Maniac

Rating:
Summary: I'm warning you! Watch this film!
Review: If you're into "mainstream" horror (??) (e.g. Nightmare On Elm Street, Child's Play, today's Mummy, and/or the Ring), then Maniac is not for you! Yes, like the original Silent Night, Deadly Night, conservative/religious group were riled up by this film. In other words, yes, Maniac is a "horror" rarity! I loved it!

Rating:
Summary: dumb,but still kinda creepy
Review: I like this film because I like the late Joe Spinell and I like gore and suspense.This film has a two-star rating on cable,but I still enjoy it.Many may remember Joe Spinell in the bit role as the man interviewing Travis Bickle for a job in "Taxi Driver."

Rating:
Summary: This Guy's A MANIAC!
Review: Another all-but-forgotten drive in gem of early 80s trash cinema. Maniac has no redeeming qualities, taste, or message to get across to you......and frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. The movie's nothing more than a series of gruesome murders committed by our "maniac". Even though this is true, you can't help but think as you watch this that there are many similar "Frank Zito's" prowling the streets in cities all over the world. It may not be a true story, but ironically, it's all too true. The movie was trashed by the media and feminist groups upon it's release(the dvd even has a feature called "Gallery Of Outrage" where you can read all of the negative press clippings of this film. A fantastic bonus feature.)for it's depictions of violence against women(I guess no one cared about the poor schmuck who gets his head blown off, which is clearly the most gruesome image in the film). This always gives me a chuckle, coz it gives the film some major publicity and free advertising that most directors could only dream of. I was too young when this came out, but I remember a similar uproar when Silent Night, Deadly Night hit theaters around Christmas time. And I'll tell ya, all it made me want to do is see it more. Sure, Maniac is gory and violent, but I've seen much worse. And if you're a horror fan, I'm sure you have too. One big reason I enjoyed this was Spinnell's convincing performance. These days, serial killers in film are always sly, sophisticated, almost classy(like Silence Of The Lambs and Seven, etc.). Frank Zito is what I imagine most serial killers to be like: Lonely, scummy, pathetic. Spinnell's performance makes this very believable. Yes, this film is ugly, gruesome, depressing, disturbing.....but how else should a serial killer be portrayed?

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Wont ramble on too much, but this is a brilliant movie. Great scalping scene in a hotel room, brilliant head explosion scene in a car, great stabbing scene in a public toilet and a raw camera technique that all aids in the effective filming of a movie portraying the world through the eyes of a mad man, brilliantly played by Joe Spinell. Not really for the faint hearted humanitarian type person, but, If you love splatter movies, disturbing movies, serial killers or you just want a movie to relieve tension, this movie is great. Call me a sicko, but I luurvvveeeee this movie man !!!!

Rating:
Summary: TORTURED AND TWISTED
Review: Maniac is the tortured tale of a man who deals with his inner demons by killing people. Sounds pretty by the book there. This one goes further though. The killer is not simply some invincible hulk behind a mask, this killer is a thinking, feeling and very disturbed man. Almost seems like he could exist and probably does somewhere. Thus, maniac has a chill factor that most slahsers lack. We can almost feel his pain as he struggles with his murderous impulses. Almost. Then we see what he does and any pity we might have had (and it may only be a smidgen) goes down to the same awfull place as the blood of his victims.
The dvd i have is excellent. Its a clean transfer, all the grain on my VHS copy is not evident here. It sounds great. We can hear all the screams and blood flowing..for better or worse. It also came with a second CD in the shape of Joe Spinells head that contains the creepy soundtrack.
Theres plenty of karo syrup here for the gore lovers. The violence is filmed with the kills onscreen in leering detail. For those with a low tolerance for exploding heads, knife impalements and disembowelments, stay clear of this puppy. The blood runs in rivers.
T&A: minimal. some breast shots early. The ladies get joe spinell in a wife-beater shirt. yum.

