MANIAC film (REMAKE)

Just watched Maniac on netflix. Thought it was really good, but apparently the reception was mixed. I thought the first person cam was well done, and the sound track was awesome. Does anyone know any movies with similar treatment? Also thoughts on Maniac?

Are we talking about the remake?

Yeah not the original didn't specify, sorry. sweet Baisley pic btw.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is pretty similar if you are looking for something else to watch.

There was definitely a time when I would have thought the Maniac remake was a good movie, but it really isn't. It's just dumb. Stuff like "he watched his mom have sex and it made him INSANE" is a goofy and tired trope.

To me, this is a movie with nothing to say. It reveals next to nothing about our cultural discomfort with sex.

I did think it was interesting how the film comments on voyeurism since it's almost entirely shot from a first person perspective, except after the guy kills someone he basically has an out of body experience, which (I know this sounds pretentious) is a statement about the gratification of watching.

But generally it's kind of a dumb movie. White guy has sexual hangups; kills girls. And that part with the car crash was unbelievably stupid. Awful, awful writing.

Killer title card though.

Yeah the first 10 minutes are probably the best part. Script was beyond campy. In terms of camera work though I think it was great. I'm a sucker for that. The Scenes where he hallucinates his mother were definitely out of place. I think ambiguity in his motives would have been better. I have seen Henry and do agree its great, movie. Henry definitely is far more unsettling because Rooker plays a believable killer. Elijah Wood was kinda goofy. I like to think that Maniac is how Wilfred will end hahaha.

@nach0sanchez: While it has nothing to say the ROB score along with the gorgeous lighting make it worth watching I felt. The reviewer who said it was essentially a slasher film crossed with Drive probably said it best.

I actually liked the running inner-narration of Elijah Wood's character, and thought it did a pretty good job of making you feel trapped and uncomfortable in a rather unsympathetic character and at the same time eventually managed to give him a small amount of empathy after you see how chaotic his mind actually is.

But it also had a bunch of flaws, and at the end of the day it's just a pretty standard serial killer movie.

(Shameless promotion for my movie review blog, review for Maniac here)

I thought the movie was just kind of terrible. As someone else put it, the movie has nothing to say, no real character development or even character depth, mostly standard slasher movie cinematography, and no griping story either. All you really get is a b or c tier slasher film that is well shot and has one celebrity in it (that does no real acting).

Also, the movie moves pretty quickly into torture porn territory. Divorced from any compelling reason, the movie is just a sequence of stalking women in first person and then having them get brutally murdered. However, the movie is not graphic or disturbing enough to be a true snuff film so its just kind of depressing and boring. Without any compelling narrative or characters there is no real reason to see this film. 2/5.

It is a shame that Elijah wood was not utilized better in this movie. I'm sure he was expensive to cast and he had no real acting role. The camera did most of the acting for him. I'd like to see him take another swing in a psychologically imbalanced role. He does a great job of losing his shit in LOTR (with the exception of the infamous "O" face).

Let's talk Maniac Cop. I happen to like Maniac Cop, I have never seen Maniac, I'm not sure why I havent, it seem's like something I should view. Both movie's are directed by William Lustig. Why was my young mind turned to a Bruce Campbell film and not Joe Spinell? Maniac Cop, Magic cop, Cop Land, Cop and a Half, Cop, Robocop. It alway's come's back to the best. If you could combine Cop and a Half with Robocop. Burt Reynolds vs. Peter Weller. Then throw in Frodo.

@laserguy Gold! Ship that shit.

Robocop and a half. Give me a hundred million and it's golden.

Robocop and a half in an airport at christmas time, with Alan Rickman.

Robocop and a Half the Christmas special. Starring, Peter Weller, Alan Rickman, Burt Reynolds, Cuba Gooding jr. Bruce Campbell in a cameo, Dame Judy Dench, Bob Hoskins. Music by Depeche mode. Directed by Sam Raimi.

I'm sorry I did this.

I dug the remake and the soundtrack was definitely top notch.

I thought it was a ton of fun. It took itself too seriously, but it was beautiful to look at, and I actually bought Elijah Wood as a serial killer.

@nach0sanchez: Alright, I watched Maniac. It was not what I expected. I liked it.The first person perspective, at first feel's like it could get annoying, but the first time they move the camera around and show his face I was into it. I felt for Frank, Wood play's him for sympathy well. I wanted to see this guy get help, but knew it wasnt going to happen, you cant help someone like Frank.