The latest season of Netflix's true crime anthology, Monster, recounts the chilling story of Ed Gein, a Wisconsin murderer whose crimes are said to have inspired classic horror films, including Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. All episodes of The Ed Gein Story are now streaming from October 3.
Gein murdered at least two women and was found to have crafted items from human skin and body parts, including skulls used as bowls. He is also believed to have made a suit from skin to resemble his mother. The Netflix series heavily suggests that Gein's life directly influenced the character of Norman Bates in Psycho, with the series even featuring director Alfred Hitchcock and author Robert Bloch discussing Gein's crimes as plot points.
However, Robert Bloch, who wrote the 1959 novel Psycho, denied using Gein as a basis for Norman Bates. In a 1991 interview transcript on his official website, Bloch stated: 'I did not use Ed Gein as a basis for Norman Bates at all; I used the circumstances, which were: somebody could live in a small town... and conduct a series of murders without anyone suspecting.' He added that Gein did not run a motel, kill anyone in a shower, or preserve his mother's body.
Despite Bloch's denial, the Netflix series portrays a direct link, showing Hitchcock showing actor Anthony Perkins a recreation of Gein's home. The series is now streaming on Netflix, while Psycho is available on Sky Cinema and NOW.
