Line #29 Film/Maniac1980


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maniac80_7625.jpg]]
2
3	->''"I warned you not to go out tonight."''
4	-->-- '''{{Tagline}}'''
5
6	A horror film from 1980. It was directed by William Lustig (''Film/ManiacCop'', ''Film/UncleSam'') and stars Creator/JoeSpinell in the title role.
7
8	It follows the exploits of the [[HeManWomanHater woman-hating]] and [[FreudianExcuse mommy issues]]-ridden psychopath Frank Zito, who wanders the streets of TheBigRottenApple from one brutal kill to the next, breathing heavily and babbling incoherently all the while.
9
10	The film's effects were provided by Creator/TomSavini, which includes the infamous "Disco Boy Scene" where a man's [[YourHeadASplode head explodes]] from a close range shotgun blast.
11
12	The film also has the dubious honor of being one of three movies the late [[Series/SiskelAndEbert Gene Siskel]] had ever walked out on.
13
14	The year 2012 was treated to a remake that was produced and written by Creator/AlexandreAja and which had Creator/ElijahWood star as the title character. It is mostly the same story, but with the twist that almost the entire film is [[UnbrokenFirstPersonPerspective shot from a first-person perspective]]. It also incorporates online dating.
15
16	Not to be confused with an even more crazy and totally unrelated 1934 film, ''Film/{{Maniac\|1934}}''. Or the 2018 TV show ''Series/{{Maniac\|2018}}''.
17
18	----
19	!!These films provide examples of:
20	* AffablyEvil: Frank, in both versions, though in different ways.
21	** In the original, despite his misogynistic streak, he takes a genuine liking to Anna and even warns a little girl who bumps into him on her bike to be careful.
22	** The remake version has none of the misogyny of his original counterpart and warns at least one victim to let him leave before he kills her.
23	* ActorAllusion: This isn't the first time Joe Spinell [[Film/TheGodfather shot someone to death through a glass window whilst wearing a suitably maniacal slasher smile.]]
24	* BigWordShout: ''"MOTHEEEEEEER!!!"''
25	* CreepyDoll: Various mannequins which wear scalps from Frank's victims that he keeps around his apartment.
26	* FreudianExcuse: Frank's mother was a prostitute who [[AbusiveParents beat him]] and would lock him in the closet when she was with her johns. That would certainly explain his awkwardness around the fairer sex, as well as why he kills women that remind him of her.
27	* {{Gorn}}: Both the original and remake do not leave much to the imagination.
28	* {{Hallucinations}}: Frank starts having these when Anna hurts him at the cemetery in the original. The remake has one as well.
29	* JobTitle: Well, Frank is certainly maniacal.
30	* MadnessMantra: "Rita knew ... Rita knew ... Rita knew ... Rita knew ... Rita knew ..."
31	* MissingMom: Frank misses his mother, despite the horrible abuse she put him through.
32	* MurderousMannequin: Frank hallucinates being ripped apart by his own mannequins (on which he placed the scalps of his victims) in both versions of the film.
33	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Frank has this reaction to most of his murders. It doesn't stop him from committing them, though.
34	* OneWordTitle: Which describes the AxCrazy Frank.
35	* PsychopathicManchild: Frank, more so in the original than in the remake. He's a mentally unstable serial killer with a room full of dolls and childhood toys, and has an unhealthy, childlike obsession with his belated mother.
36	* ReluctantPsycho: Frank hates killing and feels nothing but remorse for his crimes, but is urged on by his own psychosis.
37	* TheRemake: The unmade sequel was apparently going to be a remake of the 1975 film ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070572/ The Psychopath]]''. And of course, there's the remake of the original.
38	* SerialKiller: Frank murders five women (six in the remake) and takes their scalps as trophies.
39	* VillainProtagonist: Both films follow Frank's point of view.
40	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: When you take Frank's miserable life and general loneliness into account, he becomes a lot more pitiful than revolting. Made all the worse by his instant remorse whenever he claims a victim.
41
42	!!The 1980 version provides examples of:
43	* AllInTheEyes: Used when Frank wakes up, CatapultNightmare-style, and light is shining on his eyes.
