# 5 - maniac

Maniac (1980)

Director:  William Lustig

Actors:  Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, and Abigail Clayton

Let me preface my review by saying that I am no Roger Ebert or Peter Travers.  I am not claiming to be a connoisseur of horror movies, nor am I suggesting that I am worthy of rating films for a renowned publication.   I’m simply a person who loves movies and who likes to write about “stuff”.  If you are not interested in scary movies or if you don’t like reading… then delete this immediately.

The movie is Maniac.  This film can be summed up in one word… unforgettable (and not in a good, Nat King Cole kind of way.... more of a disturbing "i literally can't stop seeing this movie in my head" kind of way).  Although the slasher pic was released in 1980, time has done little to diminish its gory highlights.  Maniac is disgusting, filthy, greasy, sordid, and every other adjective used to describe something repulsive.  But you will certainly not forget it once you have seen it.  It will be burned in your mind for eternity.  The film is not stingy with shock value; even typical splatter fans will find Maniac hard to sit through.  This basically plot-less movie is completely devoid of morals or repercussion.  We witness the first slashing at 1 minute 41 seconds… and the rest of the movie ruthlessly follows suit.  The entire 87 minutes are filled with stalking, murdering, and scalping.  Now if that’s your cup of tea… break out the biscuits and enjoy.

Joe Spinell is terrifically creepy as the “maniac”.  He plays the role of Frank Zito to perfection, which is why the film is so disturbing.  He is a childish serial killer with some major mommy issues.  Due to the mistreatment and abuse by his now deceased mother, he is overtaken with rage, obsession, and insanity.  His revenge comes in the form of spontaneous, brutal murder.  He is an emotional and psychological trainwreck, complete with schizophrenic tendencies and a creepy doll collection.

The movie is successful in a few ways though.  First and foremost, special effects.  The death scenes are second-to-none thanks to make-up artist guru Tom Savini (known for his work in Friday the 13^th and many of George Romero’s pics).  He (Savini) makes a cameo in the best scene of the movie… “Disco Boy” meets his maker with a shot-gun blast to the head at point blank range.  This sequence will no doubt live in infamy as one of the finest (and most graphic) head exploding scenes of all time.

Secondly, New York.  The City that Never Sleeps shares the spotlight with Zito.  The dark, grimy streets deliver as much fear as the schizoid serial killer himself.  I can’t think of a better backdrop for a delusional misfit to pick up a lady of the night, strangle her, scalp her, and bring the goods back to his seedy apartment for decoration.  Um yeah, it’s that crazy.  I couldn’t possibly make up that scenario.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that he also takes the scalps and tacks them (with a push pin) to mannequin heads and proceeds to share a bed with the department store dummies.  Normal.

Lastly, suspense.  Lustig and Spinell (he co-wrote and executive produced in addition to starring) do a great job building anxiety.  This is a serial killer picture.  We know that the victims are going to die… but we don’t know when or how.  One particular subway scene (thanks again NYC) was brilliantly acted and directed (disregard the sound inconsistencies) and left me truly scared.  I was literally on the edge of my seat waiting for the climax and wasn’t disappointed with the payoff.

There are some major technical issues with this movie, though, and the “plot” has so many holes it could give Swiss cheese a run for its money.  But let’s face it… splatter horror buffs aren’t watching movies like this for their Oscar-caliber screenplay.

I thought Maniac was completely over-rated and not worthy of its impressive cult following.  The acting is verging on horrible and the screenplay is sub-par.  Even for a film of its genre, the gore level is quite extreme and mostly unnecessary.  Thank goodness, though, for Tom Savini… for without him, this movie would be nothing.  His special effects are amazing and the only reason I would ever recommend seeing this film.  He is an artistic genius and well-deserving of the praise he receives.

Unfortunately, the cons outweighed the pros for me with this film.  We have hints of Psycho, Ed Gein, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and Jaws… but this movie sorely pales in comparison to all of them.

The movie is set to be released on Blu-ray this October and plans are in motion for a Maniac remake.  Tough to say if anyone will pull it off, but famed director Alexandar Aja is said to be at the helm.  And if any of you have seen The Hills Have Eyes remake or High Tension, we may be in for a treat.  I will certainly see the reboot and may even give Maniac another chance on Blu-ray.  I want to like this movie, I really do.  The story certainly sounds frightening, but this film does not live up to its intimidating title.

Was Maniac scary?  Yes

Jami’s Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Would I recommend this movie:  No.  Ok, maybe just to see what the hype is about… definitely not for owning or repeat viewings.