Today Malevolent Dark takes a long hard look at William Lustig’s classic film Maniac (1980). Movie fans often get reckless with the terms “classic” and “cult-classic”. We think that Maniac clears the bar on many different levels. This film’s exhaustive list of bonafides are what propel it into the stratosphere of classic horror films.
Bonafides you say?
Directed by William Lustig
Let’t start with the director, William Lustig. William Lustig would go on to have a prolific career in the horror industry. He’s been everywhere from Dario Argento’s Tenebrae / Inferno (production manager) to directing the loved (if not overrated) Maniac Cop series. Lustig would later produce a competent remake of Maniac in 2012 starring the unlikely former hobbit, Elijah Wood. This remake will be the topic for another article. Furthermore, Lustig has taken bit roles in other genre classics like Army of Darkness.
Where to Watch
Joe Spinell, resident MANIAC
Moving on, consummate character actor and gangster heavy Joe Spinell stars as the Maniac, Frank Zito. This guy has a flare for hairdressing and murder and he stashes bloody mementos around his seedy New York apartment. What’s more? Spinell co-wrote and co-produced the the film. In his first lead role, he evokes all of the charisma, sympathy and straight-up insanity required to pull off his role. Anyone that fully embraces Maniac’s 88 minute runtime will forever struggle to imagine anyone but Spinell in the role.
The Beautiful Caroline Munro
Next up is Caroline Munro. Caroline is the archetype of a scream queen putting nearly 4 decades of horror on the silver screen. From The Abominable Dr. Phibes to multiple select Hammer Horror joints, Munro has walked the walk. Once again, she offers a portrait of a strong woman thrust into a dangerous situation. AND… I am totally not biased just because I’ve had a crush on her since Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (1974).
Splattermaster Tom Savini
But wait, there’s more… much, much more. The film not only benefits from the brilliant make-up effects of Tom Savini, it also gets a cameo performance by the man himself. In the process he pulls off one of the most epic exploding heads in all of horror. The best part is that it’s Tom’s own melon that get splattered all over the vinyl seats of a late 70’s sedan. After Dawn of the Dead (1978) Savini went out and refined his exploding head technique to the pinnacle of art.
Putting it all together, Maniac really does deserve to be called a classic. It checks all the bloody boxes.
But is it good?
Maniac is one of the early attempts to get in the mind of a serial killer. The entire film is told from the perspective of Frank Zito as he cruises the strip for prostitutes and vulnerable females. As he goes, he slowly reveals his horrific upbringing as the abused son of a prostitute. She would lock him in the closet as she turned tricks. This is where Spinell really blows the doors off of his performance. He simultaneously comes off as totally despicable while also garnering sympathy as he spirals out of control.
Frank’s modus operandi is to scalp his victims. He brings the scalps home and tacks them to the bodies of mannequins so that he can live out personal fantasies with these ‘companions’. Zito’s obsession stems from his psychotic need to relive and control his traumatic memories. These mannequins, dressed and decorated to resemble his victims, become substitutes for real human connection.
Yeah, it’s got a bit in common with the scalp peeling mayhem in Herschell Gordon Lewis’ in The Gruesome Twosome (1967), but the similarities don’t go much deeper than that.
Inside the mind of a killer
Maniac is a very early attempt to present an introspective view of serial killer’s spiraling mind. At the time, this was a substantial departure from the slashers that were dominating theaters. Interestingly, a year later, Romano Scavolini would release Nightmare deatil the mental unraveling of character George Tatum. In 1986, Joh McNaughton and Michael Rooker would take a turn with Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.
One of them more interesting aspects of Frank Zito’s story arc is his relationship with Munro’s character, Anna D’Antoni. This mountain of a murdering man that spends his free time thumbtacking prostitutes scalps to mannequins makes some serious moves with a beautiful woman that actually likes him. The subtle shift from maniac to master cocksman and subsequent descent into insanity demonstrates Spinell’s command of the character. It arguable that this unraveling happens a bit too quickly, squandering a very strong plotline.
Interestingly, Munro and Spinell would meet 2 years later in a film called The Last Horror Film (1982). Consider that added to the long yet distinguished list of writing projects that I may never get to.
Technicals
The film itself does a fantastic job pacing itself. Each episode is punctuated with a heaping helping of gore. Depending on perspective, and I’ll give you mine, the film does a good job not over embellishing the character development of the victims which for better or for worse makes the brutal violence slightly easier to stomach. The stark reality of the film coupled with extreme violence towards women is hard enough to handle without the emotional baggage.
Needless to say, the special effects are fantastic. Savini was on the cusp of becoming prolific in the 80’s and this film shows that he was exploding into a new epoch of greatness.
The cinematography and set selection are absolutely crucial to the sleazy atmosphere that the film exudes. In fact, it is so New York that you can almost smell the garbage in the air. Drawing a parallel to another slasher of the era, Abel Ferrara’s Driller Killer (1979), Maniac’s Robert Lindsay digs the crud and the cruft from every scene. I needed a shower after watching Frank Zito sweating through his shirt as he slings women’s scalps around his filthy NY apartment.
Finally, the sound design and score are disjointed at times, jarring at others and almost always dissonant. The audio experience is much like the rest of the movie… deeply unsettling.
Maniac – A True Classic
This was a nice revisit as it had been decades since I last saw this film. It has everything required to make it a classic 80’s horror film. In fact, this film punches far above its weight considering its slim budget and meager means. Go check it out. The films is easy enough to find on streaming and its worth a serious watch.
It’s a shame that we lost Joe Spinell so early in what can only be described as tragic circumstances. He really could have been something in this horror game.
Maniac (1980) - A Classic Film With The Street Cred To Prove It - Malevolentdark
Director: William Lustig
Date Created: 1970-01-01 00:33
3.5