Maniac
William Lustig
1980
85 mins approx
USA
Elite Directors cut DVD
Rejected on 23 dec 1998 by the B.B.F.C. With a recorded running time of 84m 16s
This is a brutal look at the life of a totally insane Serial killer who preys on women in New York City. He kills them in a variety of brutal ways, then scalps them. He takes the scalps home and puts them on the heads of mannequins he has in his apartment . Ok ! this guy is a fruit cake but why does he commit such terrible crimes? Because of the mistreatment he was subjected to as a child by his mother, and the things he witnessed her doing before her death in a car accident . He has a real problem with women and thinks that by keeping the scalps of his victims he is somehow keeping his mother from leaving him. Don't even try to understand his reasoning because there isn't any. The film goes from one brutal murder to the next and doesn't let up until the great ending. I wont spoil it but it's very gory indeed.
Gore
There's plenty of splatter on offer here but two of the best are:
The incredible shotgun blast at close range to Tom Savini's head.
The nasty scalping scene
The ending is probably the worst and worth waiting for
Extras
Audio Commentary with William Lustig, Tom Savini and others.
Remastered soundtrack Dolby Digital 5.1
Unrated and R Rated Theatrical Trailers
Italian, French and German Theatrical Trailers
Promo Footage from the never produced sequel "Maniac II": Mister Robbie"
Deleted "Date" Scene