The Bloody Iris

Don't Torture A Duckling (1972)

2011-10-29T23:28:00.000-07:00

Directed by Lucio Fulci

Country: Italy

Also known as: Non si sevizia un paperino

A Guest Review by Rob Talbot

Contains Spoilers!

'Maestro of Mayhem' Lucio Fulci's third and best foray into giallo territory begins and ends with a lush panoramic shot of the southern Italian countryside. In the opening, this is quickly juxtaposed with the appearance of a winding modern freeway, followed by the sight of some desperate hands clawing up the remains of what can only be the time-ravaged skeleton of a newborn baby. As the film unfolds, we witness the brutal murders of three young boys in and around the fictional rural village of Accendura, and the inevitable panic and mob rule that grips its citizens. The finger is first pointed at a peeping-tom village idiot, but when the murders continue unabated suspicion falls upon other 'outsiders'; chiefly local 'witch' Maciara and spoilt city gal Patrizia, hiding out at her uncle's ultra-mod pad on the outskirts and appearing to possess an inappropriate interest in pre- pubescent boys. The fear, ignorance and superstition of the villagers runs riot until the killer is revealed to be someone they would never have even dreamed of suspecting.

With a title that literally translates as 'Don't Torture Donald Duck' ('Paperino' being the Italian name for everyone's favourite aquatic curmudgeon), Fulci's film can almost be seen as the antithesis of the generic giallo, a genre in full swing by now, a good year and a half since the release of THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE. The usual urban, jet-setting milieu is eschewed in favour of the rural, and the murder victims are small boys as opposed to the usual assembly of mind-bendingly sexy Eurosirens. In fact, the only sexualised female figure in the film is Patrizia (CASINO ROYALE's Miss Moneypenny and giallo mainstay Barbara Bouchet), who as a character is problematized from her very first appearance, seen as she is teasing a minor (who will soon become the third murder victim) with her naked body, in a scene calculated precisely to have audiences squirming uncomfortably in their seats. Bouchet's character spends most of the movie as one of the prime suspects, always seeming to be in the right place at the wrong time (thanks mainly to some clever editing).

It's down to a moustachioed Tomás Milián (who had previously worked with Fulci on 1969's BEATRICE CENCI) to provide a character we can actually identify with, and this he does admirably, although under-used, in the role of Martelli, a worldly-wise hotshot reporter from Rome who initially is just there for the scoop, but becomes increasingly drawn in emotionally as the grim narrative progresses. Another returning Fulci collaborator is Florinda Bolkan, a far cry from her more elegantly attired characters in INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION (1970) and LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN (1971) as the ragged, cave-dwelling, intellectually stunted 'witch' Maciara, who becomes the focal point of the villagers' quest for vengeance.

Our sympathy for this character is also played with; it transpires that she isn't responsible for strangling the three boys, but, after catching the selfsame lads disturbing the shallow grave of her dead baby son (who even she believes to have been a 'child of the devil'), she is seen to wish death upon them, poking needles into voodoo dolls in a supposed black magic ritual taught to her by her magus father. She herself believes she is guilty of the murders until she hears the actual circumstances of their deaths. That she is released the very morning following her arrest does nothing to dissuade the villagers of her guilt, and, in a melodramatic but shockingly violent and extremely effective scene, is beaten within an inch of her life, before agonisingly dragging herself up to the freeway to die. 'We can build motorways,' laments the police chief in the subtitled version, 'but we can't overcome ignorance and superstition.' Needless to say, Maciara has well and truly secured our sympathies by this point, not to mention Martelli's, but even when the murders begin anew the villagers show no sign of remorse.

However, what we never get to see is the reaction of the villagers to the revelation that the crimes have in fact been perpetrated by someone at the very core of their community; soccer playing priest Don Alberto (played the late Marc Porel). In early appearances, the youthful Don Alberto resembles nothing so much as a saint, flanked in one telling shot by his young 'disciples' like a figure from a religious painting. His concern for the immortal souls of the villagers extending even to controlling the kinds of periodicals they able to obtain from the local newsstand. Fulci and screenwriter Roberto Gianviti's attack on the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church greatly angered agents of what was then and still is now a powerful force in Italy, with the consequence of the film receiving very limited distribution, despite being largely a critical success. However, this wouldn't stop subsequent giallo-makers like Aldo Lado and Antonio Bido from following in their footsteps with some schizoid clerics of their own.

The film is full of masterful little flourishes from Fulci, like the sound of a dog barking in the night time scene where Bruno is murdered seguing into the sound of the police dogs barking as their masters comb the area for the boy's body the next day, and the indelible, heart-rending image of a small deaf-mute girl playing with a headless doll. Little of the misogyny that the director would later be infamous for – reaching its frenzied apotheosis in 80s offerings THE NEW YORK RIPPER (1982) and TOUCH OF DEATH (1988) - is on display here, and one almost feels as though the Fulci working here would have shaken his head gravely at such intolerance. Fine cinematography from Sergio D'Offizi and a sparse but effective score by Riz Ortolani (both would later lend their considerable skills to 1980's CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST) add to an overall impression of quality and all of the main actors, adult and child alike, acquit themselves admirably in what is arguably Fulci's very best film. Just be sure to go for the subtitled version if faced with a choice.

Rob Talbot is an unabashed scoundrel who writes for Italian Film Review, Diabolique, Starburst, Scream The Horror Magazine and Bedabbled!

Perversion Story (1969)

2011-10-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

Directed by Lucio Fulci

Written by Lucio Fulci, Roberto Gianviti, José Luis Martínez Mollá

Country: Italy

Also known as: ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER / Una sull'altra

A Guest Review by Tony Phillips

23 years before the phenomenon that was BASIC INSTINCT hit screens across the world, a much lesser known film with a story just as jaw dropping was made by a certain Lucio Fulci. Today, Fulci is known primarily for his gore feasts such as ZOMBIE, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, and HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY. However, before any of those films came along, Fulci was one of the best giallo directors of his time, creating gems such as DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING and A LIZARD IN A WOMAN’S SKIN. One of his least known giallos, but possibly his best is PERVERSION STORY (aka ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER, Una Sulla’altra). Clearly an influence on Paul Verhoeven’s overrated Sharon Stone starmaker, this film tells the story of Dr. George Dumurrier (played by blue eyed wonder Jean Sorel) whose wife (insanely sexy Marissa Mell) dies suddenly leaving him a great deal of insurance money. Naturally, Dumurrier becomes a prime suspect in the possible murder of his wife. Followed by a private investigator, he is drawn to a nightclub where he discovers a dancer who bears more than a striking resemblance to his late wife. The only noticeable differences are eye and hair color. Convinced his wife isn’t dead, he delves into the private life of this exotic femme fatale only to discover she has a completely separate life of her own and has never heard of him. Who is this mysterious woman?

