If you have never heard anything about Maniac, you will most probably suggest it's just another one of the undetermined amount of slashers. I was in the same situation until I realized Maniac is quite unusual.
Serial killer stalks and kills women he has never met before. The motive is too complex and needs a wider explanation, but it is connected with the killer's past and to be more specific - his mother.
As a slasher fan, I allow myself to separate the sub-genre to more sub-genres. Slashers containing mystery. Slashers containing gore. And slashers containing the villain as the main character. The maniac is in fact a person called Frank Zito. His appearance doesn't give out his sick desires of raping and killing a female, being advised by a dummy, Frank sees as the best "person" to share with. If we look deep into the movie, we might claim that the dummy is a symbolism of Frank's lost heart. The life he never managed to find after his childhood has been erased by an evil woman, he had no choice, but to love and subordinate. That dummy turns out to be his best and only friend in a world full of contradictions. The dummy is a character. Some might say "it ain't that deep", but believe me - not all slashers are the same although it's nearly impossible to find the differences between them. In some means, Maniac recreates invisible shades of character study elements. The main character is not running away from the knife -he is holding it. If it wasn't for the gore, Maniac might have been a solid drama.
One name just needs to be mentioned - Tom Savini. There are no words, capable of describing his achievements in the art of make-up. Maniac is one of his very first movies and the gore is indeed very graphic and impressive for 1980. Death scenes in horror movies are rarely realistic, but when they are, Tom Savini's name is always involved. I doubt slashed throat has looked cooler before Maniac. You know how late 70s slasher give very few details on the death scene itself, cutting most of its on screen gore, showing mainly the consequences. Savini manages to show more, making the movie gorier. Of course, the level of realism goes down on the expense of a bloody tale with more guts and even revulsion if you "believe" the movie so to speak. To be honest, Maniac is not as gory, as it seems from its gruesome poster, but you will definitely notice the different approach towards the rather dramatic violence and the exaggerated brutality.
Maniac is one of the better horrors of 80s, making us believe slasher is unique and unpredictable in its own universe. I've never thought I'd be deep in thought while watching that specific sub-genre. Tom Savini's amazing make-up, cool death scenes and a colorful main character create a world of horror, you will definitely enjoy.
Serial killer stalks and kills women he has never met before. The motive is too complex and needs a wider explanation, but it is connected with the killer's past and to be more specific - his mother.
As a slasher fan, I allow myself to separate the sub-genre to more sub-genres. Slashers containing mystery. Slashers containing gore. And slashers containing the villain as the main character. The maniac is in fact a person called Frank Zito. His appearance doesn't give out his sick desires of raping and killing a female, being advised by a dummy, Frank sees as the best "person" to share with. If we look deep into the movie, we might claim that the dummy is a symbolism of Frank's lost heart. The life he never managed to find after his childhood has been erased by an evil woman, he had no choice, but to love and subordinate. That dummy turns out to be his best and only friend in a world full of contradictions. The dummy is a character. Some might say "it ain't that deep", but believe me - not all slashers are the same although it's nearly impossible to find the differences between them. In some means, Maniac recreates invisible shades of character study elements. The main character is not running away from the knife -he is holding it. If it wasn't for the gore, Maniac might have been a solid drama.
One name just needs to be mentioned - Tom Savini. There are no words, capable of describing his achievements in the art of make-up. Maniac is one of his very first movies and the gore is indeed very graphic and impressive for 1980. Death scenes in horror movies are rarely realistic, but when they are, Tom Savini's name is always involved. I doubt slashed throat has looked cooler before Maniac. You know how late 70s slasher give very few details on the death scene itself, cutting most of its on screen gore, showing mainly the consequences. Savini manages to show more, making the movie gorier. Of course, the level of realism goes down on the expense of a bloody tale with more guts and even revulsion if you "believe" the movie so to speak. To be honest, Maniac is not as gory, as it seems from its gruesome poster, but you will definitely notice the different approach towards the rather dramatic violence and the exaggerated brutality.
Maniac is one of the better horrors of 80s, making us believe slasher is unique and unpredictable in its own universe. I've never thought I'd be deep in thought while watching that specific sub-genre. Tom Savini's amazing make-up, cool death scenes and a colorful main character create a world of horror, you will definitely enjoy.