What type of movie is "Maniac"? (1 Viewer)

[chris larralde]

I always thought that it was a cheesy Friday the 13th type of movie -- probably due to the illustration on the poster. It sounds like it's quite a different animal. How would you catagorize it? What other movies are similar to it?
regards,
chris

 

[Hendrik]

...ahh... well... ahh...
http://www.alaska.net/~ammo/maniac.htm . . .

 

[SteveGon]

What kind of movie is Maniac? A bad one!

I assume you're talking about the 1980 release. I haven't seen the film in years but if I remember correctly, it's pretty much a low-grade slasher flick. There are some "nice" gore effects by Tom Savini (I think), but other than that, this turkey doesn't have much going for it. I suppose if you like this type of movie, you'll enjoy it. Otherwise, stay away...
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[Larry Schneider]

The 1934 version is hilariously bad, Ed Wood bad, and well worth a look.

 

[MaxY]

Chris,
I have a different view on this.
Maniac is actually a very good slasher movie. It is not a Friday the 13th type unkillable super goon movie. It is a real type movie that explores the psychology of the killer and features a very good performance by Joe Spinell (The Godfather, Rocky 1 and II and many others) as the Maniac.
YEs there is some gore and even more so in this unreated release by Anchor Bay.
If you like that kind of movie you should enjoy this one. It is a far cry from the overamped Killers like Jason Freddy and Michael.
Max
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[chris larralde]

oops, I forgot to clarify -- the "Maniac" I'm refering to is the recent Anchor Bay release.
Some of the reviews say that it's like "Henry: Portait of a Serial Killer" and others say it's just typical slasher fare. I'm trying to figure out if I'd like it or not
chris

 

[chris larralde]

Thanks Max,
So it's more of a "thinking man's" horror movie?
It sounds more serious when compared to "Scream" and the likes. I think I'll check it out. I'm a sucker for AB tins anyways.
chris

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

You mean "Henry James' Maniac" as brought to us by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory? The tender tale of Lord Winthropbottom (Joe Spinell), a confused English countryman who comes across young Lady Spindlermunch (Helena Bonham-Carter) and frolics with her amidst the verdant beauty of the Lake District... before slicing her scalp off and putting it atop a department-store mannequin.
This one's a roughie, folks. I recall this was one of the films that started Siskel and Ebert on an anti-slasher crusade back in the day.

 

[Christina_DQ]

Pretty good very disturbing & grim slasher flick!
It's not for everyone & is incredilbly intense,unpleasent & unrelenting that i was so freaked out & shocked,upset ect by it that i had to turn it off after the first 15mn the first time i saw it & just hated it because of that. Yet thats what makes it a good movie( i found out later),being able to get under your skin & make you feel uncomforatable. Thats when you know it's effective horror!
So i gave it another shot a year later & the movies not as bad as i thought.Still shocking,but also pretty good in a surreal way.Don't look for a standard plot,this is all about atmosphere,sleaze ect & delivers what it sets out to do.To disturb the hell out of you!
A very underrated gore classic & is the kind of movie everyones afraid to make nowadays.
[Edited last by Christina_DQ on August 25, 2001 at 02:15 AM]

 

[Julie K]

It's not for everyone & is incredilbly intense,unpleasent & unrelenting

Exactly. I think this sums up Maniac very well. It also explains just why this movie is good. Horror should be intense, unpleasant, and unrelenting. Unkillable slashers chasing around dumb teens is not intense, unpleasant (rather the opposite, really...), or unrelenting (well, only in that the urge to look at my watch is unrelenting...).
I'm not a fan of teen slashers. I do like Maniac, though, as well as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. I'm really not sure if "like" is the right word, as these movies do something that all the teen slasher 'horror' movies put together fail to do - they get under my skin and disturb, even scare, me. Just what horror should do.
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[Greg_Y]

Darn, I think Henry is a great film and I was thinking of getting Maniac. Now it looks as though I should at least try it.
Should I get the tin or the 1-disc release?

 

[Robert McClanahan]

Maniac has a DTS ES soundtrack too!!

