This low budget romp through the American nightmare is not really a slasher film, though it does see a maniac running around murdering people for no apparent, or perhaps that should be no rational, motive. This guy is eclectic if nothing else: he murders men as well as women, and he uses both weapons and his hands. "Maniac" is set in New York, and as crime buffs may know, a few years earlier a bloke name Berkowitz was running around doing essentially the same thing, though the Son of Sam was positively normal compared with this guy. So what is his problem?It appears to be something to do with his late mother, that and the fact that eventually he attacks the wrong damsel, who gives as good as she gets and then some. It is likely this film was intended as a quasi-serious exploration of madness, but with gore for the sake of it and absent a proper plot, it is nothing more nor less than yet more outpourings of a sick mind, most probably that of its New York born director William Lustig.

This is quite possibly the best film depicting a serial killer, the story is about a serial killer who goes out onto the streets of New York city each and every night looking for his next victim, first stalking them and when the time is right "making his move". The killer (played by Joe Spinell) is very disturbed and unlike most horror films of the times it goes into the background of why he is the way he is, showing the reasons why people turn into such monsters. The character has deep hatred for women and most of his victims are indeed women,(except in the scene where a couple are making out in a car and one of the most sickest and brilliantly done killings occurs) the story also follows him during the day when he is not killing anyone, this lets you see just how insane he is, by the way he is so normal around people and even gets a girlfriend, but when he is alone just how sick his mind gets.There is a lot of scenes that would make even the veteran horror fans stomach churn. Banned in the UK ever since it was made (way back in 1980), as it was the last film to star the great Joe Spinell (who died shortly after its release) and he was very proud of it.I will leave you with the words of the late Joe Spinell "I don't even think of Maniac as a Horror Movie, the horrible thing is that people like this really exist"Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

The original maniac is a definite underrated horror classic for me. Made on a shoe string budget in a time when violent slasher films were plentiful and frequent maniac manages to stand out with it's excessive gory moments and disturbing plot. The shotgun head exploding scene is brilliantly done, another tip of the cap to Tom Savini for that and Joe Spinell is perfectly cast as the aforementioned maniac of the title. This film is definitely better than the remake with Elijah Wood and you can see the influence of the Italian Giallo thrillers in it. Probably one of the most visceral and best horror films of the 80's and makes for quite uncomfortable viewing at times. Definitely one to watch for horror hounds like me.

The beginning of the 80s saw a glut of slasher films being released on the public. Many of these were, naturally, holiday-themed films playing off the success of HALLOWEEN. Then, there were the grimier slashers films, often bordering on exploitation, sometimes known as Splatter films for their rampant blood and gore. Make no mistake, this movie falls firmly into that category, but it is, in my opinion, the best of that bunch and stands out above a pack of forgettable movies.One of the first things that really stands out to me is the dirtiness of the film, on several levels. Taken literally, the movie was shot on 16 mm film, which lends itself well to a feeling of being someone's nasty little home movie. The background of a pre-cleaned up New York City plays into this as well. This is almost a perfect snapshot document of what the city felt like in 1980. The dirtiness, also, applies, of course, to the subject matter. These aren't the typically elaborate, fantasized killings of a Jason Voorhees movie, where the viewer is left with a certain naughty glee. These are brutal killings done to terrified women in real world situations. The result of all of this is a feeling that you are watching something you shouldn't be.This certainly translates into Joe Spinnell's character as well. Again making a connection to the more popular slasher films, we don't have an "anti-hero" here. This isn't some comic book slasher cracking one-liners while dispensing teens in fun ways. Much like HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, this is a true psychopath who feels like a fully fleshed character. You might see this guy pop up on an A&E documentary about violent crime. That, to me, adds to the gritty realism of this movie. Lustig pushes that further by making the villain the main character. Unlike a traditional slasher where we follow a "final girl" while she brings us through the story, this movie focuses squarely on Spinnell's maniac and brings us the world through his eyes.Of course, all of this would not have made this film such an underground legend were it not for the incredible effects of Tom Savini. At this time, TS was the undisputed master in horror efx and was making a killing (get it) pumping out effects for slasher movies. This might be his absolute best work, though. The shotgun scene and the final climax are phenomenal work that still hold up pretty well 35 years later. Even the "simple efx" like the scalpings are done well and look real. Again, this adds to the illusion of the movie for me. This isn't a Fulci or Romero movie with candy colored gore and over-the- top efx. All of it adds to this feeling of watching a snuff film.If you're a fan of stuff like LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT or the aforementioned HENRY, this movie is definitely up your alley.