt. I’ve only read a few books and watched a few true documentaries before he was thrust back into the spotlight. I’m not an expert of any kind but you can search for yourself that Netflix have exaggerated the series and they admit that. Ultimately it’s your choice to believe what you want but I do find it difficult that people believe everything they watch.

The voice was driving me bananas but YouTube has audio clips of Gein’s police interviews and they’ve modelled it on that.
Breathy, high pitched, Wisconsin accent.
So I think the research is pretty thorough.

With Adeline, though, less so.

I never said everything here was true, but I’ve read plenty about Gein and other elements of the series. Can’t be bothered at this time to dig up the link of the interview I read the other day with CH, but he’s on record for saying he heard Gein’s voice in a tape recording, which has very limited access. Perhaps that’s why you haven’t heard of it, despite your own apparently extensive research.

You can hear it for yourself although it’s not very clear. Charlie is an actor he did listen to a some audio of Ed’s voice that is available which is not very clear and then interpreted it with how he believed Ed would talk, his behaviour and his mannerisms. Apparently he drew inspiration from a combo of the audio, Michael Jackson’s voice and a few others to create the voice and a persona of Ed.

Meh. It was full of filler and not very well made. The Nazi and Hitchcock subplots were rubbish and made the whole thing feel forcibly thrown together. I wasn't impressed by the lead actor either, or his mum. Their acting was great but they just couldn't draw me in for some reason. Miscasting maybe?

Couldn't go further than halfway through episode 2 which was a shame as I loved the rest of the Monster series and I was so looking forward to this 😭

Oh god yes, I also thought he sounded like a stoned Kermit or something 🤣 it was accidentally hilarious

I get that they must have done research but I do think it's one of those things where I'd rather they hadn't done the voice regardless 😬

Sorry but you have no idea of the real story if you describe those parts as sub plots which are integral to the person he was.

That was a bit snippy!!!!!

Indeed. As I said a while ago on this thread the subplots were disjointed and distracting. They didn’t add anything to the programme at all for
me. If I want to watch a series on Hitchcock, or Ilse Koch, then I’ll do so. The war stuff may have been integral to who Ed was, as it clearly shaped him, but the rest wasn’t, as that came after. There is (apparently) no evidence he either was the inspiration for Psycho, or he was interviewed regarding the Ted Bundy murders.

Me and my husband finished Episode 7 last night, so we'll watch the final one tonight.

I can honestly say this is the most disturbing programme/documentary I have ever watched.

I don't know whether I'm horrified or in complete disbelief.

Yeah but it's true isn't it ? 🤷‍♀️

Completely agree. We’re talking about the programme here after all, not demonstrating comprehension of certain historical elements which may or may not have played their influential roles in the larger complicated recipe of Gein’s mind.

Thanks for saying this. God forbid we just want to watch a plot without being subjected to an "education" on the wider historical associations 🙄

So you just want a description of what he did with no mention of his mental state?

Mental state of s fine. But we don't need to see the gay chap having counselling sessions and attempting to touch a woman's breasts. We don't need to see Hitchcock watching movies with his wife and hearing his woes and bedtime chats with her. It was far too involved and detracted from the gein story by making another mini story. At one point I had to check I hadn't accidentally changed the channel. It wasn't well intertwined.

That's a shame. I loved it and thought it was a great attempt at doing more than just the usual . It was life in the Depression, in isolated rural areas, world events and the resulting effects that Pyscho had on the entertainment business. Fascinating insight.

I also felt the Hitchcock and Anthony Perkins stuff was unnecessary. I would have liked to see more of his childhood. I can also see how those awful magazines with that nazi women didn’t help.
But actually I gave up after about 4 episodes. It all got too much

What a load of old twaddle. The last 3 or 4 episodes were a compete fabrication and waste of time.

Kermit!! 😂😂😂 glad I have finished the series because you are bang on and that would have totally distracted me 😂