I won’t go any further into the plot as that would ruin the experience but suffice to say, its one hell of a fun ride with twists and turns galore. There are even hints of the straight horror films that would make up Fulci’s later films interlaced throughout the beautiful photography and settings of this solid entry in the giallo genre. Thanks to Fulci’s tight direction and a top-notch cast (not to mention the beautiful background of San Francisco), this sexy thriller rises above its eurotrash brethren and comes out with a touch of class rarely seen in the giallo genre.

However, fans of Fulci’s later work may be somewhat disappointed at the lack of signature “Fulci-isms” in this particular film. Made when Fulci was still finding his strengths in filmmaking, you won’t find many eyeball close-ups and with the exception of one red-tinted lovemaking scene, there really aren’t any trademarks of the famous director to be found. Nonetheless, if one can put that aside and view the film for the classy/trashy wild ride that it is, one won’t be disappointed in the least.

Corpse Mania (1981)

2011-10-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Directed by Kuei Chi Hung

Country: Hong Kong

A Guest Review by Brian Bankston

After discovering a female corpse whose body was violated after death, detective Zhang (Wang Jung) links the crime to a man named Li Zheng Yuan (Eric Chan), who had an unhealthy attraction to dead and sometimes rotting corpses. Having spent the last few years in an asylum, the detective learns he was released the month prior. A slew of new murders involving the prostitutes of the Zin Hong House run by Madam Lan (Tanny Tien Ni) stirs suspicion that Li has returned to exact revenge for an undisclosed crime concerning the brothel madam and a local gangster.

Prior to the 90s explosion of a new and disturbing trend of Hong Kong horror nastiness, the Shaw Brothers cultivated the sub genre throughout the 1970s into the early part of the 1980s. Dedicated, if controversial filmmaker, Kuei Chi Hung was the unsung king of Hong Kong's cinema of the grotesque. It's not possible to discuss the island's penchant for geekshow shenanigans without giving the Chinese Godfather of Gore his due. CORPSE MANIA is one such movie. The title alone promises puke-tastic thrills like those seen in the surreal barfbag blow out that is THE BOXER'S OMEN (1983).

But CORPSE MANIC is a different animal altogether. Aside from its sensationalist title, the film has more in common with the Italian Giallo than the numerous black magic movies and films whose main selling points are how many various insects and creepy crawlies can be swallowed and summarily regurgitated on cue. CORPSE MANIA has its share of gruesome sequences, but never totally crosses the line into sheer tastelessness. It's a cold, detached and very grim little movie. The necrophilic angle is merely a 'mania' suffered by the crazed killer and isn't a continuing theme throughout so don't expect a plot about the living loving the dead. The focus of the film lies within a 'whodunit' framework laced with slasher tropes and some moodily lit sequences and prowling camerawork.

This is quite possibly Kuei's most controlled and focused horror movie. It lacks the TEXAS CHAINSAW level of insanity in his KILLER SNAKES (1973), the brooding Dan Curtis style qualities of GHOST EYES (1974) and the hellzapoppin' nature of THE BOXER'S OMEN (1983). HEX (1980) comes close, but that film makes a wild tonal shift towards the end managing a last minute stopover into KWAIDAN (1965) land before a final scene that confuses everything that's come before it. CORPSE MANIA isn't a great film, nor is it a favorite among most Hong Kong film lovers. It's a well mounted motion picture with some unusually strong 'boo' moments that perfectly ape its American counterparts.

There's the all important 'False Scare' tactic and the timeless 'Killer In the Back Seat' motif among some other slasher favorites. There's just enough queasy moments to moderately satiate the gore crowd including maggot infested corpses, throat slashings, a disembowelment, a face crushed with a rock, a decapitation and a splattery dummy death. If nothing else, this is Kuei's modest ode to the Italian giallo and the slasher boom that had gained a great deal of notoriety and popularity by 1981. The script from both Kuei and prolific writer Szeto An isn't nearly as convoluted as the average Euro thriller, but does manage an air of mystery and an unexpected twist at the end. The final moments conclude on a somber note managing to both tie things up and echo China's brutally swift criminal justice system all at the same time.

Despite being well photographed and displaying a certain amount of artistic conviction, Kuei sticks to his savage guns by injecting moments of repugnance that remind the viewer that you're watching an exploitation movie albeit one with higher production values. Unlike so many Hong Kong horror pictures, the tone remains downbeat throughout the films entirety. There's no abrupt comedic interludes, but there is one brief action scene that is necessary to the plot. In its brevity, it never takes you out of the film, nor makes you momentarily forget that you're watching a horror movie. The Shaw's did some of Asia's best horrors. They were certainly some of the most creative, if occasionally derivative to ever emerge from that once thriving industry. Kuei Chi Hung was undoubtedly one of the territories most talented, if lovingly insane filmmakers and CORPSE MANIA is one of his more intriguing efforts if mainly for witnessing the melding of foreign genre conventions married to a Chinese setting.

Brian Bankston also writes for:

Who Can Kill A Child? (1976)

2011-10-13T20:32:00.001-07:00

A Guest Review by Dr. Jimmy Terror

Would You, Could You Kill A Child?

The question is the title is the plot is the twist is the disturbing tale of humanity. Human reaction and overreaction and fear. Perhaps WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? is a story of lack of reaction or mis-action. One thing is for damn certain, by the time you finish this picture you will have a number of new questions floating around your cerebrals and only a small percentage will have anything to do with the film you have just watched; most will have to do with yourself. What would you do? Could you… would you… kill a child?

Directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador and released in 1976, ¿Quién puede matar a un niño? or as the translation there of, WHO CAN KILL A CHILD?, follows a couple of English love birds through their journey to an island just off the coast of Spain who find themselves with among strange, dagger-eyed children. As the tale unfolds, the children begin to show that they are the wolves in sheep’s clothing and not the innocent lambs children ought to be. The question raises itself quickly and repeats itself straight on to the end of the film. Who can Kill a Child?

Known by several different names including ISLAND OF THE DAMNED, WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? is based on a novel by Juan José Plans entitled El juego de los niños or The Children's Game. You can see its influence everywhere. Stephen King’s CHILDREN OF THE CORN. THE CHILDREN (1980). BLOODY BIRTHDAY. Movies and stories where children are the murderers for whatever reason we need to justify making them the bogeymen. These are the tales of lost innocence conveying how naiveté can kill just as much as the working knowledge of a machine gun. While it is not the first film to convey the concept of children as the antagonists or murderers, it may be the most brutal up until the time of its release. One can look at VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED before it; THE BAD SEED as well. All have their twisted moments of truth when the great reveal bears witness to demon children up to the worst kinds of debauchery. Maybe WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? is the first film to show the level of violence committed by and against children and that is why it has attained such notoriety. The film did not receive a DVD release until 2007 which may be at least in part due to the infamy that surrounds it. Before we go into the philosophical internal suffering this film can evoke, let’s talk about the simple brutality.

Images of children shot in the head, starved and made victims of wars they were unable to stop are thrust directly into the viewers face as the film opens up. Actual newsreel footage of the Holocaust in Germany as well as other crimes against humanity are displayed one by one to the point of nausea. Immediately following the parade of atrocities, the viewer is brought into a world that is more happy; mysterious, but more adventure than abomination. Serrador seems to be using the old switcheroo. Remember CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST? Remember that tortoise that saw itself decimated and “eaten”, completely dismembered? The shots following that scene and any scene of very real animal cruelty were juxtaposed with images of fictitious violence. Perhaps this director is playing the same stunt (only several years earlier) in order to get a rise out of this audience. Nauseate your audience. Disturb them for real and then you can deliver them various other concepts and visuals, all strengthened by the initial blow of reality. It doesn’t take a gory head wound to push your buttons. Just some stock footage and a little imagination.

That’s not to say that WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? doesn’t have its fair share of Crayola red blood dripping from any number of head wounds. Plenty of adults and children alike meet their demise on the mysterious island off the coast of Europe. Imagine a child beating and old man to death with his cane. How about a gaggle of children using an elderly man as a piñata? What’s worse about that image is they aren’t playing with a broom handle or even a bat (which might be preferable). They are playing with a sickle. Maybe this movie disturbs because a very normal couple is forced to take aim at children over and over again to preserve their own life from the pack of murderous kids. Maybe we all realize that the same child who burns an ant with a magnifying class or destroys a city of Legos is capable of other destructive acts. The violence is clearly unrealistic, but then again so is the violence of children’s games. It doesn’t hurt that the child actors are more than capable of churning guilty thoughts in your head.

From the outset you’re forced to ask yourself, “When will I find out why the film is so titled?” You might find any number of reasons early on in the film but the true reason comes later as the film reaches its boiling point. Tom (Lewis Fiander) and Evelyn (Prunella Ransome) are forced to save their own lives by destroying the life of a child. It isn’t an action taken with much thought, but is instead made under the influence survival instinct. From the moment of the first child’s death (there will be others) the viewer beings to question, after an almost intentionally long pause for contemplation, “Could I kill a child if this same scenario presented itself?” Your answer will vary and there is no correct answer since the scenario that drives the narrative of this picture if fiction. You can put your moral code handbook away for the time being even if it leaves you feeling a bit icky to do so.

While the premise of the film will haunt and stir your mind to a brief bout of mental illness, the composition of shots combined with an utterly hair-tearing use of slow, dramatic pause will keep you yelling at the screen. The characters may not take your direction, but you may relieve tension. Well acted. Well written. It’s a very good piece of filmmaking which many of the Spanish horror production of the time seems to bring to the table regularly, be it with abstract use of color or in controversy of content.

One thing of note and it is pure speculation or perhaps an observation to be taken with the grain of salt. Our leading lady, Evelyn, shares an uncanny resemblance to a combination of Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) from the DePalma’s CARRIE released that same year and Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) from ROSEMARY'S BABY. It’s not clear that this would have or even could have been intentional although we do find Evelyn to be pregnant and very much wanting the potentially homicidal baby out of her body with no time to spare (or fist for that matter). The tie to ROSEMARY'S BABY by Polanski shows up also in the use of strange sing songy, children’s voiced music that reoccurs as a major theme throughout the picture. It has the feeling of a modified version of the score from ROSEMARY'S BABY. Maybe this is an attempt to draw parallels between Satan’s child and then children of this island of the damned. The ever increasing fear of children was a common theme throughout the history of the horror genre and rose to a peak in the mid to late 70’s and carried forward into the early 80’s. Maybe asking WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? was a rather valid question given an increase in irreverence spurred on by the youth counterculture stretching their sea legs for the first time in the late 60’s. After all, even the Manson Girls were somebody’s children before they were on cell block eight.

You don’t have to answer the question even if you know the answer. Watching the movie may force you to deal with some very unpleasant truths, but if you can stomach your own mind long enough to complete watching this picture, you’ll be left with the thrill of a twist ending that goes as far as ROSEMARY'S BABY and maybe an appropriate step beyond. Or you could just keep telling yourself that you have absolutely nothing to fear from your progeny, but… hope they aren’t asking the question, “Who can kill mommy or daddy?”.

-Dr. Jimmy Terror

Dr. Jimmy Terror, more commonly known as James P. Harris, has been “writing your eyes” shut since 2010 with his horror themed blog, Dr. Terror’s Blog of Horrors (whose name is a play on words derived from the Amicus film, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors). In the early 2000’s he fronted the band The Vaudeville Vampires, a short-lived "Horrorabilly" band which saw the creation of a catalog of horror related songs before disbanding (with only one, six song demo ever being produced and distributed). He has had only one on screen appearance to date in the horror short, Ocean Parkway, as maniacal, gloved killer with a hair fetish. Having done some un-credited, behind the scenes work in some low budget genre pictures, he is currently working on his first foray into screenwriting with a demonic, retro gore entry that pays homage to Lucio Fulci, Dario Argento as well as other Italian masters of the genre.

