Ed Gein

With every new Texas Chainsaw Massacre installment, the tethering to Ed Gein's crimes (the source of the original film's "based on a true story" credibility) becomes more frayed. For a fairly accurate depiction of the man and his murders, serial-killer historians tout 1974's Deranged. Meanwhile, metalcore enthusiasts seeking an intense examination of what drives Ed Gein the band can consult 2005's Judas Goats and Dieseleaters. If someone staged a prequel revealing this Syracuse trio's origins, the opening credits might pair portentous headlines ("Patriot Act Passes") with the group's ominous Dubya-sampling grinder "Christianity as Foreign Policy." Like noise-punk progenitors Napalm Death, Ed Gein converts their civil discontent into incendiary sound. When the group chronicles the administration's atrocities and asks, "Is no one pissed off but me?" audience members loudly affirm their rage. For some seat-seeking politicians, this sort of scene is far scarier than a power-tool-brandishing actor.