Review of Maniac (1980) by Mike M — 02 Jul 2013

A tough view for even hardened film fans, Maniac is everything you may have heard in regard to its gore content. To be fair, however, it is not gore-for-gore's-sake, and is not gratuitous beyond the various scenes in which it is employed - it is, after all, a tale of serial killer essentially told from his point of view.

Effects whiz Tom Savini does a great job here, including playing a small role in the film (before having his own head blown off by the deranged Zito, played masterfully by the late Joe Spinell). A gritty, low-budget sleaze classic that does not disappoint.

Features Caroline Munro as a photog, who (in one of the more head-scratching elements of the film) somehow gets involved with Zito - despite the killer up-to-that-point seemingly unable to function in day-to-day life.

Oh, well. I guess That's amore.