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Maniac (1980) – Episode 164 – Decades of Horror 1980s

“You wanna meet me someplace?” “Where?” “The back seat.” (flutters eyebrows) All things considered, it might have been a good idea to meet someplace else. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, Crystal Cleveland, and Jeff Mohr –  as they dare to step into the world of Maniac (1980).

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 164 – Maniac (1980)

A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, loose in New York City, kills young women and takes their scalps as his trophies. Will he find the perfect woman in a photographer, and end his killing spree?

IMDb

Your Decades of Horror 1980s Grue-Crew takes a walk on the seedy side of New York with William Lustig’s Maniac, they’re second Lustig-directed, Maniac-titled film in a row. This one is co-writer and lead actor Joe Spinell’s baby, but it wouldn’t be near the film it is without Caroline Munro and the special effects magic of Tom Savini. Crystal liked Maniac but thought the story was a little thin. Ever the special effects maven, this one is all about Tom Savini’s work for Chad. Jeff digs into the controversy, fueled by Gene Siskel’s theater walkout, surrounding Maniac’s release. For Bill, Caroline Munro is always a star attraction, but he also appreciates Spinell’s performance, Lustig’s direction, and of course, Savini’s work.

 Maniac is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime and Shudder, both as a stand-alone and with the Joe Bob Briggs treatment (which includes a visit from Tom Savini). It’s also available on Blu-ray Blue Underground. So what are you waiting for? Add Maniac to your October horror film watchlist!

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode will be dedicated to Motel Hell (1980), another Decades of Horror 1980s double tap.

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans:  leave them a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

Jeff Mohr
Jeff lives smack dab in the middle of the cornfields of Iowa and is a long-time horror fan. His first remembered encounters with the genre were The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan gorilla chases, and watching the first broadcast of The Twilight Zone episode, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." While he now qualifies as an old fart, he strives to be an Old Boy. Paraphrasing Robert Bloch, he has the heart of a small boy. He keeps it in a jar on his desk. Jeff has written for Horrornews.net and SQ Horror Magazine. He currently writes for Gruesome Magazine and is a co-host of the Decades of Horror podcasts - The Classic Era, 1970s, and 1980s - and the Gruesome Magazine Podcast.