Member Takuma Posted March 24, 2013 Member Share Posted March 24, 2013 "This isn’t only one of the best horror remakes ever produced but a masterpiece of technical wizardry and a deserving horror classic in its own right." - http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/maniac-2012 I've been dying to see this since the first reviews arrived last year. And the praise is coming from genre fans who usually throw up at the sight of a remake and consider the original Maniac a classic of the genre. Supposed to be extremely brutal (enough to have censorship problems and not win mainstream popularity), but equally brilliant. Shot (almost) entirely from the killer's point of view, with star Elijah Wood's face only visible via mirrors and other reflections. The film is a French production, with Alexandre Aja as one of the main producers with the original film's director William Lustig. I still have to wait for a few months before the local opening. trailer: OHPXeWpION8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member wongfeihung62 Posted March 24, 2013 Member Share Posted March 24, 2013 This is another film that I really want to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted March 24, 2013 Author Member Share Posted March 24, 2013 It’s going to be interesting to compare this to the much praised Evil Dead remake. Somehow I have a feeling Evil Dead is going to end up the Fast Five of splatter horror remakes, while Maniac is gonna be the Drive. (well, I hope Evil Dead is better than Fast Five... but you get the idea (of a fun crowd pleaser vs. masterful mood film which will not please everyone but could be the true masterpiece for its narrow target group)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted March 24, 2013 Member Share Posted March 24, 2013 I just saw The ABCS Of Death, I'll just say this, original/remake or whatever you call it, Horror genre is stronger than ever and making buttloads at the Box Office!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member irongut Posted March 25, 2013 Member Share Posted March 25, 2013 Joe Spinell was menacing in the original but Elijah was darn right creepy and had the boyish charm & the looks to pull the ladies in to his world! Checkout this rather graphic french trailer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member jiujitsu77 Posted March 25, 2013 Member Share Posted March 25, 2013 hollywood friend saw the new evil dead a few weeks ago. said it is gonna dissapoint hardcore fans, but it delivers the goods on scares and gore. No Ash and No Chainsaw, yet she tells me it mixes all three movies? sorry....some spoilers i guess the good news is that there is going to be an official Evil Dead 4.....a sequel to army of darkness, with raimi and campbell doin' the dirty. it is in production as we speak. thank god. also. I am hard pressed to even think Elijah could EVER be as menacing as Spinell.....no matter how "boyishly evil" he may come off. no. he didn't do it for me in Greeen Street, and I'm sure this will dissapoint me as well. That is not to say it may not hve it's moments, and I am sure it will do well at the selected theaters, but i still stick with Lustig/Spinell.....Joe Spinell put his heart in to that film. he said it was "his Rocky", after Sylvester Stallone snuffed him. Everyone I have ever interviewed that has worked with Spinell said he was a good man......crazy....but a good man. I just hope this new one does nothing to tarnish the old one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Joe Spinell put his heart in to that film. he said it was "his Rocky", after Sylvester Stallone snuffed him. I'm sure you mean snubbed. How did Stallone do that BTW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted March 26, 2013 Author Member Share Posted March 26, 2013 also. I am hard pressed to even think Elijah could EVER be as menacing as Spinell.....no matter how "boyishly evil" he may come off. That shouldn't be a huge issue because you can hardly ever see him in the film. As far as I know, the whole film is short from his perspective, which means his face is only visible via reflections and such. I just hope this new one does nothing to tarnish the old one Probably it won't. I know more than one person who considers the original film one of their all time favorite slashers, and stated they like the remake even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member irongut Posted March 26, 2013 Member Share Posted March 26, 2013 Yes, the new adaptation of MANIAC is shot in the point of view style of Elijah's character. It's not a shot for shot remake and the feel of the original and this one is different. I loved Lustig's version for the gritty & terrifying tone throughout in a rough & tumble times of NYC and Spinell is downright horrifying. The POV shooting with Elijah has a different rhythm in that it was harder to jolt or shock the audience so the director chose other ways to surprise us. I also dug the homage to the 80s electronic soundtrack to this. I still hold Lustig's version to the highest regard but at the same time I still enjoyed the adaptation. Sue me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted May 11, 2013 Member Share Posted May 11, 2013 I saw about 6 mins of the film so far, it looks damn good.. I will try to finish it later without getting sidetracked or falling asleep like a baby on warm milk... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Keung Posted May 11, 2013 Member Share Posted May 11, 2013 A friend of mine has watched it three times in seven days - says it's amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 11, 2013 Member Share Posted May 11, 2013 It's a terrible film that's definitely style over substance. Granted, it's dark and unsettling but there's nothing to it. Then again, I hated the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted May 11, 2013 Member Share Posted May 11, 2013 A friend of mine has watched it three times in seven days - says it's amazing. High praise i like it, don't know when I will finish it though usually films I have on my computer I don't jump on it fast like I do with the physical copies whether dvd/vhs/bluray. It's a terrible film that's definitely style over substance. Granted, it's dark and unsettling but there's nothing to it. Then again, I hated the original. Is the original and remake shot for shot?? I hate when movies do that so I'll just stick to the original.