Rating:
Summary: Cream Of The Slasher Crop
Review: In May of 2002, I went to the Dover Mall during a long break between my classes at Delaware Tech and bought a VHS copy of MANIAC, a movie which has piqued my curiosity for a long time. So when I came back to Delaware Tech, I watched MANIAC on one of the TV/VCR machines in the library (with headphones), and I was hooked. Weeks later, I started watching it late at night when nobody was around; it became my new horror movie addiction, with my first being THE EVIL DEAD. About a year later, the Limited Edition DVD became my very first purchase from Amazon.com (and what an exciting Saturday morning it was when I received it in the mail!).
Having studied abnormal psychology during my first two years at Delaware Tech, I found MANIAC to be more intelligent than all the other slasher movies in its time. Joe Spinell did an excellent job at portraying Frank Zito, the title character; the monologues and soliloquies throughout the movie are exactly what goes through the mind of any serial killer out there. Also, the child abuse subtext of the movie (a subtle one, thank God) is perfectly tangible, as any child who experiences any kind of emotional, physical, or worse mistreatment might be shaped into becoming a murderer or criminal. Plus, the gory set-pieces, courtesy of the great Tom Savini (who I met in August at the Horrorfind convention in Maryland), are among his greatest work and they fit perfectly with the tone of the movie (Just check out the scene where his head gets blown off!). The highlight is the subway sequence, which rivals any one of Brian DePalma's constant Hitchcock homages (1980 was the year of DRESSED TO KILL, his greatest Hitchcock homage!), and the scene following it when Frank is dressing another mannequin, which is a great example of black humor. All told, MANIAC is like a hybrid of FRIDAY THE 13TH and A CLOCKWORK ORANGE; it was too strong for some to stomach in 1980 and remains potent today, thus MANIAC is an acquired taste.
The DVD is one of Anchor Bay Entertainment's greatest efforts (after all, the director of the movie was working for the label). The commentary, by said director, Savini, the editor, and Spinell's best friend and personal assistant, is very enlightening to those familiar with the controversy surrounding the movie even today and amusing at times. Plus, "The Joe Spinell Story" is one of Anchor Bay's greatest documentaries ever assembled for supplemental material, as it provides real insight as to the distinguished career of this late, great character actor. Also, there's every trailer, TV spot, and radio spot for this movie, along with a radio interview with Spinell, Caroline Munro, and the director. The Limited Edition is definetly a MUST for the real fans out there, mainly for the excellent soundtrack CD (shaped like Spinell's head!) and tin case; you get to hear one of Zito's soliloquies on one of the tracks! A brutal and ground-breaking horror movie, MANIAC is a definite must-watch for horror buffs!

Rating:
Summary: Whoa Yeah! Hardcore Horror!
Review: Funny, scary, and disturbing are the 3 words I;d used to describe this film. Overated it may be, but it is certainly worth a look, I'm not dissappointed. I'd made it more violent and more gory, but that's just me. Gosh I'm sick. Anyway, Frank Zito is your average, everyday sort of loser. He lives in a total dive of an apartment, surrounded by decaying memories of his childhood and his long dead mother. Moreover, Frank's physical appearance leaves a lot to be desired: he's overweight, sweaty, with a pockmarked face and greasy black hair. He bears a striking resemblance, in fact, to adult film star Ron Jeremy. Frank's biggest problem in life concerns his relationships with women. He doesn't have any, for one thing, and the interactions he does have with the opposite sex would set the teeth of the worst among us on edge. For Frank Zito is a serial killer goaded into the darkest crimes of the human mind by the memory of his mother and a voice in his head that drives him to wanton acts of violence. Frank is remorseful after a murder; he knows what he is doing to women causes others to recoil in horror, but he just cannot help himself. Frank placates his inner demons to some extent by scalping his victims and hammering the hair on mannequins he stores in his apartment. As Frank's shenanigans plunge the city into fear stricken turmoil, he continues his bloody reign of carnage while always carrying the knowledge that the authorities stand a good chance of catching up to him. But will they? Well you have to watche the film. No it's not perfect, but why are you being harsh on a slasher film? Honestly, it's not Citizen Kane people! Watch this one alone in the dark!

Rating:
Summary: This was terrible
Review: I read the customer reviews for this movie and I was so excited about watching this. I had such high hopes, what a HUGE disappoinmet this movie was. Seeing that is is a cult classic, I expected that there would be no plot, which that held true, but I was prepared for this movie to turn my stomach. This is the unrated version so I am curious as to what the "R" rated version would have been like. There were maybe one or two really good gore scences that is even worth watching, however it did not turn my stomach. I personally thought Final Destination 2 had more of a gore factor than this did. Maybe the fact that this was made in the 80's might make a difference, but all in all I felt that I wasted money on a movie that is not worth seeing again let alone owning.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent classic slasher flick!
Review: Joe Spinell ( Co-writer/Producer/Actor) stars as "Frank Zito", a madman who lives in New York City and along time ago his mother use to punish him whenever he was bad, now that she's dead he vows revenge on society by stalking the city at night for victims to murder and scalp them so he can keep their scalps for his mannequein collection. He one day falls for a lovely young British photographer ( Caroline Muro) and dating with her but she soon discovers his dark secret.

A highly underrated yet suprisingly good supernatural slasher horror drama that is probably the best film Joe Spinell has done in his career with spectacular gory make-up effects by Tom Savini, the infamous exploding head scene, good acting, great music score and tons of scares that will send shivers down your back.

The DVD from Anchor Bay is excellent with such extras like Commentary, Joe Spinell documentary, Gallery of Outrage featuring the negative reviews from the critics, TV Spots, Trailers, Radio Spots, Poster and Still Gallery, and more. This movie is quite an interesting yet sleazy and gory at times horror flick that will definitely scare you.

