DVD REVIEW: MANIAC
10/13/2013

OVERVIEW: 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 on October 15, 2013.

SYNOPSIS: 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 To the outside world, he's a withdrawn and somewhat eccentric owner of a mannequin store.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.

DVD: The film is presented in widescreen in a 2.40:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement to the picture. It also includes  English  and Spanish subtitles.

VIDEO:
Widescreen (2.40:1) 16x9

AUDIO:
English  5.1 Dolby Digital

Subtitles - English Spanish

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Reverse cover art (see image below)

Commentary

Feature length making-of that covers all aspects of production

Deleted scenes

Alternate poster gallery