Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Multiple Maniacs Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 27, 2017

John Waters' "Multiple Maniacs" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new audio commentary by writer-director John Waters; newly produced program featuring new interviews with cast members; and new video essay by film scholar Gary Needham. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring writer and journalist Linda Yablonsky's essay "Genuine Trash" and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Freaky lady

For years one of my best friends was a film enthusiast who did plenty of work for a small but ambitious film festival whose program was always surprisingly diverse. We attended many screenings together and frequently had long conversations about the films we had seen. We had very different taste in cinema, but quite often agreed with each other because we could find plenty to appreciate even when one of us was clearly not as thrilled as the other wanted him to be. I have to give him credit for introducing me to various ‘smaller’ films that I most likely would have never had the opportunity to discover because many of them did not get signed for wide distribution.

One of our longest and most intense discussions was about John Waters’ films. My friend flat-out refused to see them because apparently they fit just below the entry level bar he had set for bad cinema. So according to him they were not just bad, but really terrible films and therefore not worth his time. His stance bothered me a lot for two simple reasons. First, I knew that his interest in cinema had no conventional limits and therefore there was no good reason that I could find for his rejection of Waters’ films. Second, I also knew that he had never seen any of them, so he couldn’t have been as certain as he was that they were in fact that poor. These discussions went on for a long time, and while quite entertaining, they were also very frustrating because I never managed to change his mind. Now you probably wonder why I mention all of this. There is a good reason. A few days ago, I was listening to the new audio commentary with Waters that is included on this Blu-ray release of Multiple Maniacs and at one point he essentially mentioned the same counterargument that years ago I repeatedly offered to my friend by asking if one can really know how great a film is without seeing a truly terrible one. It is a rhetorical question of course, and the answer has always made perfect sense to me.

So, just how terrible is Multiple Maniacs?

It is a low-budget film that essentially goes on rampage immediately after its opening credits disappear and attempts to either compromise or shamelessly distort just about everything that defines great mainstream films -- from brilliant acting and camerawork to effective editing and sound management. Basically, Multiple Maniacs is a kitschy and scandalous ‘rebel’ film that makes as much noise and damage as its tiny budget allows.

Ultimately, however, it is entirely up to you to decide if what Waters and his freaks do in front of his camera is truly terrible, or so bad that it is actually brilliant. Some of the material is quite amateurishly edited and it definitely shows, but some is also so genuinely weird that the potential to be entertaining is definitely there. In other words, the decisive factor is whether you can switch in a completely different viewing mode -- one where poor and terrible can become good and great -- in order to begin appreciating or (gasp) enjoying what Multiple Maniacs has to offer.

The most outrageous material is with the legendary Divine who is unquestionably the heart and soul of Multiple Maniacs. Divine is the most authentic of the freaks and when she feels inspired and lets loose there are some real surprises. (The lovemaking sequence at the end is truly epic). David Lochary’s enthusiasm is also admirable, but his improvisations are generally a lot more subdued.

Multiple Maniacs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Waters' Multiple Maniacs arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"The film was shot on an Auricon 16mm camera using Kodak black-and-white reversal film with audio magnetic stripe. Additional exterior footage was filmed on a Bell & Howell hand-cranked camera. Kodak Plus-X film was used for the exteriors, while Kodak Tri-X was used for the interiors. The reversal original was kept in Waters' closet from 1970 until he moved in 1990, after which it was kept in Waters' attic at occasional 100-plus-degree temperatures -- until the Criterion Collection retrieved it and scanned it in 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner at Metropolis Post in New York. The film was in remarkably good condition even after its tumultuous nonarchival history. Digital restoration techniques were used to stabilize the image; clean the up the dirt, scratches, and debris; and give Multiple Maniacs a new shine for its digital premiere. The monaural soundtrack was remastered from the original 16mm magnetic audio track and digitized in 96K resolution at DJ Audio in Burbank, California. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX.

Transfer supervisor: John Waters.
Picture supervisor and colorist: Lee Kline.
Sound supervisor and mixer: Ryan Hullings.
Restoration supervisor: Phoebe Harmon.
Restoration facility: Criterion Collection/New York."

Because different stock was used for different segments some minor density fluctuations can be observed, but fluidity is never impacted and actually the entire film has an enormously impressive solid organic appearance (you can see the difference if you compare screencapture #6 and screencapture #13). Depth and clarity are largely very pleasing, though I must point out that some sporadic drops in focus and delineation can emerge because plenty of the hand-held footage could be uncharacteristically erratic. Grain is nicely exposed and resolved, but for the exact same reasons that are described above minor fluctuations can be seen again. Also, there are select areas where highlights appear slightly elevated and image balance is affected, but the stock and unique lensing preferences are responsible for them, not digital anomalies that were introduced during the restoration process. Image stability is very good. There are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, or warped frames (even previously easy to spot wear marks and vertical lines are now effectively minimized and virtually impossible to spot; see screencapture #15). My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-a or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Multiple Maniacs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

In the new commentary that is included on this release dierctor John Waters mentions that the excellent audio restoration has made it possible to hear lines that were previously unrecognizable. I have to agree, because while there are minor balance and fluidity fluctuations overall clarity is outstanding, and even during the outdoor sequences where there are plenty of organic sounds and noises there are no distracting age-related anomalies. Dynamic intensity, however, is modest.

Multiple Maniacs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - in this new audio commentary, writer-director John Waters discusses in great detail why his films were never popular in the original grindhouse theaters, the influence foreign films had on their evolution, how Multiple Maniacs came to exist, the casting process and the lives and careers of many of the principal actors, the distribution history of the film, the 'controversial' material and how standards in the film business evolved during the years, some of the dramatic improvements that were made during the restoration of the film (with some very interesting comments about the audio quality in a key sequence), etc. The commentary was recorded in 2016 in New York.

• Interviews - presented here is a newly produced program featuring new interviews with cast member Mink Stole, Pat Moran, Vincent Peranio, Susan Lowe, and George Figgs. The interviews cover a wide range of topics, from the film's unusual conception to the shooting process to John Waters' working methods and unique personality. The interviews were conducted in Baltimore in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (33 min, 1080p).

• The Stations of Filth - presented here is a brand new video essay by film scholar Gary Needham which focuses on the unorthodox style of Multiple Maniacs, John Waters' admirable obsession with kitsch and cinematic filth, and the proliferation of anti-art. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - restored original trailer for Multiple Maniacs. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring writer and journalist Linda Yablonsky's essay "Genuine Trash" and technical credits.

Multiple Maniacs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I choose to view Multiple Maniacs as one giant freak show with a few exceptionally colorful characters that probably belong in the annals of American cinema but for all the wrong reasons. There is no doubt that it is not for everyone, though the truth is that it was never meant to be, and this is essentially the reason why it still largely works as intended. The film has been recently restored in 4K by Criterion and looks astonishing on Blu-ray. Let's hope that Lee Kline and his team will also be able to work on some of Paul Morrissey's films and bring them to the Collection. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.