Maniac (1981)

Joe Spinell plays the great part of Frank Zito. In this movie we witness his blatant delusions and hallucinations and inner conflict with severe mental illness. He had a very traumatizing childhood and now enacts his revenge against any random person it seems. He prawls the gritty steets of 1970's New York and finds his victim for the night and his rush is getting the kill. Quite a timeless movie and concept, done exceptionally well by Lustig and Spinell.

Maniac does not have much of a plot or even dialogue. The short summary on this site pretty much describes the entire film. What works really well in Maniac is the suspense that does not let go throughout the entire film. The psychotic villain is amazing as well. He is brilliantly portrayed by Joe Spinell. All the effects when it comes to killings and gore still look very good today which is quite an achievement for 1980 and thus Maniac never looks that dated. A few things in the script seem completely unbeliavable especially the relationship between Frank (the maniac) and Caroline Munro's character Anna. Nevertheless Maniac is still an enjoyable classic that will appeal to fans of old-school horror.

This is quite possibly the best film depicting a serial killer, the story is about a serial killer who goes out onto the streets of New York city each and every night looking for his next victim, first stalking them and when the time is right "making his move". The killer (played by Joe Spinell) is very disturbed and unlike most horror films of the times it goes into the background of why he is the way he is, showing the reasons why people turn into such monsters. The character has deep hatred for women and most of his victims are indeed women,(except in the scene where a couple are making out in a car and one of the most sickest and brilliantly done killings occurs) the story also follows him during the day when he is not killing anyone, this lets you see just how insane he is, by the way he is so normal around people and even gets a girlfriend, but when he is alone just how sick his mind gets.There is a lot of scenes that would make even the veteran horror fans stomach churn. Banned in the UK ever since it was made (way back in 1980), as it was the last film to star the great Joe Spinell (who died shortly after its release) and he was very proud of it.I will leave you with the words of the late Joe Spinell "I don't even think of Maniac as a Horror Movie, the horrible thing is that people like this really exist"Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Maintaining a stable relationship with a glamorous photographer proves difficult for a recluse who murders and scalps women on the side in this iconic horror film. While 'Maniac' might sound like a black comedy from the outset, everything is handled in a dark, dramatic manner so that we always feel for the killer's tormented soul, his yearning for stability and inability to control his urges. His psychology leaves a bit to be desired (the film is hazy regarding the mother issues driving him to kill) but Joe Spinell is solid in the lead role and there are several great graphic moments - like a head blown off through a windshield - that resonate due to Tom Savini's expert makeup effects. The film does not offer a whole lot in the way of suspense since we know that each of Spinell's victims WILL meet a grisly demise, but as a pure thriller, it is totally engaging. Jay Chattaway's score is utterly atmospheric and the film is held together by a constant sense of doom and paranoia even when the storyline sometimes seems like a mere excuse for one brutal murder after another. The relationship between Spinell and the photographer (played by Caroline Munro) is intriguing too. There seems to be a bit of a Travis Bickle/Betsy element to it; amazement comes from how well Spinell can be pretend to be normal, with us as viewers just waiting for Munro to catch on. The film might have been better received in its day had more focus been given to this angle over the grisly slayings, but the film still does well with a preservation agenda as Spinell waxes poetic about the power of a photograph to keep one forever.