44	* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler:Did Frank survive his suicide attempt, or did his eyes open due a post-mortem muscle spasm? If he did survive, what then? He's not going anywhere soon with a deep stomach wound and severe blood loss.]]
45	* AnArmAndALeg: Frank sees his hand being chopped off in his last hallucination.
46	* BedmateReveal: When Frank gets up from his bed, the audience is shown that the corpse of his latest victim is laying next to him.
47	* BloodSplatteredInnocents: Disco Girl gets covered with Disco Boy's blood when Frank shoots him.
48	* BoomHeadshot: Disco Boy's death, courtesy of a double-barrel shotgun blast by Frank.
49	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Frank addresses the viewers at one point. But hey, he's just crazy.
50	* BulletTime: Used when Frank shoots Disco Boy and when he attacks one of the Anna's photograph models.
51	* BungledSuicide: [[spoiler:Frank stabs himself in the stomach with a knife at the end, hallucinating it as his victims coming back to life to take their revenge. But at the end, after the cops leave to get the coroner, his eyes open.]]
52	* CampingACrapper: Frank chases a nurse into a subway restroom and kills her there.
53	* DisposableSexWorker: Frank's second on-screen victim is a hooker whom he picks up from the streets, and proceeds to strangle in bed.
54	* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler:Frank goes off the deep end, hallucinating that his victims have returned to take revenge, stabbing himself in the stomach in his madness. The cops show up to arrest him, and find him lying on his bed. They go get the coroner, and his eyes open the moment they close the door.]]
55	* GraveMarkingScene: Frank visits his mother's grave near the end.
56	* HeManWomanHater: Although Frank is remorseful for his killings, he still appears to have some issues with them, like his confusion regarding Anna's photographic project.
57	-->'''Frank:''' Now you tell me what I should do. I heard about it, I always do. I can't go out for a minute. It's impossible. Fancy girls, in their fancy dresses and lipstick, laughing and dancing. Should you stop them? I can't stop them. But you do, don't you? And they can't laugh and they can't dance anymore.
58	* HorrorDoesntSettleForSimpleTuesday: Takes place at Christmastime.
59	* MakeOutPoint: Disco Boy and Disco Girl drive into one near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge for some AutoErotica. Unfortunately, they were followed by Frank.
60	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Much of Frank's personality, mommy issues, and his scalp-taking were inspired by Ed Gein. He also shares some traits with the Son of Sam in terms of appearance, place of residence, and time frame of his murders.
61	* NoNameGiven: Most of the characters, like Disco Boy and Disco Girl.
62	* NoTellMotel: Frank takes the hooker whom he intends to kill into an establishment like this.
63	* OffWithHisHead: Frank's final hallucination has his mannequins come to life and ripping his head off.
64	* RiseFromYourGrave: Frank has a hallucination at the graveyard of his mother's maggot-infested corpse rising from the grave and grabbing him.
65	* SenselessViolins: Frank carries his shotgun in a violin case.
66	* ShovelStrike: Anna attacks Frank with a shovel when he is chasing her in the cemetery.
67	* SinisterSubway: Frank follows one of his victims through one.
68	* SlashedThroat: Frank does this to his first on-screen victim (whom he finds on the beach waiting for her boyfriend) with a razor blade.
69	* StalkerShrine: There's one for Frank's mother, that's right next to his bed.
70	* WouldntHurtAChild: A little girl bumps into Frank on her bike; he just tells her to be careful and sends her on her way.
71	* YourHeadASplode: Disco Boy's head explodes thanks to a shotgun blast.
72
73	!!The 2012 version provides examples of:
74	* AdaptationalAttractiveness: In the original film, Frank was a sweaty, beer-bellied middle-aged man. He's played by Creator/ElijahWood in this version, and the comparison is even lampshaded by one of his victims. Though his hands are covered in scabs and burns from SelfHarm.
