Remaking a horror story has become a very popular outing these days. Every medium has a few brilliant horror remakes, but the lion’s share of examples don’t measure up to their source material. One bold approach to producing a successful remake involves deviating significantly from the original work in style and tone. Look atManiac, a film that borrows the most basic pitch of its namesake and not much else.
When people picture a slasher, they seeMicheal, Freddy, or Jason. Men in masks hack teenagers into bits for largely pointless reasons, with occasional breaks for jump scares and nudity. Both versions ofManiachave most of that stuff, but they also have a deeper exploration of the type of person who might do these things. Unlike Michael, Freddy, and Jason, Frank Zito is relatably human.
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What isManiacAbout?
Frank Zito is a seemingly normal man who spends his nights brutally murdering women. He lives a somewhat solitary life as the owner of his family’s mannequin restoration shop and struggles with overwhelming psychological distress. Zito’s mom was a sex worker who traumatized him with her actions. His only decent memory is brushing his mother’s hair before she started working. Zito suffersfrom regular hallucinations andviolent urges that he can’t contain. The film opens with his first date with a woman he met online. He seems kind, unassuming, and polite. Frank and his date hit it off, but he’s unable to control himself when she takes him home. He brutally murders his date, scalps her, and uses her hair to adorn one of his mannequins.
While Zito continues his unhinged killing spree, he encounters a charming photographer named Anna. Frank and Anna have an easy chemistry that leads to a lovely friendship. Frank’s first friend does a lot for his mental health, but still not enough to fix him. His desires grow further out of control and threaten to endanger the only person he’s ever liked. As Zito’s life crashes down around him andthe bodies pile up, Anna might be the only one who can stop him. It’s a haunting trip into Frank’s mind that seems to drag the audience by the throat to each new horrifying decision.
What isManiacBased On?
William Lustig’s 1980 filmManiacwas considered a gruesome exploitation film when it hit the big screen. Like the 2012 remake, it follows serial killer Frank Zito as he kills innocent women and befriends a photographer named Anna. Though the basic story of both films is similar, the presentation is very different. The 1980 original was a very low-budget film that frequently had to shoot guerilla style. Famously,practical effects legend Tom Saviniprovided some work for the project. He also portrayed the victim of a shotgun blast to the head in the film’s most memorable scene. Critics in the 80s were quick to dubManiaca corrupting agent that would ruin the nation’s youths, but modern viewers are only slightly more kind to it. Critics have placed it in a strange middle-ground between a mindless slasher likeFriday the 13thand a more thoughtful horror film like the widely celebratedHenry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. If nothing else, Joe Spinell’s performance as Frank was almost universally praised.
When it came time to remakeManiac, it would’ve been obvious to any filmmaker that no working actor could capture Spinell’s energy. As such,Elijah Wood was castas the new Frank Zito. He’s nothing like the 1980 iteration of the character. Where Spinell’s Zito was a schlubby blue-collar guy with an inescapable dark side, Wood’s was a stunted man-child still living through his early trauma. The most notable change between the films is the presentation. 2012’sManiacis shot almost entirely from Zito’s point of view. It’s a bracing choice that keeps the story personal. It also puts a lot of weight on Wood’s performance, delivering heart-stopping moments in the few shots that depict his face. Zito’s eyes also see a very different city, a neon-lit LA in contrast to a grimy New York City. In addition to its unique look, the soundtrack is immaculate. French musician Rob provided abeautiful synth-pop soundtrackthat stands among the best in the genre. The look, sound, and feel ofManiaccan’t be matched, even by its source material.
How DoesManiacEnd?
Spoilers for both versions ofManiacare ahead. Frank and Anna’s friendship doesn’t really go awry until Frank brutally murders Rita’s mentor. When he comes to Anna’s home to comfort her, he gives away details thatonly the killer couldknow. Frank and Anna fight. He knocks her out and loads her into his van to take her home. Anna stabs Frank in the stomach with a mannequin hand. She nearly escapes, but the stranger that picks her up panics when he sees Frank get up and crashes. Frank hobbles over to Anna and scalps her as she dies. Frank makes it into his shop and attaches Anna’s scalp to a mannequin in a bridal gown. His mannequins suddenly take on the appearances of his victims and attack Frank. He’s ripped apart as he screams. The ladies tear off his face, revealing another mannequin’s face underneath. Days later, cops knock down Frank’s door to discover his corpse. Frank bled to death from the stab wound Anna left him with, his final moments consumed with the mostvisceral and terrible hallucinationsof his life.
Maniacis a simple film that puts all of its innovation towards visuals, sound, and presentation. Director Franck Khalfoun hasn’t captured the creative flair of his 2012 film since.Fans of slasher filmswill loveManiac. Anyone who can handle some excessive gore owes it to themselves to seeManiac. Very few experiences can immerse the audience in something so unpleasant and make it feel so magical.
