Plot: What’s it about?
Frank Zito (Joe Spinell) has a void in his life, but no matter how hard he tries, he is unable to fill it back in. He lives alone in a rundown apartment in New York, surrounded by dolls and mannequins of all kinds. At night, he walks the streets and watches people, sometimes even follows them and when he feels like it, he lashes out in furious violence. He might frequent a prostitute, have her model for him, and strangle her to death, only to follow that with an even more gruesome display. With a razor sharp knife, he trims her hairline and then tears off her scalp, which he plans to use for one of his mannequins. But even with a horde of mannequins around him and a high number of victims, Frank continues to seek out more, leaving behind a trail of blood, guts, and shattered lives. But when a young woman named Anna (Caroline Munro) snaps a photo of him in the park, he follows her, but has no plans to kill her, at least not in the near future. Could Anna be the woman he needs to fill the vacant place in his life, or will she simply become the next victim?
This film was first released on DVD by Elite Entertainment, who provided a solid package, but now Anchor Bay has issued the definitive Maniac. This review covers the normal release of Maniac, but a limited edition tin has also been released, which includes a cool cd soundtrack, in addition to the goodies found here. I will discuss the technical specs later on, but I want to take a second to praise Anchor Bay, as this is an excellent package, all films should be so lucky, to be sure. Maniac might look like just another slasher, but it is more than that, as it is a dark, disturbing picture. So don’t rent this if you want to see Freddy or Jason style horror, as this more brutal and realistic than that, kind of like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, to an extent. The director is William Lustig, who did a lot of research with star Joe Spinell, in order to create a realistic maniac, one that was sick and depraved, but had a human side also. Add in some awesome effects work from goremaster Tom Savini, and Maniac stacks up very well and is by no means a simple exploitation flick, although that is what people usually label it as. I highly recommend this movie to horror buffs and with an incredible disc like this, there’s no reason not to add Maniac to your collection. I do this a lot, but I want to commend Anchor Bay again for this deluxe release, as few studios put this much effort into their high profile titles, let alone a low budget horror picture like Maniac.
At the helm of Maniac is William Lustig, who went on to direct some other cult flicks, with Maniac as his third turn behind the camera. He hasn’t directed a film since 1997, but Lustig now works as one of the head dudes at Anchor Bay, which has to be great for him, as he is known to be a lover of cinema, especially grindhouse favorites. This taste for low budget horror makes it no surprise he would be involved with Maniac, as it belongs in that subgenre also, although it is more literate and well made than most of the others. You can also see Lustig in front of the camera in Maniac, as the motel manager, which is a cool cameo role, I think. Other films directed by Lustig include Uncle Sam, Maniac Cop, Relentless, The Expert, Vigilante, and Maniac Cop 2. The cast of Maniac includes Joe Spinell (The Godfather, Rocky), Caroline Munro (The Spy Who Loved Me, Dr. Phibes Rises Again), and special effects wizard Tom Savini (From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, Knightriders).
Video: How does it look?
Maniac is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a brand new remastered, THX approved visual presentation and as you’d expect, it is by far the best this movie has ever looked on home video. I was stunned by how clean the print here is, with minimal debris and marks, as well as lessened grain. Some grain is still evident, but nothing too serious and with a film like Maniac, I imagine some grain was intentional. The colors look brighter than before, but still have a muted hue, as intended by the filmmakers. No complaints on the contrast side either, as black levels look more refined than ever before, which means more detail is seen, but never to the point of overexposure. In the end, the extra effort put into this transfer shows, as this is a massive improvement over prior editions and fans should be thrilled, without a doubt.
Audio: How does it sound?
I never imagined I would own Maniac with dual 6.1 surround sound tracks in Dolby Digital & DTS formats, but here it is, nonetheless. Who else but Anchor Bay would issue this kind of audio treatment for Maniac? I mean come on, most of the big budget blockbusters don’t even have audio options this advanced, which is all the more reason to praise Anchor Bay, who continue to impress the fans to no end. I chose to use the DTS for the sake of this review, but I sampled the Dolby Digital also and I assure you, both sound terrific and whichever you choose, you’ll pleased with the results. The surrounds are used often and build a real eerie atmosphere, but it never sounds gimmicky, so fans can breathe easily on that issue. You might not think this is the kind of movie that could use the extra audio power, but the mixes included here prove that is and since the experience is so rich, I am giving this release the full five marks, terrific work indeed. This disc also includes 2.0 surround options in English, Italian, and French, as well as Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I was very excited to see most of the extras ported over from the Elite release, as well as some cool new extras, giving us the best of both worlds. The date scene included on Elite’s disc as a supplement has been spliced back into the flick here, so when you don’t see it on the menu, relax, as it is still here. I chose to start off the extras with the audio commentary track, which features director William Lustig, effects man Tom Savini, editor Lorenzo Marinelli, and Joe Spinell’s assistant Luke Walter, who provide an excellent overall session. All four men have a lot to discuss on this track, from the usual production information to humorous stories to memories of Spinell, all of which combine to make this an informative, but never dull session, one of my favorites, to be sure. The other main bonus here is The Joe Spinell Story, which is a documentary on Spinell, of course and runs about fifty minutes in length. This is a well made and insightful piece, a very welcome inclusion, considering Spinell’s massive involvement in Maniac, on both sides of the camera. An informative radio interview with Lustig, Spinell, and costar Caroline Munro is also found here, which runs just twenty minutes and is loaded with insight. This disc also includes nine television spots, a selection of still photos & promotional materials, talent files, a collection of the film’s more humorous reviews, four radio spots, and seven of the film’s theatrical trailers, including some from overseas markets.