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 11, 2013 Member Share Posted May 11, 2013 Is the original and remake shot for shot?? I hate when movies do that so I'll just stick to the original.. Not shot for shot, no, but it's not far off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted May 16, 2013 Member Share Posted May 16, 2013 Okay so here's the thing with this film: I applaud the technique and I admire what the filmmakers are trying to do here but it's just not my type of horror film.. Why not go deeper and explore the killer? What was his motive for killing these girls, the fact that he had migraine headaches?? A trouble past? What was his trouble past that he came from a broken home or that his mom is a whore??? That makes him a killer? There are a lot of killers and maniacs that come from nice homes with no trouble past that become monsters when they grow up, where are those films at? Do the filmmakers want the audience to sympathize with the Maniac since the film was shot as a first person pov perspective? Or was it just a cool way to shoot the film with some cool music? I wanted more out of this film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted August 2, 2013 Author Member Share Posted August 2, 2013 ok, now I have seen both films and love them both. The original is a fantastic film. It's a got terrific, dirty New York feel and atmosphere. Very much a grindhouse film with some unforgettable gore effects (Savini in the car!), great cinematography and music + a terrific performance by Joe Spinell. The film draws you into his world – not to sympathize with it, but to witness it. Clearly, for some viewers this is too much and they would prefer a moralizing story or a thriller structure with cops chasing him at every turn. But for me, this is real horror cinema! Though the film suffers from two flaws - Caroline Munro's poor performance, and seriously cutting corners in the romance part - it is a frightening film that draws a very dark vision. Complaints about the film lacking content could be expected, just like some people will claim Drive has nothing but kills and Ryan Gosling staring silently. Just because the film doesn't constantly throw stuff at your face, doesn't mean it doesn't have any content - or room for content. It is not always important, nor clear, whether any "invisible content" really was written into a film. It is more important that a film builds good frames and then allows the viewer some room to think on his own. But make no mistake - this doesn't equal to lazy filmmaking. The effect will never realize unless you first build characters and a world that draws you in. This is where Spinell's acting and Lustig's moody capturing of dirty and dangerous New York comes becomes vital. Of course, the above is by no means a dominating part in Maniac, but it has bits and pieces if it, and does it rather successfully. Plus the film really benefits from its grindhouse feel and look - it gives it certain "street credibility" that you don't find in more polished productions. It's no wonder Nicolas Winding Refn adores Maniac and calls it a fusion of American splatter and European arthouse that has never been matched. ********************** The remake is excellent as well – only a notch behind the terrific original. It retains many of the same strengths – excellent use of big city locations, and a horrifying dive into the mind and world of a mentally disturbed killer - but achieves them in different ways. Spinell’s performance was obviously hard to match, so wisely they opted for a different path. The POV cinematography, which only reveals the killer’s face a few times via mirrors and such, not only forces the viewer into the killer’s world with no chance to escape, but also effectively makes comparisons to Spinell needless. Hiring Elijah Wood was a rather successful move, as he makes a different kind of killer. Some will complain Frodo cannot possibly be scary, but that’s a matter of opinion. I think many of the real world killers are exactly like Wood: shy young men who kill women and children because they wouldn’t stand a chance against a grown up man. Technically the film is terrific: cinematography and soundtrack are excellent, special effects also, and acting from both Wood and female lead Nora Arnezeder is great. The film improves on the original in the romance part, which is now much better developed. At the same time, it doesn’t over-scrip itself but allows viewer some freedom of thought and psychological challenge – and will provoke accusations of emptiness thanks to this. Except for a couple of needlessly recycled scenes, the film really stands on its own. The POV does not work flawlessly, though – in some scenes the camera imitates the killer’s view successfully, while in others the illusion breaks due to too slick camerawork. In any case, this is the strongest horror movie in a while, and psychologically far heavier stuff than your typical splatter roller coasters. ********************** Less amusing about the remake is that the fucking idiot Japanese distributor played me a censored version. They wanted to attract Lord of the Rings and teen girl audiences, and sell it as a bizarre love story, so they optically censored some of the killings to obtain R15+ rating. That is madness – Maniac doesn’t (shouldn’t) become a 15-rated film no matter how much you censor the kills because its horror is in the overall vision, not in any specific scene. - http://curse.jp/misc/20130605051525.html New Zealand did not approve the film either. Film fest screenings aside, the film has been banned from public distribution. - http://www.movie-censorship.com/news_en.php?ID=5815 US BD is $13 at Amazon. Pre-ordered! - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPUB57Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member derwood Posted August 2, 2013 Member Share Posted August 2, 2013 I've also seen both & thoroughly enjoyed them I've had friends that turned off this remake within 20 mins as "Elijah Wood is too believable as this psychopathic killer" I must agree To me this film is art, like Drive. Its not telling you what to think of it, you should get from it what you can from your own life experience. Now that may be saying more about me than the film, but thats ones own opinion...and I know Im a little disturbed anyway. There is a darkness to the mind not many people embrace, and for those that do, not many can accept. My family has a history of mental illness & whether that helped me enjoy this film or not I am not to say, but Im sure it helped me understand it. Martial arts has been a great way to ground myself & I thank my dad every day for finding it himself & endearing it to me so as Im capable of understanding myself. Without it Im sure I would be as socially acceptable as Frank Zito, even with meds. Enough about me. The first person perspective ads a whole new experience to the viewer willing to emark on this journey of childhood neglect turned lovelorn experimentalist. I think if you're trying to find meaning in a film this is the wrong one for you. Its the journey of a disturbed mind, not meant for a general public to ponder and validate. Does anyone really want to know why that prick kidnapped & held those girls in his basement all those years? Only the most perverted, twisted of minds could really crave that information. Im sure we all question it, but could we accept the truth behind it, as simple or complex as it may be? Im getting too 'deep' here This is a movie you will love or hate, like Drive Watch it Enjoy it Hate it The fact is, shit happens and Im full of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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