75	* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Slightly. Frank was, in the original, cripplingly awkward and had a few misogynistic tendencies outside of his mommy issues and his killings, [[ObviouslyEvil has "serial killer" written all over him]], but was disturbed by actually killing women. Here, he doesn't seem to hate women (he outright tells one of his victims that he likes her and tries to warn her to leave before he kills her) and while still awkward, his awkwardness comes off sweet and endearing when it's not heartbreaking. He has more in common with [[Film/{{Psycho}} Norman Bates]] than he does his original counterpart.
76	* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:Frank doesn't survive this time around, and after sitting through an hour and a half watching what sanity he has deteriorate, it's really sad.]]
77	* CarFu: Anna tries to run down the serial killer with his car.
78	* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler: Anna]] dies in a car crash, and Frank claims her scalp. [[spoiler:Also, Frank bleeds out from his stomach wound in this one.]]
79	* DownerEnding: Unlike the original version, [[spoiler:all of Frank's intended targets die, along with Frank himself]].
80	* EvenEvilHasStandards: In the opening scene, Frank is disgusted with a man for sexually harassing one of his victims-to-be. Or perhaps he just wanted him to get away from her so he could track her.
81	* FacialHorror: The end has Frank [[spoiler:hallucinating that his face gets ripped to shreds]].
82	* FinalGirl: [[spoiler:Subverted with Anna, as she dies this time around.]]
83	* INeverSaidItWasPoison: Anna realizes she's AloneWithThePsycho when Frank comes over to her apartment to comfort her, and starts spilling more details about Rita's murder than he has any good reason to know, such as the distance from her apartment to the art gallery.
84	* {{Jerkass}}:
85	** Anna's boyfriend, Jason. He calls Frank gay and continues to belittle and antagonize him afterwards. According to Anna, he was an asshole to her, as well, which led to them breaking up after the party.
86	** To a lesser extent, Rita. She ([[MaliciousMisnaming possibly]]) mistakenly calls him "Fred", and mocks his profession to his face. [[JerkassHasAPoint Though she wasn't wrong about the mannequins being creepy]], and is implied to have been on good terms with Rita.
87	* JizzedInMyPants: Implied. While Frank is scalping one of his victims, he lets out a long, pleasurable sigh.
88	* MaskOfSanity: Frank hides how he disturbed he is very well, and most of the characters seem to think of him as at worst a little eccentric.
89	* MythologyGag:
90	** Lucie tells Frank that he's "not what I imagined, I thought you'd be fat with long greasy hair". This is a reference to Joe Spinell, the actor who played Frank in the original.
91	** Frank chases one of his victims through a subway, as he did in the original, though he kills her in a parking lot.
92	** The aforementioned scene in the parking lot ends with Frank scalping his victim and facing the car in front of him, casting a reflection that resembles the cover of the original.
93	* ThePublicDomainChannel: Frank and Anna attend a screening of ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari''.
94	* RageAgainstTheReflection: Frank takes out his frustrations on a mirror, unhappy over his psychotic urges.
95	* SelfHarm: Frank makes a routine out of washing his hands under scalding hot water and scrubbing them with a wire brush.
96	* ShoutOut:
97	** The film includes a version of [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Q Lazzarus' "Goodbye Horses."]]
98	** Frank and Anna attend a screening of ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari''.
99	* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: Frank looks normal and even attractive, and has no trouble getting dates on dating sites. Most of the characters don't seem to notice how disturbed he is even after lengthy conversations.
100	* TroubledButCute: Women tend to see Frank as attractive, but he's clearly got a lot of issues and tries to push them away before he kills them.
101	* UnbrokenFirstPersonPerspective: Not quite an example - while most of the film is from Frank's POV, it periodically breaks perspective to depict events from an omniscient third-person perspective, such as when Frank murders his third victim in a parking lot. The film also employs a handful of [[ThirdPersonFlashback Third Person Flashbacks]] to Frank's childhood, and sometimes depicts Frank's fantasies or hallucinations from a third-person perspective (although it could be argued that these are still from his perspective, given that all of these are occurring [[MentalStory inside his head]]).
102	* VomitIndiscretionShot: From a first-person perspective, no less.

Context Film / Maniac1980