Halloween II (2009)

2011-10-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Directed by Rob Zombie

Written by Rob Zombie

Country: U.S.A.

A Guest Review by Rich Flannagan

Building upon the foundations of films such as Mario Bava's BAY OF BLOOD , John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN effectively set the template for the 'stalk and slash' genre until 1996, when the SCREAM franchise effectively rewrote the rules. In retrospect, HALLOWEEN is surprisingly low on blood, but high on tension, with the camera positioned low and forcing the viewer to try and peer around the next corner. The inevitable sequel, while losing the shock value of the original, was surprisingly effective. Further sequels, however, weren't.

In 2007, musician and film maker Rob Zombie, a man who seemingly thought THIS IS SPINAL TAP was a documentary, remade HALLOWEEN to minimal effect. Whilst it was a good deal more gruesome than the original, Zombie's attempt to elaborate on the Myers' back story bogged the story down with unnecessary detail. Carpenter's Myers was purely evil, whereas Zombie's is more flesh and blood, and so a far less interesting character. Zombie's previous films, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS and HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES were interesting failures, impressively brutal, but ultimately forgettable. He is obviously a horror/exploitation fan, but hasn't found the right vehicle yet. If someone could give him the money to make WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE SS, then we may be onto something...

HALLOWEEN 2 begins with a quote which effectively spells out the premise and, like the original sequel, begins where the first film ended. Carpenter's hospital setting is reused, and the harsh fluorescent light and grainy look suit the material well. There are several impressively bloody murders and some wince-inducing emergency surgery scenes before the dream imagery adds a layer of pretension. Seemingly dead at the beginning, Myers is soon resurrected and carries on where he left off. When Donald Pleasance replacement Malcolm McDowell, sporting an impressive white moustache, states in an amusing scene that "Michael Myers is fucking DEAD", you know that he's not watched this type of film before. As with many slashers. the disposable teenagers are all irritating, but here they all seem to be from the demographic which actually buy White Zombie albums, and thus elicit absolutely no sympathy at all.

The film is proficiently made, sharing the cold, icy feel of the vastly superior LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, and with most of Zombie's films, the secondary characters are far more interesting than the rather colourless leads. Man-mountain Tyler Mane is an imposing, mute presence, and deserves a better character to work with. His killings are savage and realistic: no one-stab murders for him. The knife (or deer antlers) is thrust repeatedly, compound fractures are inflicted and naked strippers are slammed into mirrors. The rest of the performances are acceptable, with McDowell hamming things up considerably.

Given the right script, Zombie could make an interesting, European-style exploitation film. His use of gore and full-frontal nudity betrays an influence from the Italian genre films of the 70s and 80s, a field which is underrepresented at the moment. There are flashes here of what the film could have been, but unfortunately Zombie is tied down by the HALLOWEEN mythos, and the spectre of John Carpenter is never far away. Any film where a TV reporter interviews Big Lou, a guy in a Frankenstein's Monster mask can't be wholly disregarded, but, although I enjoyed the film more on the second viewing, it doesn't stay in the memory. Zombie continues to be a frustrating director. His HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES character of Captain Spaulding is one of the funniest and most sinister in the genre, but he is stranded in two mediocre films. Here, the visceral presence of Mane is similarly wasted in a character which is badly botched.

Zombie's contrived 'look, aren't I scary?' pose is amusingly exposed in a particularly unconvincing nightclub scene, with wholesome-looking extras in spotless Halloween costumes dance to lame psychobilly in the cleanest-looking club since the louche lounge bar in Bava's HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON. So, we started with a Bava reference, and finished with one. Just like Zombie: all the effort but we've gotten nowhere.

Rich Flannagan also writes for Italian Film Review and 0.50 Action Express.

Intruder (1989)

2011-07-03T01:17:00.000-07:00

Directed by Scott Spiegel

Written by Lawrence Bender (story) & Scott Spiegel (screenplay/story)

Country: U.S.A.

Also known as: NIGHT CREW

The night crew at the Walnut Lake Market are having a typical, boring shift until cashier Jennifer (Elizabeth Cox) is paid a visit by her obsessed ex-boyfriend, Craig (David Byrnes), who wants her back. When Jennifer rejects him, he becomes violent, which leads to a physical confrontation between him and several of the staff. Craig escapes but is eventually found and forcibly removed from the store. The store’s two owners, Bill (Dan Hicks) and Danny (Eugene Robert Glazer) then break the bad news that they are selling the store, which will leave everyone unemployed. Disheartened, the crew carries on with their duties, unaware that things are going to get much worse. An unseen killer is watching and begins to stalk and kill them, one by one, in the most gruesome of ways. Will anyone survive this night?

INTRUDER is an ambitious, ultra-gory, low-budget slasher film from writer/director Scott Spiegel, who is best known as the co-writer of EVIL DEAD II and producer of the HOSTEL films. It was Spiegel’s first full length film as director, after having worked on several short films in the early 1980’s with frequent collaborators director/producer Sam Raimi, and actors Ted Raimi and Bruce Campbell. All four have cameos in INTRUDER, although the film’s advertising misleadingly lists Campbell and Sam Raimi brothers as the main stars.

The entire film is set in a supermarket located in the fictional town of Walnut Lake, which is modeled after the Michigan town where Spiegel, Campbell, and the Raimis once lived. Spiegel even worked in a store similar to the one in the film. The actual location was a real supermarket in California, where shooting was done after hours. The setting proves to be the perfect one for a slasher film, due to the surplus of various weapons and hiding spots available to a psychotic killer.

Raimi seems to be a visual influence, as evidenced by some of the inventive camera work. Scenes are shot from unusual angles or from inside objects such as a telephone or a shopping cart. There are numerous shots of characters’ reflections in glass doors, a bucket of water, a bloody lobster tank, or in the blade of a knife. In addition to these stylish touches, there are the requisite close-ups of weapons and lurking killer point of view shots associated with traditional slasher films.

