Maniac
Dir William Lustig / 1980 / USA
This notorious 80's slasher film unsurprisingly had censor troubles in Australia. In May 1981, House of Dare had a 2397.1mtr (87m 37s) print banned. An appeal to the Review Board in July 1981 was unsuccessful.A 2370.1mtr (86m 38s) reconstructed version was submitted in November 1981, but was again banned. A second reconstructed version running 2346.9mtr (85m 47s) was eventually passed R18+ in April 1982.
The whole process took eleven months, in which time the film lost 110 seconds of footage.
A heavily cut tape was put out by Video Classics in 1984. This was reviewed by the OFLC in 1984 and is listed at 85mins (v), though the true running time is 82mi11s.
Four years later the censors passed Scream Greats Volume 1-Tom Savini. This contains many of the violent scenes from MANIAC that just four years earlier they had required to be removed from the theatrical release.
In June 2004 Umbrella Entertainment submitted the film to the Classification Board for rating. It was passed R18+ (Strong Violence), and released on DVD in March 2005. This is the Theatrical version with a running time of 87m 51s (NTSC).
This was re-released by Umbrella Entertainment in February 2008 as part of a so-called VIDEO NASTIES box set which also included BASKET CASE, and THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.
The following is a comparison of the cut Video Classics tape against the uncut Umbrella DVD. It is not an exact check, so there may be some more small cuts that have been missed. The time quoted refers to the point in the DVD where footage was censored from the tape release.
* Indicates that part or all of this scene is shown in Scream Greats Volume 1-Tom Savini.
DEATH ON THE BEACH
1:30 Approx.
The girl having her throat cut with a knife, and a shot of her bloody
hand.
*2:30 Approx
The boy having a metal cord pulled tight around his throat until blood
appears.
SCALPING OF THE HOOKER
*16:00 Approx
In the Video Classics tape we see the start of the scalping, but it cuts
before showing the full thing.
HEAD EXPLOSION
*29:15 Approx
Tom Savini's head explosion is intact. However the lingering shots of the
aftermath (between shots of the girls bloody face) is missing.
*STABBING OF THE NURSE
47:15 Approx
Shot of the knife exiting her chest.
DEATH OF RITA
67:30 Approx
Missing from the Video Classics tape is the shots of Frank moving the
knife over her bare chest, pressing it down, and finally stabbing her.
FRANK'S DEATH
*82:00 Approx
Frank's arm being chopped off. Shot of the decapitated corpse with blood
coming from the neck. Frank having his head torn off.
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Umbrella Entertainment (Australia) 87m 51s (NTSC) |
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Umbrella Entertainment (Australia) DVD |
