Wednesday, September 12, 2018

"I told you not to go out tonight."

The time has come, mortals.

The time for craft breweries to start pushing nasty pumpkin beers.

The time for children, well established in their school routines, to start thinking about what they want to be on that magical night at the end of October, a night they transform themselves into supernatural creatures and walk the streets in search of things to eat.

The time to throw open the doors to my attic, and allow the public to witness my top shelf collection of evil souls. That's right, The Devil's Attic opens Friday night.

I'd like to tell you about a film that inspired one of my favorite exhibits.

This week's Thursday Thriller is Maniac.


This 1980 slasher film was directed by William Lustig. It's about a painter named Frank (Joe Spinnell) who copes with his childhood trauma at the hands of an abusive mother by killing women, scalping them, and nailing their hair to mannequins in his apartment.

Caroline Munro co-stars as Anna, a glamour photographer who might just have what it takes to turn Frank around and help him trust women again. After all, she survives the first date.

What sets Maniac apart from other slasher films is it actually has nuance. Spinnell, an accomplished character actor with roles in The Godfather and Rocky, helped write the screenplay. Frank is a layered character with a full range of emotions. He's angry, he's sad, he's remorseful. He can be charming and self-effacingly funny when talking to Anna. He is gentle when talking to the mannequins and can fly into a rage when murdering.

He also blows Tom Savini's head off with a shotgun.

It's a gritty, gory kind of film.

Maniac streams on YouTube.

Mention Maniac at The Devil's Attic this weekend and get $2 off admission. 

No comments:

Post a Comment