INTRUDER’s distributors, Paramount, released the film in 1989 on video, but in a severely cut version. The special effects scenes, crafted by the newly-created K.N.B. EFX Group (Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger), proved to be too realistic and gory, resulting in most of those scenes being removed. At the time, this was a huge disappointment for slasher film fans. Being the end of the 1980’s, the genre had degenerated into straight-to-video trash or repetitious copying of big budget franchises. INTRUDER promised some of the most creative and graphic murder scenes of its time, coupled with the collaboration of some of the horror genre’s finest talents. Many fans were introduced to the film through a couple of articles written for Gorezone Magazine, which included several graphic photos of the cut effects (such as the infamous bandsaw death). For many years, these articles were the only way fans could catch brief glimpses of these excised scenes.

The murder scenes are gory and brutal, carried out with weapons such as a meat cleaver, butcher knives, a letter spike, hydraulic press, a hook, and a bandsaw. In particular, the bandsaw death is very nasty. A male victim has his head sawed completely in half, right in front of the camera, spitting chunks of bloody flesh around the machinery.The two halves are messily assembled and displayed inside a beer cooler. Most of victims are dismembered after death and their remains are scattered throughout the store, leading to some shocking discoveries for Jennifer to find while she’s in “final girl” mode.

As gory as the murders are, they are not without touches of humor. After one unfortunate victim is killed and then cut in half, his torso and legs are placed in two separate trash cans with a sign that reads “1/2 Off”. In another scene, a victim is beaten with a decapitated head. The film manages to balance the humor and horror quite well, with comedy never getting in the way of the more horrific elements. Some of the killer’s dialogue becomes a bit cheesy and over-the-top following the revelation of his identity, but not any more than the majority of slasher films made at this time.

INTRUDER proves that a low-budget does not in any way have to hamper a film’s success. Utilizing a unique setting, creative kills, a touch of humor, lots of blood, and a talented cast and crew, the film is an excellent example of an effective slasher film which can entertain as equally as it can provoke disgust. It is no coincidence that many of the people involved with this film went on to greater success. It is highly recommended to anyone that enjoys slasher films and appreciates quality gore effects. It should also be sought out by fans of EVIL DEAD II, due to the participation of many of the same cast and crew members.

The Last Horror Film (1982)

2011-06-20T01:02:00.000-07:00

Directed by David Winters

Written by Judd Hamilton, Tom Klassen, David Winters

Country: U.S.A.

Also known as: THE FANATIC

Vinny Durand (Joe Spinell) is a New York cab driver with big dreams of becoming a successful film director. He is deeply obsessed with famous scream queen Jana Bates (Caroline Munro), who has just been nominated for a “Best Actress” award at the Cannes Film Festival. Vinny leaves the apartment that he shares with his elderly mother and heads to France, hoping for the chance to convince Jana to be in his upcoming film. Once there, he stalks her, filming her every move from afar, as he sinks deeper into his own delusional world. When several people associated with Jana turn up missing, it seems as though Vinny has finally lost his grasp on reality.

MANIAC co-stars Spinell and Munro are reunited in British actor/director/producer David Winters’ (THRASHIN', ALICE COOPER: WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE, CODE NAME VENGEANCE) semi-campy film-within-a-film slasher, which was filmed on location at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. Lacking the necessary permits, Winters and company shot the film guerilla-style, stealing shots of the crowd and celebrities without their knowledge, taking advantage of the fact that most people assumed them to be media or documentary filmmakers covering the event. This added an authenticity to the proceedings, as the reactions of the crowd to the actors is genuine and not scripted. In one particular scene, Vinny chases a screaming, towel-clad Jana through a crowded hotel lobby while the audience stands by watching the performance, thinking it to be just another promotional publicity stunt.

THE LAST HORROR FILM is unique in the way that it differs from the standard slasher film formula. Instead of teenage victims in a remote location, THE LAST HORROR FILM’s victims are successful adults in the film industry, at a less-than-remote crowded film festival. The traditional instrumental score is replaced by original rock music compositions by Jesse Frederick and Jeff Koz, whose lyrics reflect the onscreen action. Opting to sacrifice suspense for psychological character study, THE LAST HORROR FILM focuses less on stalk-and-slash scenes of a faceless killer on the prowl and instead stresses the disturbing nature of Vinny’s obvious mental illness. The events of the film are shown entirely from Vinny’s point of view and include a recurring series of bizarre dreamlike sequences where he sees himself taunted by those he seeks to impress – Jana, her filmmaker peers, and his own dark alter-ego.

Due to the involvement of both Spinell and Munro, it is easy to invite comparisons to William Lustig’s MANIAC, although the two films are radically different. Character-wise, Vinny is a less mean-spirited version of MANIAC’s Frank Zito. Both are sweaty, perverted loners with childlike minds who fixate on women as objects and exist in a schizophrenic world of hallucinations and delusions. While Zito’s love/hate relationship with his deceased abusive mother fuels his misogyny-driven murder impulses, Vinny’s adoration and respect for his beloved mother is the one thing which grounds him, despite his chaotic mental state. He even takes time from his busy stalking schedule to call home and reassure his mother that he is safe. In a touch of realism, not only is Vinny’s mother (Filomena Spagnulo) played by Spinell’s real-life mother, but the apartment that the two share was Spinell’s actual New York residence. Add to this the fact that Munro is basically playing a fictionalized version of herself (a successful international scream queen) and it is apparent that THE LAST HORROR FILM blurs the line between reality and fiction in many ways, which is quite appropriate for a film-within-a-film centering on a character who cannot distinguish the difference between reality and fantasy.

Spinell’s performance is the true highlight of the film. Relying on method acting, Spinell truly became Vinny Durand, playing him almost too convincingly. At times, the man seems like the most repugnant loser, yet the tender scenes with his mother or his childlike reactions to being rejected evoke an unrelenting sense of pity and sympathy for him. There is so much of Spinell in the character of Vinny, which gives the film an almost semi-autobiographical quality. The man is capable of such a full range of emotions, all of which are displayed realistically and naturally. Spinell is a truly underrated actor who is deserving of far more credit than he received during his career.

The only real criticism of the film is that it isn’t very gory compared to other slashers of the period. There is a fairly graphic scene in which a partially decapitated corpse is found in a restroom, but for the most part the murders are committed offscreen or barely visible due to poor lighting. While excessive gore isn’t necessary for the film to be enjoyable, it seems odd that a slasher looking to draw parallels with the ultraviolent MANIAC wouldn’t put more effort into the special effects or at least add a little more blood.

