New true crime series details real-life 'Psycho' inspiration

Some call him "The Plainfield Ghoul." Others call him "The Mad Butcher." But to many around the world, Ed Gein is best known as the inspiration behind "Psycho’s" Norman Bates.

Now, fact is separated from fiction in the new MGM+ original docuseries, "Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein", the first episode of which premiered Sunday and continues with new episodes over the next three Sundays.

"Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein" is directed and executive produced by James Buddy Day, and utilizes previously unheard recordings to help tell the story of Gein, a murderer and grave robber who lived in Plainfield, Wisconsin and was arrested in 1957 following the disappearance of hardware store owner Bernice Worden. 

The discovery of his "house of horrors" not only inspired the Robert Block novel "Psycho" (and Alfred Hitchcock’s subsequent film version), but also later horror films "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Silence of the Lambs."  

We recently caught up with James Buddy Day to learn more about the project and why he thinks audiences continue to be fascinated by the story of Ed Gein. Click the video player in this article to hear from the filmmaker — and click here for more information on the series.