Maniac
D: William Lustig; with Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Gail Lawrence,
Tom Savini.
Laserdisc
Elite Entertainment Generally reviled by horror fans and critics, Maniac may seem an
unusual choice for a special edition laserdisc, but Elite Entertainment has
gone ahead and done their usual excellent job of bringing it to home video.
Maniac, starring the late Joe Spinell as an abused child turned serial
killer, deserves its infamous reputation, but it’s an undeniably gripping
viewing experience, even if reprehensibly so. Elite’s letterboxed transfer is a
little on the grainy side, but they have thoughtfully included trailers, a
deleted scene, and an endlessly entertaining (and even thoughtful) commentary
track. It’s worth a look if you can stomach it. — Joey O’Bryan
Son of the Shark
(Le Fils du Requin)
D: Agnes Merlet; with Ludovic Vandendaele, Erik Da Silva, Sandrine Blancke,
Maxime Levoux.
Orion Home Video Merlet bases this remarkable film (in French with English subtitles) on the
true story of two brothers who plague their town with sprees of vandalism,
abandonment of rules, and side-stepping of authority. With media sensationalism
of late (OJ), it’s refreshing to see a candid, probing account of social ills
and the existential reality of humans. A simple, fascinating story unwinds as
the brothers survive moment to moment, taking and demolishing as their needs
arise. The elegant cinematography presents one stark image after another set in
blustery Lignan, France. No Macaulay Culkins, these actors grip you with icy
stares and “fight-or-flight” postures shifting from bully-pranksters to
frightened adolescents brimming with turbulent emotion. —
Stephany Baskin
Murder in the First
D: Marc Rocco; with Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman, Embeth
Davidtz, William H. Macy.
Warner Brothers Based on a true story, this courtroom drama stars Kevin Bacon as an Alcatraz
inmate who spends three years in solitary following an escape attempt. A petty
criminal at the outset, he commits a murder his first day out and an
inexperienced attorney (Slater) must prove inhumane treatment drove him to
violence. Bacon’s performance as the psychologically and physically beaten man
is disturbing to say the least, and Gary Oldman is sharp as the sadistic
warden. Although the plot leaves more than a few questions unanswered, the film
provides a horrific glance into the downfall of one of the most famous prisons
of all time. — Jennifer Scoville
The Road Warrior
D: George Miller; with Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Vernon Wells, Mike Preston,
Virgina Hey, Emil Minty, Kjell Nilsson.
Laserdisc
Warner Home Video Whoa. Not having seen George Miller’s seminal crash-and-burn epic in years, I
found that I’d forgotten just how good The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max
2) really is, but luckily, this exquisitely letterboxed laserdisc
release helped remind me. An efficiently constructed, beautifully realized
action film, Miller’s picture has influenced everything from James Cameron’s
Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the recent Waterworld, but none of
these have come close to matching the impact of Miller’s original. Warner’s
disc looks and sounds terrific, effectively rendering their old VHS cassette,
as in the tradition of any good laserdisc, obsolete.
— Joey O’Bryan
The Day the Earth Stood Still: Collector’s Edition
D: Robert Wise; with Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe.
Laserdisc
Foxvideo This science-fiction classic has been remastered and repackaged for hardcore
laserdisc aficionados. The result is a stunningly pristine presentation of
The Day the Earth Stood Still that makes the previous laserdisc release
(which was pretty good) suffer considerably by comparison. Extras include a
separate audio track with discussion of the film by Robert Wise and Nicholas
Meyer, and an additional disc that has interviews with the cast and crew,
reproductions of movie posters, stills, pressbooks, and more. — Bud
Simons
Rolling Stones
Voodoo Lounge
CD-ROM for Windows or Mac*
Virgin/GTE Buried deep in the swamps lies the Stones’ Voodoo Lounge. Mick beckons
you into the two-story house where the party rages and you wander about,
checking the action and schmoozing. Upstairs, you can make small talk with
Keith, Ron, and Charlie at the bar, or chill by the video wall with footage
from the last tour. Downstairs is where the action’s at since the tour rages on
the patio — though the johns really are the place to be (typical). The
VIP lounge features Keith and Ronnie doing an acoustic number on the veranda,
while the library’s got pool and a gallery exhibit of blues greats. Here, the
party never ends.
— Raoul Hernandez
This article appears in December 1 • 1995 and December 1 • 1995 (Cover).