Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Maniac Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 8, 2018

Bill Lustig's "Maniac" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the disc include two exclusive new featurettes with the director; two vintage audio commentaries; large amount of archival promotional material for the film; documentary about actor Joe Spinell; vintage interview with composer Jay Chattaway; vintage interview with actress Caroline Munro; the film's original soundtrack placed on a separate CD; and a lot more. The release also arrives with a 20-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Gingold and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Russian, Swedish, and Thai subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Bill Lustig's "Maniac" (1980) was first released on Blu-ray by Blue Underground in 2010. For an in-depth analysis of the film, please see my colleague Marty Liebman's review of the original release here.

Maniac Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bill Lustig's Maniac arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration that will end up being the definitive presentation of this genre film. Here's why:

There are entirely new ranges of organic qualities that were never recognizable on the first release that Blue Underground produced in 2010, and as a result the film has an all-around better balanced and solid organic appearance. Simply put, everything from the superior depth to the improved clarity to the overall much better dynamic range works properly in coordination with something else that previously was lacking, and now for the first time all of the native 16mm qualities of the production become very easy to identify and appreciate. Here are two concrete examples: Instead of looking flat and anemic, the darker visuals now have proper filmic depth and do not destabilize fluidity as they did on the previous release (see screencaptures #1, 14, and 17). Second, the outdoor footage with plenty of natural light has all proper nuances with excellent organic qualities (see screencapture #4). Now, because the film was shot on 16mm and in a particular fashion some density fluctuations are easy to observe, but they are part of the original cinematography, not digital anomalies introduced by poor mastering choices. Colors are stable, healthy, and convincingly balanced. Image stability is excellent. There are no debris, stains, damage marks, or other age-related imperfections to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Maniac Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are six standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French: Dolby Digital 2.0, Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0, German: Dolby Digital 2.0, and Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Russian, Swedish, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Cantonese, and Thai yellow subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. It has obvious organic qualities -- street noise and unfiltered exchanges are part of the original sound design -- but keep in mind that this film actually had one of the very first Dolby Stereo soundtracks so in terms of intensity and dynamic movement there are a lot of interesting things happening to enhance the creepy atmosphere. The 7.1 track has even better managed dynamic ranges and obviously dynamic contrasts, as well as some additional enhancements where sound effects and music have an important role to play. The bottom line here is that the native qualities of the original sound design are recreated by the 2.0 track very nicely, so for the ultimate authentic experience I would recommend viewing the film with it. There are no audio dropouts, distortions, or other purely digital anomalies to report in our review.

Maniac Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Theatrical Trailers - a collection of vintage trailers for Maniac.
  
  1. U.S. "Hard" Trailer - fully remastered in 4K. (2 min, 1080p).
  2. U.S. "Soft" Trailer - fully remastered in 4K (2 min, 1080p).
  3. International Trailer - vintage international trailer (4 min, 480/60i).
  4. French Trailer - vintage French trailer. In French, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).
  5. German Teaser - vintage German teaser. In German, not subtitled. (1 min, 480/60i).
  6. German Trailer - vintage German trailer. In German, not subtitled. (3 min, 480/60i).
  7. Italian Trailer - vintage Italian trailer. In Italian, not subtitled. (4 min, 480/60i).

• TV Spots - a collection of vintage American TV spots for Maniac. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 480/60i).
  
  1. TV Spot: "Stalking"
  2. TV Spot: "Models"
  3. TV Spot: "Subway"
  4. TV Spot: "Helicopter"
  5. TV Spot: "Car"
  6. TV Spot: "Cemetery"
  7. TV Spot: "Toy"
  8. TV Spot: "Poster"
  9. TV Spot: "I Warned You"

• Radio Spots - presented here are four vintage American radio spots for Maniac. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Commentary One - this vintage audio commentary features director Bill Lustig and producer Andrew W. Garroni. The two gentlemen offer a wide variety of factual information about the conception of Maniac. For example, Bill Lustig confirms that the film was partially inspired by Jaws, with the killer shark becoming a dangerous loon on the loose in New York City. (The beach sequence in the beginning of Maniac clearly pays homage to Steven Spielberg's film). There are interesting comments about the color-grading of the film; an investigation of a real murder of a prostitute that apparently took place in the hotel where Joe Spinell kills one of his early targets; some specific lensing choices that were made at particular locations; the fact that Maniac was a learning experience for Bill Lustig; the funding of the film; the rated and unrated versions of the film; the home video history of the film and the cult status that it acquired, etc. The commentary was recorded in July, 2010.

