Maniac BluRay review

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION


At under 90min, Maniac clocks a concise thrill, never meandering, building up nicely and not wasting time. Joe Spinnell nails it as the titular Maniac, whose motivation we are left to decypher. There are a few hints, like his mommy complex, a childhood trauma, and his military past (jacket, bayonet, etc.) the latter I thought would indicate a PTSD type movie but for a 1980 movie, Vietnam was a long way gone. What's interesting about Maniac is that from very early on we know who the Maniac is, but we hardly know who the victims are. Wheras, in the Giallo of Italian fashion, it is usually the other way around. In fact, Manaic would have been quite an amazing Giallo were it not for the revealing of the slasher. A lot of the stylistic devices of the Giallo are there, and let's be honest: it's brutal and vicious, but despite all the blood and FX, the shock effect is dated and it is a rather tame affair in the end. Just a wee bit of nudity thrown in for good measure, some of Lustig"s Italian compatriots would have made this a raunchier affair to be sure. Until recently the movie was still banned in Germany, company to a lot of movies made in this era that seemed to make it not clear enough that the violence is bad, and of course in this movie the violence is stimulating the perpetrator, so even worse for the censors.

The BluRay

  • VIDEO: Presented in (1:85:1) Widescreen 1080p Hi-Definition. - The newly restored transfer brings a whole new level of clarity and depth to this movie. A stellar example of the work Blue Underground is best known for with their genre classics on home video.
  • AUDIO: 7.1 DTS-HD (English / DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 SURROUND EX / DOLBY 2.0 (French, Italian, German)
  • SUBTITLES: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai

Extras Audio Commmentary #1 with Co-Producer/Director William Lustig and Co-Producer Andrew W. Garroni - For those who want to hear all about the history and experience of making MANIAC, this excellent commentary explains everything about where it all came from. A very entertaining and heartwarming story about two friends taking a leap into the world of moviemaking, whilst remembering the many adventures they had working with their good friend Joe Spinell & Co.

Audio Commmentary #2 -with William Lustig & Special FX Artist Tom Savini, Editor Lorenzo Marinelli and Joe Spinell's assistant Luke Walter. - More humorous and revealing insight on what it was like working on MANIAC from the production standpoint. A real family affair that gave everyone involved a chance to do their best as artists.

ANNA and THE KILLER: An Interview with Caroline Munro - A brief interview with star Caroline Munro who explains how she got the role in the film, her history in the entertainment business and views on the film's controversy and legacy.

THE DEATH DEALER: Interview with Special FX Artist Tom Savini - The Master of Movie Gore discusses how he came up with ideas to bring the most gruesome and shocking FX to the cult horror classic.

DARK NOTES: Interview with composer Jay Chattaway - The musician who made the brilliantly haunting score for the film talks about his prestigious career and how he came to be involved in the production.

MANIAC MEN: An interview with songwriters Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky - Did you know there was a connection between the hit pop song "Maniac" by Michael Sembello and this movie? Well Director Bill Lustig pays a visit to pals Sembello & Matkosky to get the laugh filled lowdown on the song that was featured in the 1983 film Flashdance and how it was strangely influenced by the horrific genre gem.

Extras on the DVD THE JOE SPINELL STORY - A 49 minute documentary on the life and career of the late great character actor Joe Spinell. Featuring interviews with close friends and family including: Bill Lustig (Maniac) actors Jason Miller (The Exorcist, The Ninth Configuration), Frank Pesce, Luke Walter, Robert Forster (Hollywood Harry) and many others. Watch for a special bit of footage from when Joe and his pal Frank visited Steven Spielberg during the days of JAWS.

MANIAC PUBLICITY - Paul Wunder Radio Interview with Bill Lustig, Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro | Bill Lustig on Movie Madness: A black & white cable access TV show interview with the director of MANIAC. | Joe Spinell at Cannes: a short 1 minute interview with the actor | Joe Spinell on the Joe Franklin Show: Joe appears on the famous local New York City talk show. | Caroline Munro TV Interview: a 1980 local TV appearance talking about her upcoming role in MANIAC | Barf Bag Review Policy: Katie Kelly explains her ratings system for "bad movies" | Grindhouse Film Festival Q & A: Bill Lustig and friends have a special screening at The New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles | Still Gallery

MANIAC CONTROVERSY - Upon MANIAC's release it caused much outrage among rights groups and critics. This extra feature has several retro news reports and reactions from the public.

THEATRICAL TRAILERS - TV SPOTS - RADIO SPOTS - MR. ROBBIE: MANIAC 2 PROMO REEL

THE FINAL WORD: Blue Underground's 30th Anniversary release of MANIAC is a completely satisfying and superbly produced home video package. From the new hi-def restoration which brings a new vitality to the footage, to the great commentaries to the Joe Spinell Tributes, longtime fans will surely love this BluRay presentation. It's a must own for the hardcore horror fan's home video collection.


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Sebastian, co-founder and admin of the Grindhouse Cinema Database (GCDb). He also started The Spaghetti Western Database (SWDb), The Quentin Tarantino Archives, The Robert Rodriguez Archives, Nischenkino and Furious Cinema. Outside of movies, he works on the intersection of technology and policy. He lives in Berlin, Germany.

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