Maniac: William Lustig

Gene Siskel once reported that William Lustig's Maniac! was one of the only three films in his entire career as a movie critic that he walked out on. Apparently, he felt that after thirty minutes, the film had been so gratuitously violent that it was beyond redemption. After all, after thirty minutes he had witnessed several murders including an extremely graphic scene where a man is shot point blank in the face with a shotgun. But I disagree. I think that Maniac!, as depraved and sick as it is, does in some way have a message. Frank Zito is a serial killer who scalps his victims and places his prizes on stolen mannequins in his apartment. But it isn't out of some terrible love of murder and violence. Instead, it is due to undiagnosed schizophrenia exacerbated by child abuse. In many scenes, the audience feels great compassion and sympathy for this forsaken man. That's where this film's true strength lies. It's not easy to make such a despicable character sympathetic. But Lustig gives it his best in this great piece of slasher schlock.

7/10