Maniac 1980 Horror Movie Review

In the midst of the junk-laden slasher movie craze of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s came one of those rare exceptions: “Maniac.”  Anchored by the brilliantly creepy performance of Joe Spinell and an atmosphere awash in grungy and claustrophobia-inducing locations, “Maniac” succeeds where the vast majority of its contemporaries failed: it’s genuinely disturbing.  Yes, the slasher-movie conventions are all here (except for the standard teenage morons, thankfully), but the execution is superb.  I could’ve lived without the dopey final shot, but that’s a minor quibble.  Throw your “Friday the 13th” DVDs in the wastebasket and replace them with the real thing.