Summary:
A psychotic man struggles with his impulse to kill and scalp women.
My Thoughts:
I’ll never understand how mindless slasher flicks like “Friday the 13th” receive a billion sequels, when slashers like “Maniac”- a movie that is truly disturbing, incredibly atmospheric, and ridiculously gory- fly under the radar. Maybe this movie was just slightly ahead of its time; when it came out, it was absolutely panned by critics (currently sitting at 22% on Metascore, 39% on Rotten Tomatoes), but I’d heard this movie had gained a cult following over the years, which is why I went out of my way to watch it. I’ve seen a lot of slasher movies from the late 70s through the 80s, and I have to say that this one is probably one of the most disturbing. Where most 80s slashers tend to have a bit of fun, this one does not; the very feel of the film is gross, gritty, greasy, and grimy- it made me want to take a shower when I was done. Frank (Joe Spinell, “Taxi Driver”) isn’t a cinematic, goofy killer that you want to cheer on, like Freddy (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”) or Jason (“Jason Goes to Hell”), he’s a character that feels as if he could’ve been inspired by real life serial killers, and getting inside his mind isn’t a fun experience, but it is a very memorable dark ride.
“I told you not to go out tonight, didn’t I? Every time you go out, this kind of thing happens.”
Frank is a psychotic man living in NYC struggling with a childhood trauma. At nights he prowls the streets looking for women to kill and scalp. When he returns to his apartment, he tacks the scalps to mannequins and talks to them as if they are his friends. He knows what he is doing is wrong, and he knows he must stop, but the impulse is so strong… will he ever stop killing?
So, let’s start with the practical effects, because, as any horror junkie knows, the 80s were a prime spot for incredibly graphic effects. This movie has quite a few pretty graphic killings. The great Tom Savini (special effects coordinator for “Day of the Dead”) was in charge of special effects, and he even gets a cameo. Savini is known for his incredibly graphic effects- intestines being ripped out, heads being pulled off, that sort of thing. So when I saw his name in the credits, I knew I was in for a treat. When it first hit theaters, “Maniac” received an X rating (to give you an idea of graphicness, an X rating was also given to “A Clockwork Orange” and the original cut of “Robocop”). The very first scene is a double homicide where a man is strangled with piano wire and brilliant-red blood gushes from the cut. Perhaps the best kill in the film is actually Tom Savini’s cameo- he gets shot in the face with a shotgun and his head explodes in a way that (almost) rivals the head-exploding scene in “Scanners”. There are a few other great effects, but I’d hate to spoil the fun.
Joe Spinell is the star of the show, and he is, well… pretty terrifying. Spinell also came up with the story and helped to pen the screenplay, so this movie really was his baby. I don’t know what that says about Spinell, but whatever, this movie is pretty intense, and his performance is even more so. What really makes his performance work is that we see him from multiple angles- from inside his own mind as he rambles to himself almost incoherently, from the perspective of his intended victims, and also from the perspective of himself only slightly more sane, trying to stop himself from going out and murdering again. He seems constantly at odds with himself, the world around him, and the people he’s stalking; he doesn’t seem to know what he wants or how to stop his impulses, and that terrifies even him. The expression he wears on his face is almost constantly blank, as if there’s nothing human behind those eyes. It’s as chilling, revolting, and as memorable a performance as some of the great psychos in cinema history.
Verdict:
While I certainly wouldn’t say that “Maniac” is a fun 80s slasher, it is a very good one. This movie is pretty graphic and the content is pretty disturbing, but if you’re in the mood for a pretty f*cked up horror movie, then this is certainly a safe bet.
End Note: “Maniac” was even remade in 2012 starring Eljah Wood; I haven’t seen that film yet, but I intend to now.
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