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Maniac
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Maniac (1980) -- A schizoid, serial killer randomly stalks and kills various young women in New York which he sees as revenge for the mistreatment he got while being raised by his own abusive mother.

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Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   2,967 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
C.A. Rosenberg (writer)
Joe Spinell (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Maniac on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 November 1980 (West Germany) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Run from this man! more
Plot:
A schizoid serial killer randomly stalks and kills various young women in New York, which he sees as revenge for the mistreatment he got while being raised by his own abusive mother. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
User Comments:
Classic slice of early 80s gore. more (154 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Joe Spinell ... Frank Zito
Caroline Munro ... Anna D'Antoni
Abigail Clayton ... Rita (as Gail Lawrence)
Kelly Piper ... Nurse
Rita Montone ... Hooker
Tom Savini ... Disco boy
Hyla Marrow ... Disco girl

James Brewster ... Beach boy
Linda Lee Walter ... Beach girl
Tracie Evans ... Street hooker
Sharon Mitchell ... Nurse #2
Carol Henry ... Deadbeat
Nelia Bacmeister ... Carmen Zito
Louis Jawitz ... Art director
Denise Spagnuolo ... Denise
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Additional Details

Runtime:
87 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Australia:(Banned) (original rating) | Australia:R (uncut) (2004) | Australia:R (cut) (1982-2004) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | West Germany:18 (cut) | Sweden:15 | Italy:VM14 (video rating) | France:-18 | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Italy:VM18 | New Zealand:R18 | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | Finland:(Banned) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (Original rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1989) | France:-16 | Norway:18 | UK:(Banned) (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:(Banned)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In order to keep costs down, several porn actresses, such as Gail Lawrence, were hired to play the victims and other minor female roles. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The nurse is supposedly alone in the subway station, but during one shot (from inside the subway train as it pulls away) we can see several people walking about on the platform. more
Quotes:
Frank Zito: This has got to stop. It's silly, and it's not getting us anywhere. You think they don't know. They do. I heard it and I know. They all know, and I don't like it anymore. But you don't listen do you. It's got to stop. Oh, you're right about them, all of them... more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Beauty (1981) more
Soundtrack:
Non Gettarmi la sabbia negli occhi more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
Classic slice of early 80s gore., 6 July 2006
7/10
Author: BA_Harrison from Hampshire, England

Co-written by, and starring Joe Spinell, 'Maniac' is a grim, bloody and horrific journey into the world of a psychotic murderer. Spinell gives a bravura performance as Frank, a deeply disturbed individual haunted by childhood memories of his mistreatment at the hands of his mother.

As a result of his lousy upbringing, Frank is now a first-class loony tune; he slaughters women (although the occasional man gets in his way and ends up dead too) and removes their scalps, taking them home to place upon the mannequins that he keeps in his apartment.

When Frank has his picture taken in a park by photographer Anna (played by the gorgeous Caroline Munro), he tracks her down and almost manages to pass for normal for a while, wining and dining the sexy snapper and being quite charming. But it's not long before the real Frank emerges, and has a go at adding Anna to his long line of victims.

The direction by William Lustig, whilst not exceptional, does the job it was supposed to do; the film never drags and there are one or two edge-of-your-seat moments and a couple of nifty scares.

'Maniac's gory death sequences, by legendary horror make-up legend Tom Savini, are real showstoppers, and include ultra-realistic scalpings, amazing exploding heads and vicious bloody stabbings. The majority of Savini's work on the film is stunning, with only the final decapitation being less than perfect.

'Maniac' is a great example of low-budget 80s splatter and will appeal to all those who enjoy their horror down and dirty with buckets of gore.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Maniac (1980)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Polly wanna... interrogatemc
What horror film is this? Please help. cadeis-1
Frank Zito's Bizarre Quote gary_dory_dory
Hyla Marrow rojo-impulsivo
Violence and Gore dominik_275
Any Movies Similliar to this?? xxmikeymashxx
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