Maniac

MANIACreleased at a time when slasher films were very popular 1980-1981yes an extremely Graphic & Disturbing Horror film about a serial killer that Murders innocent womenco-written by Actor Joe spinell who also plays the lead role in this film as serial killer Frank zitowho is Haunted by the traumas of his childhood abuseand when the Horrific memories begin to happen inside his mind he goes on a killing spree in New york cityexceptionally Great performance by Joe spinell who was also Executive producer on the filmin some scenes where he acts out Disturbing Psychological problems of his CharacterActress Caroline munro plays Joe's Girlfriend in the film, Great acting by Caroline munro toalso brilliantly Directed by William Lustigthe films storyline is hugely inspired by serial killers from the 70's & 60's that have been sexual abusedor Physically abused as a childthe killing/Murder scenes are very Graphic some are hard to watch for surei do love Horror films i'm a big fan of the Halloween films & Freddy krueger's Nightmare on elm stbut for this particular Horror film Tom savini's special Blood & Gore effects were that realistici had to fast forward some scenes that were to just to Graphicespecially the Graphic Head scalping scene which is one of the Highlights of the filmthe women actress's that are seemed to be murdered in the film are mainly porn actress'esthat had be starring in Adult films during 1975-1980well the Distributor of this film BLUE UNDERGROUNDhave now released this on Blu-ray advertised as 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITIONwith a new High Definition transfer in 1:85:1 widescreen & a new 7.1 Master audio mix aswell as a 5.1 surround sound mixi tell you what the picture quality looks very sharp & clear for sureand the new 7.1 master mix, what a boost in the sound qualitymuch better than the 2 Disc set from years agoi'm also happy to say that all the special features from the 2 Disc DVD set have been carried over to this blu-ray toANNA AND THE KILLER Retrospective interview with Caroline munroTHE DEATH DEALER, retrospective interview with Tom saviniDARK NOTES interview with Jay chattaway who did the music scoreMANIAC publicity featuretteMANIAC controversy featurettethe 2 Audio commentary tracks from the dvd release have been included on this blu-rayone of the commentaries is by William lustig, Tom savini and Luke walter who was Joe spinell's assistant in his Lifeplus the Theatrical trailers, TV spots, Radio spotsall on 1 blu-ray Disc, incredible.the JOE SPINELL STORY the 50mins Documentary on Joe spinell's life is also included in this blu-ray casebut on a 2nd DVD Discan excellent 50mins for some fans of Joe spinell or this MANIAC filminterviews with Caroline munro, William Lustig, Tom savini, Luke walter, Joe spinell's mothersome of Joe's work colleague's from other films that Joe had a Acting roleJoe's film Maniac is talked about in Great detail alot of Great personal stories are sharedan emotional Doco to especially when his Death is talked aboutfor some reason this 50min Doco was not added to the blu-ray Disc which i think there was more than enough roomfor another 50mins of Data on 1 Blu-ray Discso even thou this blu-ray does no advertise as being 2 Disc set, there's a 2nd Disc included in the blu-ray caseJoe spinell tragically Died in January 1989, read wikipedia about his Deathi loved his Acting roles, Joe was a Great performance/Character Actor & a Great film writerbut very unfortunate never got the respect & recognition he Deserved as an Actorhe had some Great acting roles before Maniac,Joe had a small part as Rocky's best friend in ROCKY II which he had alot of screen time to show his talentJoe was also in the Godfather II & Sylvester stallone's Nighthawks where he plays the Police lieutenanti guess not all Great performances Actors will get the respect they Deserve in the Acting businessi guess some very Good Actors do fall through the cracks.tragically Joe was one of themif you have the old 2 Disc DVD set,Blue underground re-issued the film on blu-ray again in 2012 but with out the Joe spinell Documentaryand Different cover art toso time to upgrade & get the 30th Anniversary blu-ray version which has very Good clear sharp picture qualityplus the Audio mix has been boosted to a big 7.1 master mixplus all the special features have been carried over to5 stars i gave this blu-ray release

I pre-ordered Maniac 30th Anniversary Edition Blu Rayto Retire the Original Anchor Bay 1st Print DVDI had no Clue of The PQ and any if any New ExtrasThe HD Transfer debateI have only watched half the Flick.I never expected A Super HQ Transfer like Wizard of Oz or Iron Man to name a few,I think for a Super Low Budget B-Movie Filmed in 16mm it looks better then the DVDPlus the 7.1 DTS Audio is Killer and sound very Good.IMO Blue Underground did there best with a Transfer they should be commended for the great job on the AudioDie Hard Horror Fans will love it if they have The Original Anchor Bay VersionThere are a Few Recent Films that had no Business given the HD Transfer (Talking to Both Clerks & Blair Witch Project)The Price isn't Bad at all for a 2-Disc Set I payed double for the Limited Edition TIN 10yrs Ago!The Extra Content:This BR has allot of Great ExtrasAll the Great Extras from the 2001 Anchor Bay DVDAlong with a New Audio Commentary, New Interviews, Plus More!!!!The Film Itself:If you are A Horror Fan and Never seen Maniac where have you beenThere are people out there mentally ill from various forms of abuse!That makes this much more Scary!The main character is Human. Not some super-human killing machineIt could easily be called a sequel to Psycho set in NYThe Gore is Crazy/Over the Top (All the F/X are Practical this is One of those Films That Showcase how GoodOld School Practical Effects are and make any Film look/Seem much Real!CGI on a film like this would make it a Comedy!Tom Savini's Effects are Gold!He is at his Peek F/X wiseSavini also has a Cameo his Death Scene is Simply Stunning and you will go back to it a few times Cause it looks so Realist and GoodOver All if you wanna Upgrade the DVD to a HD Movie That's Your CallAll the Extras makes this BR one of BLUE UNDERGROUND's Best Must Own to add to any Collection this YearHD Transfer 8.8/10Extras 10/10The BR Collection Overall 9.2/10

This is a film that whether purposely done or not, and I'm going with the former, wasn't meant to be viewed as entertainment. This is about a raw inside look into the psychosis of a serial killer. It isn't pretty, funny, or interesting. It's simply murder for the sake of murder.My first experience w this film over 20 yrs ago shook me to the point of I ejected it from my VCR an put it up for sale on Ebay the day I got it.Now, with this beautifully packaged 88 Films bluray, we can see and hear all the darkness much more clearly.Lots of this was shot on the street I grew up on in Hells Kitchen NY, 51st between 8th and 9th Aves, which seeing the street as it was in 1980 is an extra added treat.I won't get into the non plot or anything, but if you're considering getting this 88 Films Slasher, don't hesitate because it's well worth the price.