Starring - Bo Svenson (Curse II: The Bite, Kill Bill: Vol. 2), Chuck Connors (Tourist Trap, Werewolf), and Robert Ginty (The Exterminator, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man)
Release Date - 1987
Genre - Horror
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
When I was in high school a friend of mine bought Andrea Bianchi's Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror on VHS so we could have a Italian horror marathon with Zombi, Cemetery Man, and Deep Red. All of them were first time watches for me and they all would go on to become some of my favorite films. Nostalgia aside, I really enjoyed them all and for various reasons. Burial Ground mixes great atmosphere and locations with a solid zombie story and some great "what the fuck" moments. Sadly, that was the only Bianchi film that I had seen for some time until I was sent Strip Nude for Your Killer a couple years back for review. Until now, these were the only two of Bianchi's films I had seen until I saw the post from Full Moon announcing the release of the 1987 horror film Maniac Killer which they were releasing under the title Mania Killer. I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send over a review copy. Thanks guys!
The film follows a scientist who stays to himself and conducts studies on various animals brought to him by the mentally stunted Matthieu. When a string of women go missing the locals suspect that he is responsible for their disappearances. However, the real culprits is a cult of extreme Christians who are killing these women due to their loose morals in hopes of "saving their souls."
I was really looking forward to Mania Killer especially after how much I enjoy Andrea Bianchi's Burial Ground and Strip Nude For Your Killer. However, this movie was a real chore to finish. The movie felt like it was a mess of idea that were thrown onto paper with no real direction or reason. I didn't mind the acting and I actually liked some aspects of the story but the overall execution of the film is a big miss for me. The acting in this one is fairly well done. We get some well written characters that stand out against the story along with a cast that does not hold back in each and every scene. I really enjoyed the casting in this one with some underrated names tackling characters I would never associate with them. I enjoyed the acting and the way the characters were written. The story for this one pulls together several different aspects. I really enjoyed the religious cult that was Christian fanatics killing sex-workers. I wish the film was focused more on this aspect of this instead of the scientist using computers to speak with a man who is mentally ill. It would have been a cool moment in a heart-warming drama but in the middle of a horror film it feels out of place. Also, the pacing is all wrong. On the scenes that we get some fun tension and atmosphere, the pacing is just too fast. These scenes feel rushed and not fully appreciated while the dialogue heavy scenes are slowed down. Inconsistent pacing and uneven story made this one one seriously tough film to finish. Finally, the film has some pretty cool occult scenes with dark, cave like settings and wardrobes but if you are looking for a seriously bloody and gory film you will be very disappointed. It doesn't have those iconic gory scenes or what the fuck moments like Burial Ground does. Overall, Mania Killer was not the wild ride I was expecting. Hell, it was nothing like I was expecting and I fill like that's how most of the cast and crew feels about the film as well. The blu looks good but the film is not going to have a big fan base. Collectors may want to snag it but, sadly, I can't recommend it.
No comments:
Post a Comment