Maniac

From The Deuce

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Also Known As

• Meeting with Frank

Taglines

• Run from this man!
• I warned you not to go out tonight
• You can lock your windows and doors...But you can't lock the madman out of your mind.
• It will tear the life out of you.

Main Details

• Released in 1980
• Color
• Runtime: 88 min
• Aspect Ratio: (1.85:1)
• Rated: Unrated
• Production Co: Magnum Motion Pictures Inc.
• Distribution Co: Analysis Film Releasing Corporation (1980) (USA) (theatrical), Citadel Films (1981) (Canada) (theatrical) (cut version), Hollywood Boulevard Diffusion (1982) (France) (theatrical)

Cast and Crew

• Directed by William Lustig
• Written by C.A. Rosenberg, Joe Spinell
• Starring: Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Abigail Clayton (as Gail Lawrence), Kelly Piper, Rita Montone, Tom Savini, Hyla Marrow, James Brewster, Linda Lee Walter, Tracie Evans, Sharon Mitchell, Carol Henry, Nelia Bacmeister, Louis Jawitz, Denise Spagnuolo, Billy Spagnuolo, Frank Pesce, Candace Clements, Diane Spagnuolo, Kim Hudson, Terry Gagnon, Joan Baldwin, Jeni Paz, Janelle Winston, Randy Jurgensen, Jimmy Aurichio, Andrew W. Garroni (uncredited), William Lustig (uncredited)
• Produced by Andrew W. Garroni, Judd Hamilton, William Lustig, John Packard, Joe Spinell
• Original Music by Jay Chattaway
• Cinematography by Robert Lindsay
• Film Editing by Lorenzo Marinelli

Comments

Co-written by star Joe Spinell (Rocky, Taxi Driver), Maniac is an early 80's Grindhouse classic with loads of over the top gore by legendary special effect artist Tom Savini. Joe Spinell plays the psycho, Frank Zito great. No matter how many times I see Maniac, Joe Spinell's character always makes me feel very uneasy. While watching the film I cant help but feel that the movie was inspired somewhat by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho because the main character has mother issues. The best part of the movie is where you see Tom Savini getting blown away by Frank Zito with a shotgun and you can see why he is the king of special effects in the business. You can see that William Lustig was going for that gritty look of the street which I think he did very well.

Me - 09/20/07

This page is dedicated to the memory of Joe Spinell (1939-1989)

Followed By

• Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie (1989)