MANIAC

Maniac Movie Review

Serial killer Frank Zito (Joe Spinell, who also wrote the story) terrorizes New York City, murdering women and scalping them, adding his prizes to the heads of mannequins he has strewn about his apartment. Coming out in a time when slasher films were all the rage (1980 for this one), Maniac took the blood and guts and turned it up to eleven. Over forty years after it's release, the extreme gore is still what this movie is most remembered for, and indeed, it is quite memorable--from the scalpings to the exploding head, images will be burnt into your memory, thanks to special effects master Tom Savini.

Heads up Tom

There is an added layer to this movie, however, that we didn't often see in the 70's and 80's slasher flicks. There is an interesting character study with our killer, as we find that Frank had some serious mom issues and, more interesting, he struggles with incredible guilt after killing his victims. It is these elements that make Maniac stand out from most of the pack. The gritty New York City in 1980 setting adds a lot to this film--you can almost smell the surroundings, especially during the subway chase scene, which is incredibly chilling. Spinell makes a decent lead--he certainly has the look that works here, and his acting was enough to make the character convincing. The acting across the rest of the movie is a bit shakier, but there is nothing offensively bad. The ending is a letdown, as we get a series of events that are both incredibly unbelievable and cheesy. Even with this, Maniac is a horror movie that has to be considered a must-see for fans of the slasher sub-genre.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 7

Maniac Movie Trailer