Not part of a collection.
Maniac
I warned you not to go out tonight!
A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, kills and mutilates young women and local models on the streets of New York City.
- Original title
- Maniac
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $350,000
- Revenue
- $10,000,000
Wuchak
Nov 14, 2025 · via TMDB
**_Joe Spinell as a fudged-up murderer in New York City_** “Psycho” started a subgenre of films about mentally messed up people who go on killing sprees. For instance, the ’70s brought us movies like “Haunts,” “The Toolbox Murders,” “The Driller Killer” and “Don’t Go in the House.” “Maniac” comes in the tradition of these flicks while adding bits from the Dirty Harry franchise, “Dawn of the Dead” and “The Warriors.” It’s gritty in its depiction of the sometimes repugnant underbelly of the city, but IMHO focuses too much on the killer stalking his victims, particularly, the nurse in the subway and, later, the model in her apartment. These sequences are tedious, and I found my mind wandering. The 2012 remake with Elijah Wood in Spinell’s role transplants the events to Los Angeles and is way more creative with interesting psychological elaboration. It's also more hypnotic and you find yourself developing sympathy for the nutjob, unlike here. Notables on the feminine front include Rita Montone (hooker), Caroline Munro (Anna) and Gail Lawrence (Rita) It runs 1 hour, 27 minutes; and was shot in The Big Apple in the last three months of 1979 along with the first couple of weeks of January, 1980. GRADE: C
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Joe Spinell
Frank Zito
Caroline Munro
Anna D'Antoni
Abigail Clayton
Rita
Kelly Piper
Nurse
Sharon Mitchell
Second Nurse
Rita Montone
Hooker
Tom Savini
Disco Boy
James Brewster
Beach Boy
Frank Pesce
T.V. Reporter (voice)
Taso N. Stavrakis
Porn-o guy (uncredited)
William Lustig
Al - Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Christine Forrest
Assistant Grip
Tom Savini
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Rob Bottin
Makeup Effects
Tom Savini
Stunt Coordinator
William Lustig
Director
Joe Spinell
Executive Producer
Judd Hamilton
Executive Producer
William Lustig
Producer
Joe Spinell
Screenplay
Joe Spinell
Story
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Jan 30, 1981
New York City
Mar 6, 1981
Los Angeles; edited version released in some states
Jun 12, 2010
BAMcinemaFest, anniversary screening
Oct 29, 2010
Anniversary re-release
