Maniac (1980)

Director:

William Lustig

Writers:

C.A. Rosenberg (screenplay) and
Joe Spinell (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 November 1980 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Run from this man!

Plot:

A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, loose in NYC, kills young women and takes their scalps as trophies. Will he find the perfect woman in photographer Anna, and end his killing spree?

Plot Keywords:

Photographer | Mannequin | Park | New York City | Based On Ed Gein

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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	...	Second Nurse
Carol Henry	...	Deadbeat
Nelia Bacmeister	...	Carmen Zito
Louis Jawitz	...	Art Director
Denise Spagnuolo	...	Denise
Billy Spagnuolo	...	Billy
Frank Pesce	...	T.V. Reporter (voice)
Candace Clements	...	First Park Mother
Diane Spagnuolo	...	Second Park Mother
Kim Hudson	...	Lobby Hooker
Terry Gagnon	...	Woman in Alley
Joan Baldwin	...	First Model
Jeni Paz	...	Second Model
Janelle Winston	...	Waitress
Randy Jurgensen	...	First Cop
Jimmy Aurichio	...	Second Cop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrew W. Garroni	...	Jerry (uncredited)
William Lustig	...	Al - Hotel Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
William Lustig

Writing credits
C.A. Rosenberg		(screenplay) and
Joe Spinell		(screenplay)
Joe Spinell		(story)

Produced by
Andrew W. Garroni	....	producer (as Andrew Garroni)
Judd Hamilton	....	executive producer
William Lustig	....	producer
John Packard	....	associate producer
Joe Spinell	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jay Chattaway

Cinematography by
Robert Lindsay		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Larry Marinelli		(as Lorenzo Marinelli)

Makeup Department
Candace Clements	....	makeup artist
Tom Savini	....	special makeup and effects
Rob Bottin	....	makeup effects (uncredited)

Production Management
Andrew W. Garroni	....	unit production manager (as Andrew Garroni)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Adams III	....	second assistant director
Stephen Andrew	....	first assistant director
Nelia Bacmeister	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Richard Behrens	....	carpenter
Thomas Costabile	....	carpenter (as Tom Costabile)
Gary Martin	....	property master
Marla Schweppe	....	scenic artist
Nick Ward	....	property master

Sound Department
Rick Dior	....	re-recording mixer: Trans Audio
Clinton C. Elliot	....	assistant sound editor (as Clint Elliott)
Sanford Rackow	....	sound effects (as Sandy Rackow)
Gary Rich	....	sound mixer
George Schowerer	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Erno Sephy	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Canatta	....	assistant camera (as James Cannata)
Robert K. Feldmann	....	key grip (as Robert Feldman)
Bob Halloran	....	best boy
Steven Hirsch	....	still photographer (as Steve Hirsch)
Kevin Jones	....	gaffer
Robert Lindsay	....	camera operator
Luke Walter	....	second assistant camera
Bobbi Leigh Zito	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Candace Clements	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
James Proser	....	assistant editor
Irving Rathner	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Ron Bacchiocchi	....	music engineer
Pete Levin	....	electronic music realizations (as Peter Levin)

Transportation Department
Ted Moskowitz	....	transportation

Other crew
Arthur Blum	....	production assistant
Jim Harte	....	production assistant
Janie Heath	....	production assistant
Randy Jurgensen	....	production liaison
Deborah Ledendecker	....	script supervisor
Laura Little	....	production office coordinator
Jason Lustig	....	production assistant
Edward Perchaluk	....	unit publicist
Janine Stover	....	script supervisor
Jerry Sykes	....	production assistant
Cecilia Verardi	....	production office coordinator (as Cindie Verardi)
Luke Walter	....	assistant: Mr. Spinell
Debi Zimmerman	....	production coordinator (as Debra Zimmerman)

Production Companies

• Magnum Motion Pictures Inc.

Distributors

• Analysis Film Releasing Corporation (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• René Chateau Productions (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• Citadel Films (1981) (Canada) (theatrical) (cut version)
• Media Home Entertainment (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Boulevard Diffusion (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• CMV Laservision (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Another World Entertainment (2007) (Denmark) (DVD) (Special 2 Disc Edition)
• Blue Underground (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Grindhouse Releasing (2010) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Blue Underground (2010) (USA) (DVD) (30th Anniversary Special Edition)
• Blue Underground (2010) (USA) (DVD) (30th Anniversay Special Edition) (Blu-Ray)
• Cor Koppies Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Elite Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Video for Pleasure (VFP) (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinopticals  titles and opticals
• Don Elliott's Recording Studio  music recording
• East End Productions  post-production services
• F & B Ceco  equipment (as F&B Ceco)
• Qonexions  location buses
• Sound Mixers Studio  additional music recording (as Soundmixers)
• TVC Laboratories  color and chemtone processing
• Trans Audio  sound transfers

Also Known As:

"Маньяк" - Russia
"Elmebeteg" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Maníaco" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"Maníaco" - Argentina
"Maniac" - France
"Maniac" - Italy
"Maniac - nukkemurhaaja" - Finland (festival title)
"Maniak" - Poland
"Maniakos dolofonos" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Nukkemurhaaja" - Finland (video title)
"O Maníaco" - Brazil
"O maniakos" - Greece (DVD title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

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) | Portugal:M/18 | 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)

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Magnum Motion Pictures Inc.

Trivia:

Joe Spinell was working in between the filming of Maniac (1980) with other movie projects, one of them being Nighthawks (1981) which began filming before production on Maniac ended, in which Spinell cut his hair short and shaved off his mustache to play a clean-cut, high-ranking New York police official for Nighthawks. In a few scenes (most of them being where Frank Zito is driving his car), Spinell is wearing a fake mustache with a long-haired wig under his cap.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the prostitute is describing her services to Frank, she says "For 75, I'll take you around the world." But her mouth don't match what she's saying.

Quotes:

Frank Zito:[voice-over] 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...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fear, Panic & Censorship (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Goin' to a Showdown

Classic slice of early 80s gore.

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.