 

[Anthony Thorne]

I'm surprised no-one has yet mentioned most people's favourite thing about MANIAC (at least as far as recent video incarnations go) - the hilarious and memorable audio commentary with William Lustig, Tom Savini, editor Lorenzo Marinelli and Luke Walter. This commentary track is an all-time favourite and I know a lot of people who, even disliking the movie, have a great deal of time for the old LD and recent DVD releases because of that commentary.
The new Anchor Bay DVD also features a great (new) documentary on Joe Spinell. Avoid the older Elite Entertainment DVD as it has a crappier transfer and lacks the doco - the new AB disc is vastly superior in terms of picture and sound. The only difference between the tin and the keepcase version is that the tin adds the complete remastered CD sountrack. Given the abundance of extras on the regular Anchor Bay keepcase version, I decided to skip the tin in this instance.

 

[Christina_DQ]

Yes in fact the commentary was what made me like the movie the 2nd time around!
I rented it on dvd when i first got a player just to listen to the commentary to see what they had to say & if Tom Savini really hated the movie as some people say(he didn't from what i could tell,lol).
It was hilarious,very entertaining & informative on how to get a indie film made. The way they filmed the shotgun scene & what happened after to the car with dummy still iside was one of the highlights & just wait til you here about who they hired to build Spinnel's apartment set,lol.
Suprisingly very upbeat & alot of fun to here considering the movies the complete opposite.
I'm definatly gonna have to give that another listen once i get the dvd. I think i'll just save some $$ & get the regular release,though also may get the tin if Best Buy still has it for $27. Either way should be a even better set than Elites.
[Edited last by Christina_DQ on August 26, 2001 at 11:55 AM]

 

[Charles Maesschalck]

does the new Anchor Bay version have the deleted scene and the footage shot as a promo for Maniac 2 from the old elite version??? maybe as an easter egg??? only post if you know for a fact (i.e. you have it in your hand and really know)
cheers

 

[Wes Ray]

I'm very interested in this limited edition tin DVD. I've always wanted to see Maniac, but never got around to it. I may just pick it up soon.
[Edited last by Wes Ray on August 26, 2001 at 03:42 PM]

 

[Hendrik]

Charles Maesschalck: ...erm... don't have the disc in my hand, in fact, don't have the disc at all, so do not really know ... but this reviewer does mention both items you're asking about, so ...
http://www.dvdmaniacs.net/Reviews/M-P/Maniac_1980AB.htm . . .
[Edited last by Hendrik on August 26, 2001 at 02:51 PM]

 

[Charles Maesschalck]

thanks for the info to the poster immediately above (Hendrik), nice one, i'll add the tin to my buy list.
[Edited last by Charles Maesschalck on August 26, 2001 at 03:26 PM]
[Edited last by Charles Maesschalck on August 26, 2001 at 03:27 PM]

 

[Greg_Y]

Wow! A real stunner. Watched this for the first time tonight. I don't think I've been this 'disturbed' since Salo, honestly, and that was about 4 years ago.
Very much in the same 'vein' as Henry. Not simple exploitation films, although both contain exploitative qualities, they encapsulate the obsession of the serial killer well. Joe Spinell puts in a great performance as the slovenly killer.
The scene in the subway actually had me partially covering my eyes. I never do that. Ever. I can sit through anything. This scene was superbly shot and edited to give one of the most intense scenes I've ever witnessed. I did feel that the payoff was telegraphed to the audience once Spoiler:the camera panned down to the sink (you know what was coming next), but I was cowering on the couch up to that part.
Not your usual fare, but definitely one of the greats of the horror genre. If you are a fan of films like Henry, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or even Last House on the Left, give Maniac a try.
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[Gerard Priori]

I would never consider MANIAC a thinking man's horror film. But that's not to say that I don't recommend it--I do. As other posters have said, MANIAC is "incredibly intense,unpleasant & unrelenting"--everything a great horror movie should be. The exploitation set pieces by Tom Savini are considerably more graphic than your average slasher film, and the wonderfully sleazy character created by Joe Spinell is more scary and repulsive than a dozen Jasons or Michaels. (And there's the great commentary track that others have rightly raved about that makes the disc a must have, too.)
The only disappointment I have with the DVD is that the clip from MANIAC 2 that was featured on the Elite LD (and I presume their DVD, which I've never seen) isn't on this new Anchor Bay edition (at least I couldn't find it if it's hidden), though it's mentioned and briefly glimpsed in the Joe Spinell documentary on the disc.
Conversely, a big plus of this disc over the Elite LD is that the restaurant scene has been restored, so the film is now as I remember seeing it in the '80s.
-Jerry
[Edited last by Gerard Priori on August 31, 2001 at 08:18 AM]