Released: January 30, 1981 (New York)
Loosely based on the Son Of Sam killer that terrorized New York in 1977, Joe Spinell plays Frank Zito, a disturbed mother-obsessed killer who hunts and kills primarily women. Tom Savini also gets treated to a particularly gruesome death having his head blown off by a shotgun, a job the effects wizard got because he already happened to have a cast of his own head on hand. Caroline Munro (Dracula AD 1972, Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter) plays Anna, the one glimmer of potential salvation. The film was financed by the pornographic films of director Lustig and shot guerilla style through New York, including the squalid glory of 1970s Times Square, and a restaurant casually named ‘Clam Casino’. The mannequin collection that receive the scalps of his victims is another gruesome touch, as well as the role they play in bringing everything to an end.
Director: William Lustig
Stars: Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Abigail Clayton
IMDb: https://imdb.com/title/tt0081114/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maniac_(1980_film)
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Summary: Maniac, Directed by William Lustig, follows serial killer Frank Zito, loosely based on the infamous Son Of Sam killer that stalker New York just a few years prior, played by Joe Spinell. His killer instincts are held at bay by Anna, placed by British actress Caroline Munro, with a cameo by effects wizard Tom Savini. New York in all its gritty glory, covered in gore!