Although not the goriest or most suspenseful of slasher films, THE LAST HORROR FILM exhibits a refreshing style that sets it apart from the standard slasher film fare, making it perfect for the slasher fan that is tired of the same cliches and looking for some variety. The film benefits tremendously from the performances of both Spinell and Munro, who have a peculiar sort of chemistry which works on many levels. In particular, Spinell fans should definitely make it a point to see this, as it is some of his finest work.

Profile: Susan Scott

2011-02-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

Susan Scott is the stage name of Spanish-born actress Nieves Navarro, a former model who began her acting career in the mid-1960’s. During her career, she appeared in a diverse assortment of film genres for mostly Italian and Spanish productions. After appearing predominantly in comedies and spaghetti westerns (including 1966’s THE BIG GUNDOWN / La resa dei conti), she married Italian producer Luciano Ercoli in 1967 and was featured in several successful gialli in the early 1970’s.

Ercoli began to direct in 1970 with the giallo FORBIDDEN PHOTOS OF A LADY ABOVE SUSPICION / Le foto proibite di una signora per bene. In this erotic tale of blackmail and deception, Scott was cast in a supporting role as Dominique, the sexually-adventurous best friend of Dagmar Lassander’s lead character, Minou. The following year, she was cast in the lead role as stripper Nicole Rochard in Ercoli’s second giallo, DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS / La morte cammina con i tacchi alti.

In 1972, Scott appeared in yet another of her husband’s gialli. In DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT / La morte accarezza a mezzanotte, she plays hot-tempered fashion model Valentina – a woman who witnesses a brutal murder while under the effects of an experimental psychedelic drug. Although Scott’s physical beauty and seductive qualities had been at the forefront of her earlier Ercoli giallo roles, in this film she was given the added quality of ferocity. Throughout the film, men who incur her wrath or otherwise offend her are yelled at, slapped, kicked, or have items thrown at them. This is quite refreshing in a genre which often depicts women as being helpless or in need of a male hero.

In the same year, she was cast in a supporting role alongside Edwige Fenech and George Hilton in Sergio Martino’s visually stylish ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK / Tutti i colori del buio and in Roberto Bianchi Montero’s SO SWEET, SO DEAD / Rivelazioni di un maniaco sessuale al capo della squadra mobile. In 1973, she starred in Maurizio Pradeaux’s DEATH CARRIES A CANE / Passi di danza su una lama di rasoio. Her later career veered more in the direction of comedies and erotic thrillers – including titles such as Joe D’Amato’s SEX AND BLACK MAGIC / Orgasmo nero (1980) and EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS / Emanuelle e gli ultimi cannibali (1977). Although her acting career seems to have ended in the late 1980’s, Scott will always be remembered as a versatile actress who could equally portray a seductive sex symbol or fiercely independent woman.

Recommended films:

FORBIDDEN PHOTOS OF A LADY ABOVE SUSPICION (1970)

DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS (1971)

DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT (1972)

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK (1972)

Profile: Edwige Fenech

2011-02-04T00:05:00.000-08:00

Edwige Fenech is perhaps the most well-recognized of all giallo actresses. Frequently starring opposite George Hilton and not shy about appearing fully nude or in sex scenes, she excels at playing the seductive damsel in distress. She was a model before beginning a film career in the late 1960’s, which consisted mostly of European sex comedies. Her first giallo role was in Mario Bava’s FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON / 5 bambole per la luna d'agosto (1970).

Her position as leading giallo scream queen was cemented with her starring role in three of Italian director Sergio Martino’s early 1970’s gialli, when she was the girlfriend of Sergio’s producer brother, Luciano. The first of these was the beautifully-lensed THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH / Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh (1970), which many consider one of the genre’s finest examples. In 1972, she starred in Martino’s psychedelic occult-giallo ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK / Tutti i colori del buio and his Poe-Inspired YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM & ONLY I HAVE THE KEY / Il tuo vizio e una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave. In the same year, she also appeared in Giuliano Carnimeo’s stylish, THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS / Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer? (which is the partial namesake of this blog).

Fenech’s giallo career continued with films like Andrea Bianchi’s sleazy STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER / Nude per l'assassino (1975) and Ruggero Deodato’s PHANTOM OF DEATH (1988). The remainder of her career was comprised primarily of sex comedies and television appearances, including Martino’s mini-series PRIVATE CRIMES /Delitti privati (1993). This multi-talented women also created her own film production company - Immagine e Cinema S.r.l. - and most recently had a cameo role as an Italian art teacher in Eli Roth’s HOSTEL: PART II (2007).

Recommended films:

THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH (1970)

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK (1972)

THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS (1972)

STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975)

A Blade in the Dark (1983)

2010-11-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

Directed by Lamberto Bava

Written by Elisa Briganti & Dardano Sacchetti

Country: Italy

Also known as: LA CASA CON LA SCALA NEL BUIO

Musical composer Bruno (NEW YORK RIPPER’s Andrea Occhipinti) is asked to write the score for a horror film. In order to gain inspiration, he rents a large villa from Tony (DEMONS’ Michele Soavi) so he can concentrate on his work. He soon meets Katia (Valeria Cavalli), a friend of former tenant Linda, hiding in one of the closets. After Katia leaves, she is murdered by a killer wielding a utility knife. Bruno finds Katia’s diary – which mentions some sort of secret pertaining to Linda – and discovers that his tape recording equipment contains a whispered message on it which also alludes to this secret. Later, he receives an unannounced visit from neighbor Angela (DEMONS’ Fabiola Toledo), who asks if she can take a swim in the pool. She is murdered in the bathroom by someone wearing a dress and high heels. After Bruno uncovers several grisly clues, he becomes convinced that both Katia and Angela have been murdered, but can find no trace of their bodies. No one believes his story, including film director Sandra (Anny Papa), handyman Giovanni (MACABRE’s Stanko Molnar), or actress girlfriend Julia (AENIGMA‘s Lara Naszinsky). Bruno realizes that the key to the killer’s identity may lie within the film that he is scoring, and that the film itself may be based on real events. He seeks to figure out who is committing the murders before he becomes the next victim.

