MANIAC

1980, USA

Poster country of origin: Belgium

14” x 22”

Still one of the most potent slasher films ever made, William Lustig's MANIAC (just out in new double-DVD and -Blu-ray sets from Blue Underground) is a sleazy snapshot of grindhouse-era New York, through the eyes of its antihero, Frank Zito. The famous U.S. one-sheet is as potent of the film itself: a bloody knife, a girl’s scalp and the killer’s bulging crotch all vie for the eye’s attention while the tagline reads, “I warned you not to go out tonight.” (When MANIAC went into production, director Lustig had just transitioned out of the world of pornography, where subtlety often opposed wisdom.)

With its bright colors, compact size and pulpy aesthetic, the Belgian poster above is typical of the country’s highly collectible movie materials. Joe Spinell, who plays the killer Zito, looks as crazed as ever, while the cool and positively angelic figure of British actress Caroline Munro watches over the Big Apple with the help of her trusty camera.

 

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