Skip to main content

Maniac (2012) - Franck Khalfoun

Maniac is a remake of the 80's cult classic. This one is brought to us from Alexandre Aja and Franck Khalfoun, the point of this remake is to make you feel like you are actually committing these crimes. An effect that works, really, really well. At times it's nauseating to watch. Elijah Wood does a masterful job of being extremely creepy. He does justice to the Frank Zito name. 

Frank Zito, is in mannequin restoration. He lives and works out of his family's shop in downtown Los Angeles. Zito has some extracurricular activities that include stalking young women, getting alone with them, then killing them. Ultimately, Frank would end up cutting the scalps off of these women and staples them to his personal collection of mannequins.

The movie delves deep into the mind of a psychotic. What would you expect from a movie that's exclusively shot from the killers perspective. The psychology behind the characters is all really well thought out. You get to see what makes a psycho killer like Frank Zito tick. It's a rare look into the brain of a killer. This movie explains a lot more of the Serial Killer mentality than Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

When I found out that Alexandre Aja was producing I knew that it would be a decent piece. Aja is responsible for movies like High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes, and P2. I knew that this remake was in good hands. Using Elijah Wood was a good choice too. He is on the cusp of indie cult actor so he fits really well.

I liked this movie about as much as you could like it. I don't think I will be viewing it again. However, I suggest this movie to people that want to see a little bit more. If you're tired of watching the same old, same old. Then this movie is for you. Just be warned... it's pretty graphic. 

"You are totally not what imagined."

  • The movie features the song "Good-bye Horses," by Q. Lazzarus. The song was also featured in The Silence of the Lambs, another movie about a serial killer who skinned people and had issues with his mother.  
  • We don't see Frank's face until 12 minutes into the film.
  • Body count: 9
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ju-On (2000) - Takashi Shimizu

Watching Japanese horror is similar to watching British comedy. If you enjoy dry whit then you probably enjoy the boys of Monty Python in drag. That's the joke, they're dressed like women. Get it? Well, that's British humor. But if you're like most Americans you probably prefer Adam Sandler farting his way across a football field and hooking up with chicks that are way out of his league. Americans usually prefer this more in your face, crass brand of humor. My point is funny in England is different from funny in the US. The same goes for J-Horror. What the Japanese consider scary is very different from what Americans consider scary and it shows in this horror film. Japanese horror is generally slow (a little too slow sometimes), suspenseful and creepy. Ju-On is a creepy effing film. The movie has almost no soundtrack. It is incredibly suspenseful and the pay-offs are pretty awesome, but I think that it was done better in the American version (cultural t...
Post a Comment
Not scared yet? »

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - Tim Burton

Tim Burton's take on the old Sleepy Hollow tale is really interesting. He adds his own flair of course. He delves very deeply into the original story by Washington Irving. The casting is usual for Burton. Johnny Depp of course in your lead. Helena Bonham Carter, thrown in for some flavor. The score is done by Danny Elfman. It's literally just the Ichabod Crane story run through the Tim Burton machine. But in a good way. Sleepy Hollow has a problem with a guy, running around, taking people's heads. Like, a lot of people. The town sends word for assistance and the nervous  Constable Ichabod Crane reports. He starts to unravel clues that take him down an incredibly strange path. With the Horseman still murdering patrons, Crane tries finding who's next before they lose their head.  I've always been a big fan of the Disney cartoon,  The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad . This movie is a far cry from Bing Crosby and quaint animations....
Post a Comment
Not scared yet? »

Le Manoir du Diable (1896) - George Melies

According to Wikipedia in August of 2011, Le Manoir du diable by Georges Melies is the first horror movie. Well, actually its a short film (about three minuets or so) but film was really hard to come by in that time so this counts as a film to me. The plot of the film is basic, you have your hero being tormented by demonic things in a crazy castle room... However, that plot isn't what brought the crowds. The thing that drove the popularity of these films was the fact that you were seeing motion on screen. I suggest going and seeing Hugo. That film is spectacular. It answered so many questions that I had. It really sets the scene and the tone. The film has strong christian overtones and actually ends with Christianity prevailing over the "tides of darkness". I provided a link at the bottom of this review for anyone that would like to see this pioneer in Horror Film. The movie uses very, very early "movie magic" that is an abundance of smoke and m...
Post a Comment
Not scared yet? »