"Maniac" - directed by Franck Khalfoun
Like "The Evil Dead" remake before it "Maniac" would appear to be inspired by a film best left alone.
Do we really need a remake?
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of "The Evil Dead" earlier this year (review) but the source for that one is a different kettle of fish.
Sam Raimi's film was hard edged when it was released but it also had a healthy dollop of humour in parts.
William Lustig's 1980 horror film "Maniac" on the other hand is decidedly lacking in anything even remotely funny.
It is grim, dark, depressing and unrelenting.
And not terribly well received outside of horror fandom.
In fact it was sited as a 'video nasty' in Great Britain during the ridiculousness that resulted in the Video Recordings Act (1984) and banned in several countries around the world.
Perhaps unsurprisingly then this new version of "Maniac" has recently been banned in my own country.
Luckily festival screenings are exempt and it was possible to see it.
On a side note- what a strange thing it is to suggest that a movie is 'injurious to the public good' but that film festival audiences will be immune to its allegedly potent psychological effects.
Hard to read on any other level than that of snobbish superiority.
And speaking of that.... Can we please, please, please have the Incredibly Strange Film Festival back as its own entity and not as part of the Auckland International Film Festival?
I am tired of horror film tourists showing up to these and laughing at all of the wrong parts as if horror films are quaint curiosities never to be uttered in the same breath as The Coen Brothers, Bergman or Kubrick.
In the good old days of the ISFF these screenings would be attended by honest to God horror fans who lapped them up with genuine relish rather than with condesension.
This was one of the worst screenings that I have attended at a Film Festival with latecomers, horse laughers, bag crinklers and early departers.
But even in light of this... this is a damned good horror movie and a pleasure to have been able to see.
The first thing that differentiates Frank Khalfoun's remake from Lustig's original is a move from New York City to Los Angeles.
The second is the use of the lead character's point of view for 99% of the film.
We are put right into the troubled shoes of Frank Zito as he stalks women, kills them and scalps them (sometimes- horrifically- not in that order).
The opening sequence is an almost perfect introduction to what is to follow.
As audience members we are forced to be almost complicit in the acts that Frank commits.
As hunting knives, cleavers and straight razors are sliced and plunged against and into human flesh it is as if we ourselves are living the moment.
We are challenged to identify with the killer.
It is not uncommon for horror movies to allow sympathy for characters who commit horrific, homicidal acts.
Normal Bates is possibly the best example but there are many more.
Of course any person in their right mind can only take the sympathy so far and the net result of the journey from sympathy to disgust makes "Maniac" an unusual experience.
In contrast to the original there is a visual freshness to the movie - it is superbly shot.
We do get frequent shots of Elijah Wood thanks to some convenient mirrors in cars, bathrooms and even a ceiling in one scene.
But as he prowls night time Los Angeles looking for women it is our eyes too that are focused on the attractive women that he seeks.
There is an abundance of flesh on show but Frank cannot 'enjoy' it as most would seek to.
He has brutally killed several before he meets one that is different and makes him feel something stronger and more compelling to him.
Photographer Anna believes that she has found a kindred spirit in Frank.
She is wrong.
Nora Arnezeder as Anna pulls of a difficult trick.
She manages to be every but as appealing as the gorgeous Caroline Munro from the original film.
The French actress is a ringer for the beautiful Diane Kruger and it is little wonder that she effects Frank more than any of his other targets.
Having seen what Frank has done to the others the danger that Anna is in is even more apparent.
The 1980 film was famous for its uber-violent murders courtesy of the effects work of the masterful Tom Savini.
The 2013 version ramps things up considerably.
The POV shot of a hunting knife thrusting into a woman's skull by way of her chin is incredibly well executed (no pun intended) as is a one shot scalping.
In fact the effects work is so good as to detract from the shock factor.
There is surprisingly little impact in the violence for the most part.
Given that we are seeing them from the killers point of view this may seem a criticism but in fact it is a strength.
It challenges the viewer to consider more deeply what makes the killer tick.
We are given plenty of clues with flashbacks to Franks childhood and the abhorrent behaviour of his Mother.
Elijah woods angelic face and blue eyes are this films secret weapon.