In 1980, Lamberto Bava made his feature film debut with MACABRE, a disturbing and suspenseful thriller which was not a commercial success because it was lacking in graphic violence. Bava’s next directing project was A BLADE IN THE DARK, a television mini-series which was instead released as a theatrical film after its violent scenes were considered too graphic.

Set entirely in an isolated villa, the film’s location is responsible for creating an atmosphere of claustrophobia and dread. The immense villa contains numerous rooms and dark hallways, menacing stairways, and a minimal color pallet which is framed by shadows – the perfect backdrop for the film’s many scenes of characters searching in the darkness.

The film-within-a-film theme is one which Bava would revisit in his 1985 DEMONS, and is used effectively to blur the line between reality and cinema. In the opening scene, a young boy (THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY’s Giovanni Frezza) is encouraged to go into a dark basement by two other boys, but this is soon revealed to actually be footage from the film that Bruno is scoring. In addition, the film-within-a-film is itself inspired by events which may have occurred in the killer’s life. This blurring of reality occurs also through the use of music. Guido and Maurizio De Angelis’ infectious and creepy score functions not only as the film’s soundtrack, but also as the soundtrack that Bruno is composing for the film-within-a-film.

Perhaps the best known and most notorious scene is the vicious murder of Angela in the bathroom. After having her hand pinned to the counter by a large knife, she is suffocated by a plastic bag over her head, has her face bashed repeatedly against the sink, and then finally has her throat slit by a long knife. The special effects were created by Giovanni Corridori, who had worked previously on such gorefests as Dario Argento’s TENEBRAE, Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE, and Luigi Cozzi’s CONTAMINATION. All of the murders are brutal and graphic, and are made more disturbing by the killer’s maniacal squeals of delight as each victim is dispatched.

Unfortunately, the film suffers from poor dubbing and horrendous dialogue in its English-language version, which makes for some unintentionally comedic moments. The pacing is slow at times due to being filmed originally as television episodes, but the overall sense of unease and paranoia keeps it from becoming tedious. A BLADE IN THE DARK is a suspenseful and gory giallo, which should appeal to both fans of gialli and slasher films, as well as those interested in Bava’s early works.

Click here to read my capsule review of A BLADE IN THE DARK for Italian Film Review.

Stage Fright (1987)

2010-10-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Directed by Michele Soavi

Written by George Eastman & Sheila Goldberg (dialogue)

Country: Italy

Also known as: DELIRIA / BLOODY BIRD / AQUARIUS / SOUND STAGE MASSACRE

In an empty theater at night, a group of actors rehearse for a musical performance about a serial killer. After Alicia (Barbara Cupisti) injures her ankle, she is taken by wardrobe mistress Betty (Ulrike Schwerk) to the closest available hospital, which happens to be a mental asylum in which infamous psychopathic killer (and ex-actor) Irving Wallace (Clain Parker) has just been admitted. When the women leave, they do not realize that Wallace has escaped and hitched a ride in their car, following them back to the theater. Betty is soon found murdered, but the police find no trace of the killer. Seeking to capitalize on the publicity of the murder to increase box office profits, ruthless director Peter (David Brandon) convinces the cast to stay through the night and continue rehearsing. When the only exit key is lost, they find themselves locked inside with the killer, now wearing an owl head mask, as he stalks and murders them one by one.

STAGE FRIGHT marks Michele Soavi’s feature film directorial debut, after having directed the documentary, DARIO ARGENTO'S WORLD OF HORROR. He spent many years working in various capacities in the Italian film industry, in roles including actor and assistant director, for famed directors such as Lucio Fulci, Argento, Joe D’Amato, and Lamberto Bava. He gained essential experience while working as second assistant director on Argento’s TENEBRAE.

This co-production by D’Amato and Donatella Donati is an Italian variation on the predominantly North American slasher film genre, with stylish visual touches inspired by the giallo, especially the works of Argento. The film offers some interesting twists on the standard slasher film cliches, as well as delivering the elements that slasher film fans have come to expect – gory special effects, a frightening killer, and touches of black humor.

The claustrophobic and creepy atmosphere is due in part to the isolated setting, an old theater where numerous rooms and shadowy areas provide ample hiding places for a murderer. The stage set itself consists of brick building facades covered in grafitti to mimic an urban street at night. A neon sign casts a bluish glow over the dark stage, which is illuminated by street lamps and flaming trash cans, and the occasional spotlight. In addition to the setting, Simon Boswell’s unique musical score conjures an effectively tense and eerie mood, as it alternates between electronic and 80’s jazz-rock.

The film’s most suspenseful sequence concerns Alicia’s discovery of the dismembered corpses of her cast mates, which are displayed onstage amongst mannequins and props. As a black cat strolls indifferently across the stage, white feathers are blown through the air by a fan, settling on the bloody corpses, while classical music plays loudly over the speakers. Alicia spies the key that she needs to escape from the building, but it is wedged between the stage floorboards, inches from the killer’s feet. She has to carefully crawl underneath the stage, in an attempt to retrieve it, as a nosey cat threatens to reveal her presence.

The murder scenes are quite graphic, as the victims are dispatched brutally with a variety of dangerous implements including: knife, pick axe, power drill, syringe, axe, and chainsaw. The power drill scene is especially gory, as a close-up shot reveals a spinning drill bit emerging from a man’s bloody abdomen, as his fellow actors look on in horror.

Cupisti, later featured in Soavi’s CEMETERY MAN and THE CHURCH, portrays the resourceful Alicia with a convincing sense of fear coupled with a strong determination to survive. Brandon (DELIRIUM: PHOTOS OF GIOIA) is perfectly cast as the callous and opportunistic director, while Giovanni Lombardo Radice (CANNIBAL FEROX, THE GATES OF HELL) is fun as a gay actor that plays the musical’s fictional killer. Parker (11 DAYS, 11 NIGHTS) is fairly terrifying as the relentless and unstoppable Wallace.

Despite a typical slasher film ending and some unimpressive dance numbers, this underrated gem is essential viewing for fans of slasher films and Italian horror.

Click here to read my capsule review of STAGE FRIGHT for Italian Film Review.

