Directed By:
William Lustig

Starring:
Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Gail Lawrence and Tom Savini

Rated R
Genre: Horror
Format Used: Netflix DVD
Contains: Graphic Lanugage, Graphic Violence, Nudity, Graphic Sexual Content

THE PLOT:

Frank Zito is a crazed schizoid serial killer, that murders women for their hair to tape on maniquins in order to have sex with the maniquins, I imagine. I don't know.

Frank gets obsesed with a photographer, but who can find the time to woo a lady in between killings.

ZEDD'S OPINION:

Okay, let's weigh what this movie does right and what this movie does wrong. I'm seeing a tilted scale coming. Anyway, what it does right, the effects. The effects are very impressive considering it was 1980. What it does wrong, everything else. The story follows Frank around like it was "Frank Zito! This is your life!" This Frank Zito is carrying the movie, basically alone, we watch him sleep, we watch him stalk victims, he see him kill (of course.) But it's all about him. We learn nothing about his victims, there's no connection to the victims, nothing tying them together, one's a nurse, one's a hooker. His pattern doesn't make any sense, where are the Police during all this? Where's the Police Detective going, this pattern doesn't make any sense? When there is a serial killer, there is Policeman scratching his head. Where is the press? Where are the reporters calling this guy "THE SCALPER" or "THE HEADHUNTER". That's the only pattern, him scalping them. Where are the forensics looking for fingerprints or the coroner, this movies leaves a whole lot out which makes it terribly boring and uninteresting. Frank Zito is not interesting enough of a character to carry the movie alone. If you just want to see a bloody gore fest with no substance or story, then I recommend MANIAC, but if you want story, not just a gory sleeping pill then avoid it at all cost. I give it, the CRAP-O-LANTERN!

VOLTRON'S OPINION:

Zedd is right, none of the supporting cast have any kind of back story, they might as well not even be there. Caroline Munro should have just gotten topless and got it over with, it would have helped her career allot better then this two-dimensional yawn fest. Some find it interesting, maybe, if your Freud. But as for me the adverage Joe on the street, I find it a big snooze and should have never been made. I give it the CRAP-O-LANTERN as well.

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE (+ HITS):

+ GORE EFFECTS (The gore effects is done well. If you want your movie to have all gore with no substance then this is for you.)

ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE (- MISSES):

- SUBSTANCE (Basically, there wasn't any.)
- CHARACTERS (Except for Zito, none of the characters had any substance of depth. They weren't characters, they were clay pideons to be taken out by Zito.)
- NO POLICE (So where the Police during all these horrible murders?)
- NO VICTIM PATTERN (Except women, there is no pattern.)
- NO PRESS (Where the press reporting all they can about the victims?)
- ZITO (As a character, Frank Zito isn't interesting enough to carry the movie all alone.)

...AND FINALLY...

- ALL GORE NO SUBSTANCE (If you want anykind of substance, character delvopment or story in your movie, then avoid MANIAC. It's all gore and no substance.)