Maniac Details

At last a so called " Video nasty " that has been released uncut. We have a stalk and slash film with a real difference. This is the story of Frank who has obviously had a very abusive childhood, who is going around killing women and then scalping them to then nail their hair on to manaquins he keeps in his apartment.

The great thing about this film is the killer isn't a far fetched masked, only see his hands sort of killer. He is a person that has feelings and even regrets the unspeakable acts he carries out... you even get to feel a sort of pity for him... but not for long !!!

The special effects are superb, carried out by Tom Savini ( Friday 13th)... the extra's on the DVD are once again excellent.

To be honest I am very suprised the BBFC let this one go uncut.. but very glad they did. Please be warned this is brutal stuff.. but the reason I enjoyed it... is because it is very well made and acted.. this is a hell of a lot more scarier than any slasher film made these days.

I dare you to watch this alone with the lights out !!!!

Dirty down horror

This was much maligned on release but actually stands up better now than it did then. Compared to the modern glossy Hollywood horror movie this is refreshingly grimy - a cheaply made, nasty insight into a deranged mind that really doesn't pull any punches. Like the original 'Evil Dead' you really feel that it is the sort of film that could do anything. It is very, very violent - 5 people bloodily dispatched in loving detail in the first half hour, including gore maestro Tom Savini who contributes his own trademark exploding head shot.

It's pulled out of the gutter by an awesome, sweaty, obsessive performance from Spinell (who also co-wrote and produced). There is an excellent documentary about the actor on the special features (amusingly enough he was paid far more on 'The Godfather' as a bit parter than the main stars) charting his drunken rise and fall.

This is a nasty piece of work, genuinely leaving you with a bad taste in the mouth and feeling like a shower afterwards (like 'The Last House on the Left') but in being so, probably a whole lot more honest than more expensive productions.