Maniac (1980) Anchor Bay Version

Maniac (1980)

(Anchor Bay Version)

DVD year of release: August 21, 2001
Approximate running time: 102 minutes
Aspect ratio: Widescreen 1.85:1 (Anamorphic)
Rating: NR
Sound: ENGLISH: DTS ES 6.1
ENGLISH: DD-EX Surround
FRENCH: Dolby Digital Surround
ITALIAN: Dolby Digital Surround
DVD Release: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Region Coding: NTSC Region 0

Retail Price: $24.98

Reviewed by:
Vince Bonavoglia on August 10, 2001

Quick links: [video] [audio] [extras] [overall]

The Film

The worldwide success of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1979), proved that it was possible for an independent filmmaker to circumvent the MPAA ratings system and still make a substantial amount of money. The decision to release a feature not bearing an MPAA ratings certificate is, to this very day, the kiss of death for a smalltime studio for a number of reasons -- not the least of which being that many distributors will not traffic unrated product and the vast majority of theater owners refuse to screen them. Romero successfully bucked the system, paving the way for films such as Charles Kaufman's Mother's Day (1980) and William Lustig's Maniac (1980).

Shot on 16 mm for a grand total of $350,000, Maniac is the tale of Frank Zito (played by character actor par excellence Joe Spinell), mentally and physically abused as a child by his prostitute mother, now living alone in a dirty, run-down New York City apartment strewn with artifacts reflecting the bedraggled nature of his mental landscape -- broken toys and dolls, bizarre pieces of art, and mannequins decorated with the clothes and bloody scalps of his victims! Frank seeks to reclaim that which was taken from him -- his childhood and his mother (who met her untimely end in a car accident) -- by surrounding himself with objects symbolizing that which he has lost. Zito possesses the mentality of a collector -- the overpowering need to document and preserve for all eternity that which matters to him -- and kills not to destroy, but to perpetuate the essence of his lost parent, like a fly encased in amber, by projecting her nature onto those he brutally slaughters. He eventually crosses paths with fashion photographer Anna D'Antoni (Caroline Munro, in her third career appearance with Spinell, sandwiched between Luigi Cozzi's Star Crash (1979) and David Winters' simalarly-themed The Last Horror Film (1981) -- Ms. Munro, as detailed in the disc's audio commentary, took the part after Daria Nicolodi, longtime partner of horrormeister Dario Argento and actress originally slated to play Anna, was delayed in Italy and unable to make the shooting schedule), whose profession meshes perfectly with his mindset, and the two quickly become friends. The two make an impromptu stop to place a wreath on the grave of Frank's mother, during which he reverts to form and savagely attacks the beautiful photographer, who escapes into the darkness of the mist-shrouded cemetery. The incident shreds the fragile shield encasing his dementia, drawing Frank back to his mother's grave, his disturbed psyche spilling over into reality (culminating in a scene reminiscent of the gravesite sequence in Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976), recalled by Spinell in an interview with Tom Rainone in Psychotronic Video #2 as being especially traumatic for the actor -- Joe had an asthma attack while filming the scene and threw up on the actress playing his mother!). In perfect accordance with the killer's unbridled dementia, the film culminates in a horrific sequence in Frank's apartment that blurs the boundaries between fantasy and reality...

Showcasing spectacular special effects by fan-favorite Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead (1979) and Day of the Dead (1985)), Maniac -- written, produced by, and starring Joe Spinell -- was one of the character actor's few leading roles, after garnering acclaim (and a huge fan following) from his small parts in The Godfather I and II, Rocky I and II, and Taxi Driver. Born Joseph J. Spagnuolo in New York City, the instantly recognizable actor appeared in over 60 films and TV shows, but is best known for his masterful portrayal of schizophrenic serial killer, Frank Zito. Having penned most of Zito's dialogue himself, Joe turned in a tour de force performance for the lead role of Maniac, channeling four distinct characters -- the tormented killer, his repentant conscience, the child within the beast, and the demented man's mother -- during the film's relatively short running time. The wonderfully gifted actor died under mysterious circumstances (some sources claim he died as a result of a heart attack, others say that the hemophiliac actor suffered a bad fall while taking a shower) on January 12, 1989, at the age of 52 while filming Maniac's proposed sequel, Maniac II: Mr. Robbie (portions of which are included on the disc), which further developed the Zito mythos by casting the savage killer as the host of a children's show by day (in full clown regalia!) and self-appointed defender of abused children by night.