He has played psycho before in the excellent "Sin City" but here he is given infinitely more depth than the one dimensional Kevin from Robert Rodriguez's stylish film.
Just the right amount of sympathy is garnered by his portrayal.
An early scene shows him unable to enjoy a sexual encounter with a more than willing date met online.
There are instances where we actively want Frank to kill people.
There are a couple of pretentious bores that he encounters who treat him with such disdain that the idea that he may kill them is not entirely objectionable.
When he does in fact kill one it turns out to be a disturbing and grueling scene.
Our lust for blood is shown to us in a mirror.
The ground explored is the same as classics of the genre such as "Pyscho" and "Peeping Tom" with the killers deeply flawed character the main focus.
Wood is terrific in this role and it is a genuinely brave role for him to have taken.
There are numerous nods to genre films with a sly use of "Goodbye Horses" - the song forever associated with "The Silence of the Lambs" and even a shot paying direct homage to the poster of the original film as Frank is reflected in a car door holding a knife in one hand and a blood dripping scalp in the other.
Early German film "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari" is shown first on an awning and later in an actual screening.
It is refreshing to see a serious horror movie acknowledging its audience like this.
And this is certainly a serious horror film.
At a time when a barrage of Scream films and anemic PG rated knockoffs threatened to derail the genre "Maniac" shows that horror still has a lot to offer.
It takes the essence of the 1980 original and successfully re-imagines it for a modern audience.
There is much to connect this to the orginal film and just as much to separate it.
The move from New York to Los Angeles is inspired and gives the film its own look.
It challenges with its POV perspective and extreme violence and ultimately succeeds by offering barely a moments respite from either.
"Maniac" is a rare beast but a very welcome one - a modern horror movie proud to be one without feeling the need to dilute the experience.
Anyone interested in seeing it should head to the UK Amazon site to pick up the uncut blu-ray.
Ironically it is Britain that now allows this film to exist when my own country does not.
Buy it here... Amazon
Do we really need a remake?
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of "The Evil Dead" earlier this year (review) but the source for that one is a different kettle of fish.
Sam Raimi's film was hard edged when it was released but it also had a healthy dollop of humour in parts.
William Lustig's 1980 horror film "Maniac" on the other hand is decidedly lacking in anything even remotely funny.
It is grim, dark, depressing and unrelenting.
And not terribly well received outside of horror fandom.
In fact it was sited as a 'video nasty' in Great Britain during the ridiculousness that resulted in the Video Recordings Act (1984) and banned in several countries around the world.
Perhaps unsurprisingly then this new version of "Maniac" has recently been banned in my own country.
Luckily festival screenings are exempt and it was possible to see it.
On a side note- what a strange thing it is to suggest that a movie is 'injurious to the public good' but that film festival audiences will be immune to its allegedly potent psychological effects.
Hard to read on any other level than that of snobbish superiority.
And speaking of that.... Can we please, please, please have the Incredibly Strange Film Festival back as its own entity and not as part of the Auckland International Film Festival?
I am tired of horror film tourists showing up to these and laughing at all of the wrong parts as if horror films are quaint curiosities never to be uttered in the same breath as The Coen Brothers, Bergman or Kubrick.
In the good old days of the ISFF these screenings would be attended by honest to God horror fans who lapped them up with genuine relish rather than with condesension.
This was one of the worst screenings that I have attended at a Film Festival with latecomers, horse laughers, bag crinklers and early departers.
But even in light of this... this is a damned good horror movie and a pleasure to have been able to see.
The second is the use of the lead character's point of view for 99% of the film.
We are put right into the troubled shoes of Frank Zito as he stalks women, kills them and scalps them (sometimes- horrifically- not in that order).
The opening sequence is an almost perfect introduction to what is to follow.
As audience members we are forced to be almost complicit in the acts that Frank commits.
As hunting knives, cleavers and straight razors are sliced and plunged against and into human flesh it is as if we ourselves are living the moment.
We are challenged to identify with the killer.
It is not uncommon for horror movies to allow sympathy for characters who commit horrific, homicidal acts.
Normal Bates is possibly the best example but there are many more.