Similar Movies Recommended: The Evil Dead, Halloween, Friday The 13th, Last House on the Left, Ted Bundy, I Spit on Your Grave, Riki-Oh, One Hour Photo, The Shining, American Psycho, Scream, Urban Legend, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, Re-Animator, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scanners, City of the Living Dead ( a.k.a. The Gates of Hell), House By The Cemetery, Perfect Blue, Suspiria, The New York Ripper, Evil Ed, Henry: Portriat of a Serial Killer, Happy Birthday to Me, House of 1000 Corpses, 8MM, Psycho ( 1960), Dawn of the Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 & 3, and The Beyond ( a.k.a. The Seven Doors of Death).

Rating:
Summary: Insanely Nasty
Review: Frank Zito is your average, everyday sort of loser. He lives in a total dive of an apartment, surrounded by decaying memories of his childhood and his long dead mother. Moreover, Frank's physical appearance leaves a lot to be desired: he's overweight, sweaty, with a pockmarked face and greasy black hair. He bears a striking resemblance, in fact, to adult film star Ron Jeremy. Frank's biggest problem in life concerns his relationships with women. He doesn't have any, for one thing, and the interactions he does have with the opposite sex would set the teeth of the worst among us on edge. For Frank Zito is a serial killer goaded into the darkest crimes of the human mind by the memory of his mother and a voice in his head that drives him to wanton acts of violence. Frank is remorseful after a murder; he knows what he is doing to women causes others to recoil in horror, but he just cannot help himself. Frank placates his inner demons to some extent by scalping his victims and hammering the hair on mannequins he stores in his apartment. As Frank's shenanigans plunge the city into fear stricken turmoil, he continues his bloody reign of carnage while always carrying the knowledge that the authorities stand a good chance of catching up to him. Then Frank meets up with the beautiful Anna, a fashion photographer played by the amazingly beautiful Caroline Munro. At this point, "Maniac" teeters on the edge of complete banality, as the relationship between these two is forced and totally unbelievable. Fortunately, Frank continues his activities while dating Anna, activities that lead to an unremittingly dismal end (maybe?) for Frank.

Frank Zito is the "Maniac" in this 1980 grindhouse film classic directed by William Lustig of "Maniac Cop" fame. Zito, played by the late character actor Joe Spinnell (you can see him several times in the first two Godfather films), helped write the script for this engrossing, and gross, film. "Maniac" is difficult to classify: sometimes it easily falls into the classic slasher film genre, but at other times it seems closer to exploitation. Perhaps the classification of "Maniac" isn't too important because whatever genre it falls into this movie is a brilliant, memorable piece of sleaze filmmaking. While you can easily tell that Lusting and Spinnell made this film on a shoestring budget, the cheapness of the production adds to the bleak storyline. Zito's exterior life is sleazy because his mind is damaged beyond repair. The blasted landscape of late 1970s New York provides the perfect backdrop for Frank's gruesome excursions in search of victims. These stalk and splatter incidents provide most of the atmospheric tension of "Maniac," with the standout scene concerning a nurse trapped in the subway late at night with Zito in merciless pursuit. This stalking scene is so fraught with suspense that it literally has the viewer on the edge of his seat. Add to these vistas of carnage a great music score and "Maniac" is a grade A winner in the sleaze category. I have often felt like taking a shower after watching this movie.

Real gorehounds love "Maniac" for the over the top grue scenes provided by none other than special effects master Tom Savini. The ultimate scene involves Savini himself playing a guy who takes his date to a park for some risqué fun. Unknown to these two lovers, Zito follows them from a restaurant toting a double-barreled shotgun. As the scene unfolds, we see Zito launch himself on the hood of the car and deliver a deathblow through the windshield. The subsequent effect of Savini's exploding head ranks as one of the most amazing special effects in horror film history, easily matching the head burst in Cronenberg's "Scanners." What really creeps a person out about this scene is thinking about Savini orchestrating his own gory demise. Well, he gave himself one of the most memorable sendoffs in film history. This scene never loses its intensity no matter how many times one watches it. "Maniac" doesn't rely solely on this scene, as other scenes throughout the movie repeatedly deliver impressive effects. This movie is not for the lighthearted in any way, shape, or form.

I recommend potential buyers pick up the DVD instead of this VHS version. It looks like there are numerous goodies on the disc that appear nowhere on the tape edition. There are bonuses here: more than a few trailers and television spots shown after the film, a few of which are in French and German, a trailer for a sequel that never got off the ground called "Mr. Robbie," and a deleted scene showing Frank and Anna on a date in a restaurant. As good as the picture quality on the VHS is, I am willing to bet the DVD version is even better. Still, either version is worth watching as long as you make sure to get the unrated print of the film. You don't want to miss out on any of the unpleasantness in this amazing contribution to the horror genre.