• Commentary Two - this vintage audio commentary features director Bill Lustig, special make-up effects artist Tom Savini, editor Lorenzo Martinelli, and Joe Spinell's assistant, Luke Walter. Once again, there is a wealth of technical information about different aspects of the production of Maniac. Some of the comments that I found quite interesting address the film's sound design and effects and how they presented unexpected challenges to a few theater owners in the early '80s; the decision to shoot on 16mm; Bill Lustig's hilarious cameo in the hotel where the maniac initially goes berserk; the overlapping of the world of the maniac with the real world and the specific sound effects that were used to distinguish the two; etc.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Featurettes -
  
  1. Maniac Outtakes - in this exclusive new featurette, Bill Lustig introduces unique raw footage from the shooting of Maniac that has never been seen before. The director also discusses in great detail where and how different segments from his film were shot. In English, not subtitled. (19 min, 1080p).
  
  2. Returning to the Scene of the Crime - in this exclusive new featurette, Bill Lustig returns to the key locations in New York where he shot Maniac. The director also highlights a few of the notorious serial killers from the '70s and how they inspired different genre films, how the Big Apple changed -- apparently for the worse -- over the years, and Joe Spinell and his contribution to Maniac. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080p).
  
  3. Anna and the Killer - in this archival interview, Caroline Munro remembers her work with Bill Lustig on Maniac and describes her initial impressions of the complete film. The actress also discusses the early stages of her modeling/acting career. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).
  
  4. The Death Dealer - in this archival interview, special make-up effects artist Tom Savini recalls his involvement with Maniac and explains exactly how he did some of his most shocking effects, including the "bleeding knife". In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).
  
  5. Dark Notes - in this archival interview, composer Jay Chattaway discusses the types of harmonic contrasts that his soundtrack introduced in Maniac, as well as the actual scoring process and Bill Lustig's passion for film music. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).
  
  6. Maniac Men - in this archival featurette, songwriters Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky address a fascinating old "controversy" involving the origin of the famous "Maniac" song from Flashdance as well as its connection to Bill Lustig's film. Hilarious featurette. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).
  
  7. The Joe Spinell Story - this terrific archival documentary focuses on the colorful life and legacy of actor Joe Spinell. Included in it are clips from old interviews with actor/producer Frank Pesce, actor Luke Walter, actor and good friend Richard Lynch, and writer/director William Kennedy (The Undertaker), amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (50 min, 480/60i).
  
  8. Mr. Robbie - Maniac 2 promo reel. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080p).

• Publicity -
  
  1. "Paul Wunder" Radio Interview - in this archival interview, Bill Lustig, Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro discuss the conception of Maniac and their work together during the shooting process. Audio only. (20 min, 1080p).
  
  2. Bill Lustig on "Movie Madness" - in this archival featurette, Bill Lustig discusses his love for action and exploitation films, his maturation as a director, the production of Maniac, the film's critical reception and specifically what two famous critics from Chicago had to say about it, the type of thrills that exploitation and horror films are meant to deliver, etc. In English, not subtitled. (48 min, 480/60i).
  
  3. Joe Spinell at Cannes - presented here is archival footage from the Cannes Film Festival with Joe Spinell announcing that there will be a Maniac 2. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 480/60i).
  
  4. Joe Spinell on "The Joe Franklin Show" - in this archival episode of The Joe Franklin Show, Joe Spinell discusses his involvement with Maniac and some other characters parts that he had done before committing to it. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 480/60i).
  