Of course any person in their right mind can only take the sympathy so far and the net result of the journey from sympathy to disgust makes "Maniac" an unusual experience.
In contrast to the original there is a visual freshness to the movie - it is superbly shot.
We do get frequent shots of Elijah Wood thanks to some convenient mirrors in cars, bathrooms and even a ceiling in one scene.
But as he prowls night time Los Angeles looking for women it is our eyes too that are focused on the attractive women that he seeks.
There is an abundance of flesh on show but Frank cannot 'enjoy' it as most would seek to.
He has brutally killed several before he meets one that is different and makes him feel something stronger and more compelling to him.
Photographer Anna believes that she has found a kindred spirit in Frank.
She is wrong.
Nora Arnezeder as Anna pulls of a difficult trick.
She manages to be every but as appealing as the gorgeous Caroline Munro from the original film.
The French actress is a ringer for the beautiful Diane Kruger and it is little wonder that she effects Frank more than any of his other targets.
Having seen what Frank has done to the others the danger that Anna is in is even more apparent.
The 2013 version ramps things up considerably.
The POV shot of a hunting knife thrusting into a woman's skull by way of her chin is incredibly well executed (no pun intended) as is a one shot scalping.
In fact the effects work is so good as to detract from the shock factor.
There is surprisingly little impact in the violence for the most part.
Given that we are seeing them from the killers point of view this may seem a criticism but in fact it is a strength.
It challenges the viewer to consider more deeply what makes the killer tick.
We are given plenty of clues with flashbacks to Franks childhood and the abhorrent behaviour of his Mother.
Elijah woods angelic face and blue eyes are this films secret weapon.
He has played psycho before in the excellent "Sin City" but here he is given infinitely more depth than the one dimensional Kevin from Robert Rodriguez's stylish film.
Just the right amount of sympathy is garnered by his portrayal.
An early scene shows him unable to enjoy a sexual encounter with a more than willing date met online.
There are instances where we actively want Frank to kill people.
There are a couple of pretentious bores that he encounters who treat him with such disdain that the idea that he may kill them is not entirely objectionable.
When he does in fact kill one it turns out to be a disturbing and grueling scene.
Our lust for blood is shown to us in a mirror.
The ground explored is the same as classics of the genre such as "Pyscho" and "Peeping Tom" with the killers deeply flawed character the main focus.
Wood is terrific in this role and it is a genuinely brave role for him to have taken.
There are numerous nods to genre films with a sly use of "Goodbye Horses" - the song forever associated with "The Silence of the Lambs" and even a shot paying direct homage to the poster of the original film as Frank is reflected in a car door holding a knife in one hand and a blood dripping scalp in the other.
Early German film "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari" is shown first on an awning and later in an actual screening.
And this is certainly a serious horror film.
At a time when a barrage of Scream films and anemic PG rated knockoffs threatened to derail the genre "Maniac" shows that horror still has a lot to offer.
It takes the essence of the 1980 original and successfully re-imagines it for a modern audience.
There is much to connect this to the orginal film and just as much to separate it.
The move from New York to Los Angeles is inspired and gives the film its own look.
It challenges with its POV perspective and extreme violence and ultimately succeeds by offering barely a moments respite from either.
"Maniac" is a rare beast but a very welcome one - a modern horror movie proud to be one without feeling the need to dilute the experience.
Anyone interested in seeing it should head to the UK Amazon site to pick up the uncut blu-ray.
Ironically it is Britain that now allows this film to exist when my own country does not.
Buy it here... Amazon
| Rated | R18 but in fact banned in New Zealand outside of festivals |
| Running Time: | 89 minutes (1hr, 26mins without end credits) |
| Starring: |
| Elijah Wood | --- Frank |
| Nora Arnezeder | --- Anna |
| Genevieve Alexandra | --- Jessica |
| Brian Arnes | --- 80's Man 1 |
| Liane Balaban | --- Judy |
| Jan Broberg | --- Rita |
| Aaron Colom | --- Alley Man |
| Megan Duffy | --- Lucie |
| Eli Dupont | --- Young Frank |
| Dan Hunter | --- Nick |
| Patrick Orr | --- 80's Man 2 |
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