William Lustig’s 1980 grindhouse classic Maniac developed a legendary reputation for its uncompromising depiction of mental illness and its unrelenting violence. Now, Franck Khalfoun’s remake seems poised to do the same. Starring the boyish Elijah Wood as the title… well, Maniac… Khalfoun puts you in the serial killer’s shoes by telling the film from a first-person perspective. In this CraveOnline Exclusive clip from the Blu-ray of Maniac – available in stores October 15, 2013 – Elijah Wood explains why he couldn’t turn that opportunity down.
A disturbed young man who gives the mannequins in his story some very lifelike touches is the monster at the center of the shocker of the year. Elijah Wood, in a role unlike any he has ever undertaken, stars in MANIAC, the new macabre masterpiece from the creator of the hit thrillers High Tension and The Hills Have Eyes. The film slashes its way onto Blu-ray and DVD from IFC Films and MPI Media Group on October 15, 2013, with SRPs, respectively, of $29.98 and $24.98.
In this 21st century Jack the Ripper story set in present-day Los Angeles, Frank (Elijah Wood, The Lord of the Rings) leads a deceptively peaceful life. To the outside world, he’s a withdrawn and somewhat eccentric owner of a mannequin store. But his quiet façade masks an inner rage that forces him to brutally kill and scalp the women who get too close to him.
When a young artist named Anna (Nora Arnezeder, Safe House) appears one day at Frank’s shop and asks for his help with her new exhibition, Frank develops an obsession with her that threatens to completely destroy his already fragile psyche. Soon the streets become unsafe for any woman after dark as this newly awakened maniac begins to stalk and kill.
A remake of William Lustig and Joe Spinell’s 1980 cult classic of the same name, MANIAC, was written by Aja Alexandre, the screenwriter of The Hills Have Eyes, High Tension and Mirrors. The film is an intimate, visually daring, psychologically complex and profoundly horrific trip into the downward spiraling nightmare of a killer and his victims.
Special features on the release will include:
– Commentary
– Feature length making-of that covers all aspects of production
– Deleted scenes
– Alt poster gallery
