Sure, previously I’ve pretty much limited myself to talk of mutants and superheroes, but the F man has more dimensions than 2D.

Like any good film buff, I caught scent of this idea and was intrigued.  The draft I got my naughty little paws on was by John J. McLaughlin and revised on June 16, 2006. 

Enough with the prelims…

THE STORY

There’s a bit of description at the beginning of the screenplay that talks about how it’s the story of the worlds crafted by two men.  Jumping in, I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it was soon revealed to me.

The story starts out with young Eddie (Ed) Gein’s first crime – the murder of his brother.  As if an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Alfred steps into this scene and comments on it.  This is what Alfred Hitchcock & The Making of Psycho entails – bouncing between Ed Gein’s criminal spree and Alfred Hitchcock’s attempts to bring the Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho based on it to the screen.

After the death of his mother, Ed Gein’s tenuous grasp on sanity breaks and he starts to murder women, dissecting them and using those pieces to craft various things.

Alfred Hitchcock starts off depressed.  He feels like Hollywood is passing him by as people are named the next Hitchcock.  He’s searching for his next movie… something that will prove he’s still got it.  He stumbles (almost literally) across Psycho.  He learns that the studio is against it, and it makes him want to do it even more.  He goes against the studio and puts up his own money for the production and though it will eventually draw praise, Hitchcock himself will never understand the allure.

THE SKINNY

I wasn’t expecting this read at all. 

Actually, based on the title, I expected half – the half about the making of the film and the person of Alfred Hitchcock.  That was what I wanted to read.  Aside from the blatant overuse of Hitch addressing the audience directly (Ferris Bueller, he’s not), I enjoyed that half immensely.  The relationship between Hitchcock and his wife Alma is gold – intricate and interesting.  I wanted this glimpse into the life and mind of that man.

Unfortunately, the other half reads like a true crime novel and we also get a glimpse into the life and mind of Ed Gein.  It’s strong, don’t get me wrong.  Putting the real-life inspiration alongside the fictionalized counterpoint is an interesting exercise.  I’d forgotten that Psycho was loosely based on him, but now that’s forever cemented in my memory.  The sickening reality of his deeds casts a pale shadow over the movie.  I feel guilty for having ever enjoyed Psycho and I really don’t believe that’s the point of the script.  Hitchcock is all about voyeurism and enjoyment derived from it.

At the end, Hitchcock talks about the comparison between himself and Ed Gein and the conclusions the audience will inevitably draw.  If I were the Hitchcock estate, I’d be more than a bit leery of putting the two men in the same light.  This cheeky, winking at the audience almost turns my stomach as much as the potential for glorified gore…. Almost.

At one point, Alma asks her husband whether a film should be made based on the script based on the book based on the very real killings of a very real boogeyman.  With Gein’s somewhat happy ending in this script, I wonder the same thing.

If my internet searching proves accurate and Anthony Hopkins does play Hitchcock (with Helen Mirren as Alma), I may actually go see this film for those performances alone.  They have a lot to work with.  It’s my hope that Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck) can walk the fine line between crafting a biopic and the Silence of the Lambs card that McLaughlin plays too heavily in the script itself.  (Yes, I know that film has a different pedigree, shut up!)

THE FINAL WORD

My expectations definitely fueled my reading of this script.  The real origin caked in death and dismemberment turned me off completely.  Maybe this time through, I play the part of nay-saying Paramount Pictures and will have to eat my words later on.  For now, though, my stance is a mixed bag at best.