Media Unleashed didn't instate a number scale when this review was originally posted -- therefore, as editor of DVD Maniacs, I decided to add the scale with my opinion on the video should rate; however the critiques below are Vince's.

Video	4.5/5

The film is given a new anamorphic widescreen (1.85.1) transfer. The previous Elite DVD had a good transfer, but this new version is even better. Most of the grain that plagued the Elite release is gone. As a whole, the film looks wonderful -- crisp, clear, and startlingly colorful -- infinitely better than the murky print I witnessed during its original run.

Audio	4.5/5

Five soundtracks are included on this DVD - A DTS track, an English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX, An English 6.1 DTS-ES, an English Dolby Surround 2.0, a French Dolby Surround 2.0, and an Italian Dolby Surround 2.0. In this review I will focus on the DTS-ES track. This new track sounds excellent, it really surprised me, as I thought the Elite disc couldn't be topped, well I was wrong. This new mix further enhances Jay Chattaway's remarkable Goblinesque score, reinventing the shattering experience that is Maniac.

Extras	4.5/5

The disc has a lot of extras, but unfortunately the Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie footage from the old Elite release is missing, however some of it is presented in the featurette. The deleted date scene that was included as an extra on the old release has been re-inserted back into the film sans commentary. There is also an Easter egg in the extras menu. Highlight the big X and you can hear William Friedkin's opinion of the film.

The Joe Spinell Story

A brand new 51 minute documentary -- Without a doubt this is one of the best featurettes I have ever seen. Clips from Joe's film are presented with interviews with a lot of Joe's old friends and family. Robert Forester, Richard Lynch, Caroline Munro, Bill Lustig, and the late Jason Miller are just a few of the people interviewed. After you see this you really feel like you know Spinell. A lot of information is here and as well as many funny stories, like the time Joe took Bill Lustig to see a porno film staring his wife; excellent footage of dumb protestors painting over Maniac billboards; and some great footage of Joe with Steven Spielberg!

Commentary

This is the same audio commentary with director Lustig, Tom Savini, Lorenzo Marinelli and Luke Walter that appeared on the old Elite disc. an utterly fantastic commentary by Lustig, Savini, Marinelli, and Walter, relating a huge amount of information on the making of the picture (not the least of which are the film's surprising connections to Dario Argento's Inferno, made the same year).

Trailers, TV Spots, and Radio Spots

You get five theatrical trailers from all around the world. There is an uncut trailer from American, an R-rated trailer from America plus an Italian, French and German trailer. Each trailer is about the same and all of them look nice. It is interesting to see how each country does their trailers. You also get nine different television spots, which is terrific. Also included are some radio spots on the release.

Radio Interview

This appears to be an interview from around the time of the theatrical release with Joe Spinell, Bill Lustig, and Caroline Munro. Even though its 17 minutes, it feels much shorter. Mostly the talk consists of the controversy surrounding the film.

Poster/Still Gallery

A huge amount of newspaper ads, posters, and stills from the original theatrical release.

Gallery of Outrage

Various quotes from many critics, including Gene Siskel blasting Maniac as a sick twisted film. My favorites are from a bunch of theater owners refusing to take the film.

Talent Bios

Your basic bios on Caroline Munro and Joe Spinell

Overall	4.5/5

Created in a time when New York City's legendary 42nd street was a seedy, sometimes dangerous haven for film buffs (a far cry from the sanitized, tourist-friendly place it has become), William Lustig's Maniac, perfectly preserved by Anchor Bay's outstanding DVD, beautifully captures a bygone era in exploitation film history that can never be duplicated.

Film Rating

DVD Rating

Director:

William Lustig

Film:

Writers:

C.A. Rosenberg & Joe Spinell

Video:

Released:

1980

Audio:

Cast:

Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro

Extras:

Overall:

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