  5. Caroline Munro TV Interview - in this archival interview, Caroline Munro discusses her decision to join the cast of Maniac. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 480/60i).
  
  6. Barf Bag Review Policy - a real blast from the past featuring Katie Kelly. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 480/60i).
  
  7. Grindhouse Film Festival Q&A - in this archival Q&A session, Bill Lustig and Sharon Mitchell talk about the good old days and their work on Maniac, as well as Joe Spinell's wild lifestyle and colorful personality. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 480/60i).
  
  8. Still Gallery - a large collection of vintage stills, posters, magazine clips, VHS covers, DVD covers, CD jackets, and photographs. (1080p).

• Controversy -
  
  1. Los Angeles - presented here are three vintage TV reports from Los Angeles area-based networks that address the supposedly scandalous nature of Bill Lustig's film.
  
  
  • Channel 7 News, 3/6/81, 11:00pm (2 min, 480/60i).
  • Channel 11 News, 3/6/81, 10:30pm (2 min, 480/60i).
  • NBC Tomorrow Show, 3/10/81 (4 min, 480/60i).
  
  2. Chicago - another similar TV report from the Chicago area.
  
  
  • Channel 2 News, 2/3/81, 10:00pm (2 min, 480/60i).
  
  3. Philadelphia - and another batch of similar TV reports from the City of Brotherly Love.
  
  
  • Channel 10 News, 3/2/81, 11:00pm (1 min, 480/60i).
  • Channel 3 News, 3/3/81, 6:00pm (1 min, 480/60i).
  • Channel 3 News, 3/6/81, 11:00pm (1 min, 480/60i).
  • Channel 6 News, 3/6/81, 5:30pm (1 min, 480/60i).
  
  3. "Newsbeat" - the two segments below focus on the use of violence in American films its marketing by the studios that produce them. Clips from archival interviews with directors and famous critics are included.
  
  
  • Violent Movies. (13 min, 480/60i)
  • Movie Violence. (9 min, 480/60i)
  
  4. "Midnight Blue" - additional content with pornographic director Al Goldstein.
  
  
  • Al Goldstein rants against violent movies. (4 min, 480/60i)
  • Al Goldstein mutilates his love doll. (3 min, 480/60i)
  
  5. Gallery of Outrage - presented here is a great collection of quotes from "outraged" mainstream critics that produced some quite colorful reviews after Maniac opened in theaters across the United States. There is even an intriguing message that came all the way from the Philippines. (1080p).

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Soundtrack - the original motion picture soundtrack by Jay Chattaway is presented on a separate CD. Sixteen tracks. (34 min).

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet featuring critic Michael Gingold's essay "Maniacs That Might Have Been" and technical credits.

• Cover - reversible cover.

Maniac Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have never been a fan of Maniac. The graphic violence in it is done in a rough, non-kitschy fashion that really rubs me the wrong way and prevents me from immersing myself in its period atmosphere. And this is usually what I find attractive in these types of genre projects -- the heavy atmosphere and the kitsch that they love to promote. However, I also think that there was absolutely no need to produce a well-polished remake of Bill Lustig's film because its period roughness is actually its greatest strength. (I may not like the film, but I know exactly why it works for its fans). This being said, my opinion of Maniac is only one part of my take on Blue Underground's new Blu-ray release, and believe me, there is a lot to like in it. First, it is sourced from an outstanding 4K remaster that will end up being the final makeover that the film gets on the home video market. Second, the bonus material that was gathered for the release, which includes even the original soundtrack on a separate CD, is beyond overwhelming. There is a ton of content here addressing a wide range of topics that anyone that cares about genre films will find intriguing. The archival commentaries for instance are terrific, and that documentary about Joe Spinell's wild lifestyle and work is unmissable. Simply put, the folks at Blue Underground went to work to produce the definitive home video release of Maniac and they delivered it. So, as far as I am concerned this is the type of top-quality work that deserves a perfect overall score. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.