Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Lugo1989 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.

dworldeater Maniac is a gristly, nasty and misogynist horror film. For those such as myself that enjoy this stuff, Maniac is powerful and well done. The film is a collaborative creation between character actor Joe Spinell and director William Lustig. This is a rare opportunity for Joe to act as the lead and he kills it in this film. He totally brings it with a totally intense performance and presence as well as having many layers to this complex and creepy character. Spinell is a brooding loner with some serious issues with his mother, where over the course of the film he runs wild by killing and scalping women in the mean streets of The Rotten Apple. Set in 1980 NYC and taking cues from Taxi Driver, the film is very gritty and sleazy in style and ultra violent in its execution. Plus add gorgeous actress Caroline Monroe ( who had great chemistry with leading man Joe Spinell) and awesome Tom Savini gore and you have one hell of a horror movie. The film has great camera work and an awesome score to boot. This movie when it was released in 1980 was very controversial upon the time of its release and in my opinion is one of the most well made movies of this type. Maniac is a film that lives up to its name and as such is a very disturbing and brutal horror film, absolute classic.

sol- 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.

nick-sultana With the remake due for release soon here in Australia, I took the opportunity to see the original classic as I have had never seen it myself. Seeing the trailers and reading some really positive reviews on IMDb, I knew what I could be expecting for an 80's Slasher flick... and surprisingly it delivered more than I expected!Manaic tells the story of Frank Zito (a nod to director Joseph Zito, as he had worked with Tom Savini in his films) an overweight, lonesome, psychopathic but clam at times serial killer that stalks women in New York, scalping their hair for his collection of mannequins. I won't say too much to spoil it but the plot is actually good, suspenseful and full-on graphic.The acting is great, the music is chilling but its Tom Savini's Visual gore effects that's worth the watch, this is by far the best 80's gore I've seen since The Prowler (I've only seen recently for the first time) and Cannibal Holocaust. Savini's appearance in Maniac is a favorite of mine and his character's death is well-worth a golden moment in horror.Overall, its a dark, gritty slasher ride with brains and a great leading character. I am certainly now looking forward to see if the 'remake' will serve justice to this classic.