Maniac (1981) Review
THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Sometimes there can be a psycho roaming near our homes. On the other hand, there can be a Maniac.
PLOT
The 1981 film follows Frank Zito who grew up abused by his prostitute mother. As an adult when not collecting as a landlord, he has a secret lifestyle killing women and scalping their heads that he collects for his mannequins. After dreaming of killing a couple on the beach, he drives from Manhattan to Times Square where he continues his killing spree by targeting a prostitute. Returning home does he bring her scalp for another mannequin and tells himself of beauty being a crime punishable by death. When going out again, he targets a couple, shooting down a man with a shotgun and scalping his girlfriend to continue his collection. After killing another girl with a bayonet in a subway station does he seemingly get close to a photographer named Ana who took his picture. When they officially meet, he shows her a picture of his mom who died in a car crash years prior. Ana invites for a photo shoot session where he would meet a model named Rita (Abigail Clayton) that he’d steal her necklace from before killing her outside her apartment with a switchblade. When Frank takes Ana on a date the next day, he takes her to his mom’s grave, resulting in his grief becoming a motive to kill her too but this time, she defends herself and hits his arm with a shovel to escape from him. The blood loss causes him to hallucinate where he not believes to see his decomposed mother appearing from the grave, but also all his mannequins coming alive to kill him. Bh the next morning, two police officers beak into his apartment and find him in a bloody mess as a result of stabbing him sled during his hallucinations. The film however ends with Frank’s eyes revealed to be wide open, implying he survived.
THOUGHTS
This is one of those B Movies that truly make the slashers the star of the movie and it felt like the most creative thing to do at the time to shakeup the horror genre as the whole. This wasn’t the first time we got a slasher anyway since that’s been a thing going back to the 60s, but this is hands down the most unsafe atmosphere of a viewing experience, which appropriately feels just right to be an ideal giallo film as well. It’s the kind that makes you question reality as the violence ensues. You know you’re making the right impact if Tom Savini’s makeup is gonna bring all the shock you’re familiar with from other classics. Director William Lustig and writer CA Rosenberg are able to an unforgettable flick because it reflects how there are consequences to isolate yourself from the world after growing up unresolving past trauma. If you continue to live thinking what happened was all your fault, then healing will be impossible for you at that point. Co-writer Joe Spinelli gives a bold lead performance as Frank Zito. Having done gangster type roles for The Godfather and Rocky, Frank is a big 180 from what he’s done before and is outstanding in making the lead antagonist so lonely that his mommy issues make him more delusional than Norman Bates since he doesn’t even seem to hide his collection every time he comes home. Seeing all the scars on his body that are likely a mix of self harm and what his mom did to him, he’s instantly identified as a guy so deep into that descent of madness that it’s unlikely he’ll ever find repent. And due to the violence he depicts, some would assume the whole movie to be misogynistic. I don’t really see it that way and I’m sure Lustig never did either since this guy had a semi-comeuppance as it comes to an end and at least one woman doesn’t die so mercilessly. Caroline Munro is the final girl you root for as Ana in the bare minimum amount of hope considering how consistent he was at that point and it’s a big relief that she survives his wrath after one chance that felt like one in a million. You want to have this assumption he’ll recover from his trauma considering that he actually got through normal conversations with her and actually had dinner with her. By the time he took her to the cemetery however, that implied he was playing the long haul to cover his tracks. Personally, I don’t think Frank would survive too long if we never saw him tend to his wounds after that hallucination he went through. And if the police reached his apartment likely after getting a call that he was shooting at the walls, then he’s gonna have to find a new place to continue assembling his connection. It’s even a miracle they didn’t smell the scalps either because it ain’t like he was hiding any of them. Again, I don’t think he makes it that long because he doesn’t seem to take care of himself the way other psychopaths would. In short, Maniac delivers in living up to its name with something meant to be un-contained and nothing more. If you dig that out of slasher flicks, then this is up your alley.
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