Nightmares In A Damaged Brain (1981)

2010-10-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Directed by Romano Scavolini

Written by Romano Scavolini

Country: U.S.A.

Also known as: Nightmare / Blood Splash / Schizo

George Tatum (Baird Stafford) is a dangerous schizophrenic, confined to a New York mental asylum and suffering from recurring nightmares of a gruesome double murder, which trigger seizures and uncontrollable homicidal impulses in him. After he is released, George heads for Florida and engages in a killing spree while stalking a house occupied by a single mother and her three kids. The truth behind George’s nightmares is revealed in the blood-soaked shocking finale.

NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN is arguably one of the most controversial slasher films of the early 1980’s. It is gritty, depressing, highly disturbing, and punctuated by extremely graphic murder scenes. The story is based on a New York Times article about secret C.I.A. drug experiments carried out on mental patients. The film’s sub-plot involves George’s treatment being monitored by military types that plan to program him “for future government or private sector use.”

Stafford gives an intense emotional performance, alternating between menacing psychotic killer and traumatized adult child, calling to mind MANIAC’s Frank Zito. The rest of the cast is somewhat forgettable, with the exception of C.J. (C.J. Cooke), who is convincing as a bratty trickster whose boy-cries-wolf pranks work against him when no one will believe that he sees a man lurking outside.

Visually, the film is dark and claustrophobic, and utilizes hand-held cameras and lurking killer point of view shots. It is edited effectively, with fragments of George’s nightmare slowly pieced together and fully revealed during the film’s climax. Jack Eric Williams’ downbeat and unnerving score heightens the tension, especially in the last few minutes of the film.

The special effects are excessively bloody, and include sickening close-ups of gushing puncture wounds, slit throats, and geysers of blood that spurt from a decapitated corpse. The axe murders that occur in George's nightmare result in an absolute bloodbath, which is by far the film's goriest sequence.

Opening in New York City on 10/23/81 in unrated form, it was a hit with gore fans and patrons of grindhouse theaters - who no doubt enjoyed the film’s scenes of George prowling the streets of Times Square at night, past cinemas and adult video stores, in search of a live sex show. It is hardly a surprise that the film was hated by critics for its violence and disturbing content.

A dispute arose over who was responsible for the special makeup effects. Tom Savini was given top billing in this capacity, and his name was a huge draw for horror fans. Savini denied his participation, stating his involvement was limited to a few conversations as a consultant, and credited Lester Lorrain for the effects. Scavolini contradicts this story, alleging that Savini was present on the set and was responsible for actually working on the effects. Savini threatened legal action if his name was not removed, but his name still appears in the credits.

In the U.K., additional controversy took place during the “Video Nasty” period, where films on video that were deemed obscene were restricted. Theatrically, the film had been released in a cut version and given an X Certificate. When a U.K. video distributor circulated copies that contained 1 minute of unapproved footage, a police raid resulted in charges of distributing obscene material, in which one man was imprisoned for 6 months.

NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN is by no means a fun ride, but it is essential viewing for gore fans that prefer their slasher films to be grim, brutal and relentless.

Click here to read my review of NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN for The Blood Sprayer's "Video Nasties" series.

Maniac (1980)

2010-09-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

Directed by William Lustig

Written by C.A. Rosenberg & Joe Spinell

Country: U.S.A.

Frank Zito (Joe Spinell) is a severely disturbed loner, who is haunted by memories of childhood abuse inflicted on him by his now-deceased prostitute mother. At night, he stalks and brutally murders women, keeping their bloody scalps and clothing as trophies to decorate the mannequins that he collects. He is plagued by schizophrenic delusions and engages in bizarre monologues with his dead mother. Frank becomes fixated on a beautiful photographer, Anna (Caroline Munro), but is unable to fight his murderous impulses as his own hallucinatory world closes in on him.

Shot in 16mm and released with a self-imposed “No One Under 17” rating, Lustig’s low-budget MANIAC is a grim and realistic portrait of a serial killer's downward spiral into madness and murder. It is distinguished from most early 80’s slasher films by showing the events entirely from the killer’s perspective, allowing the audience a personal glimpse into his twisted world.

Spinell’s impassioned performance is unforgettable. He wrote most of the story and dialogue, based on extensive research into serial killers and victims of child abuse, and created a character that is equally loathesome and pitiable. Although Frank’s horrific acts of misogyny are disgusting, he is portrayed as a man who is repulsed by these actions that he cannot control, erupting into fits of crying or physically sickened by them. He is completely out of touch with reality, drowning in isolation and psychosis, and this is best illustrated during the chilling monologues that he directs towards his mother.

The New York City setting provides a distinct backdrop of urban decay and menacing shadows - the perfect environment for the film’s suspenseful nighttime stalking scenes, including one which takes place in an empty subway. Frank’s apartment perfectly reflects his troubled mind. It is barely lit, except for candles surrounding a shrine to his mother. The walls are covered with strange artwork, photographs of women (including the Virgin Mary and a centerfold with the offending areas marked out), and the word “kill” etched into the wall above his bed. Scattered throughout the unkempt room are dolls and toys, weapons, masks, and lifesize mannequins. Jay Chattaway’s moody electronic score adds to the atmosphere as it evokes feelings of desolation, anxiety, paranoia, and dread.

The graphic murder scenes were convincingly created by makeup artist Tom Savini, with assistance by Rob Bottin. Among the carnage on display are a throat slitting, a metal wire garroting, stabbings, scalpings, and the film’s most memorable scene – a man (Savini) has his head blown off at point-blank range by a shotgun blast, exploding in slow motion.

The film was vilified by critics as a form of violent pornography. It was the target of pickets by feminist groups that accused the film of promoting misogyny due to its depiction of violence against women. The film’s lurid ad campaign did not help matters, with poster art that depicted the killer as having a visible erection. MANIAC was banned from being mentioned in The Los Angeles Times, which only increased it’s notoriety. In the UK, it was banned upon its theatrical release.

Spinell and Munro were later reunited in the slasher THE LAST HORROR FILM (1982). A sequel to MANIAC was planned, MANIAC 2: MR. ROBBIE (1986), which would have starred Spinell as a children’s tv show host who murders abusive parents. Several minutes were shot for a promotional reel but the film sadly was not completed before Spinell’s death in 1989.