Maniac (2012)

First, I can't understand why the original had to be remade. What made that film special wasn't the direction from William Lustig, or the gore effects from Tom Savini (although they did do a top notch job), but rather the world created by Joe Spinell. He is the true heart and soul of the original movie, and like anyone's heart and soul, it could never be duplicated. He had as much to do with the film's direction as Lustig did, and even poured much of his own money into it. Once you strip Spinell from the original, it just becomes a generic slasher film, so I ask again, why was this remade? Just make a similar movie with a different title and character names. Its not like the title "Maniac" has a lot of name value...

This movie is exactly what you expect from someone trying to duplicate something unique. A generic modernized version of a classic, with a few gimmicks thrown in so they could at least say they tried. The POV gimmick is just terrible. There's a reason why you don't see films being made this way (besides found-footage garbage). I guess it's an attempt to put us into Frank's head, but its truly unnecessary and doesn't work cinematically. It just comes off as a hokey and desperate attempt to stand-out. If you want to stand-out, do so by making a good movie, not by changing the camera angle. Good film-making requires much more than that.

Elijah Wood as Frank is a true testament to modern filmmaking- Use a pretty face on a killer to create irony OR to cash in on that actor's name value. Joe Spinell wasn't a household name when he did Maniac. Probably due to his appearance. He most definitely didn't have a pretty face. He was over-weight and someone you could imagine having trouble making friends in school. When I watch the original, I see an "ugly" man who struggles with social stress as a result. He makes that role completely believable. Elijah Wood does not. I can't even go into Wood's acting because it's absolutely minimal in this film, since nearly all of the movie is POV.

Another huge gripe for me was the CGI. The first death scene of the film is supposed to set the tone for the rest of the film. But what do we get? A hokey CGI death. Although the rest of the film does in fact have practical effects, they're CGI enhanced. Compare this scene with the opening death scene of the original Maniac and tell me which looks more realistic and less hokey.

Despite how much I disliked this movie, and how much of an atrocity it is compared to the original, I did find that music absolutely perfect for a Maniac-type film. It's just a real shame it was wasted on such trash.

Whats truly disturbing are all the good reviews here on IMDb. A few have even said this film was better than the original. Some have said they haven't seen the original so they couldn't compare. But I say DO compare, you may be shocked to realize how much better the original film is! Regardless, reviews do not make a movie good, so I'm hoping that as the film becomes more commercially available, the true face of this film will come through from the new reviews...or maybe not.

I was once at a screening of the original Maniac in NYC at the Sunshine Theater, of which William Lustig was attending to do a Q and A (he only lives blocks away from the theater). When asked about selling the rights for a remake, he stated, and I quote exactly: "I'm a whore for money." Another sad day in horror. Spinell would've been saddened by this...