Maniac
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synopsis
There’s no way around it. DWAIN ESPER’s Maniac can justifiably be called one of the greatest exploitation films ever made. Not content to crank out another sex hygiene or dope film, Esper and his wife, HILDAGARDE STADIE (who wrote the screenplay), concocted a uniquely delirious mix of horror film, discourse on mental illness, and whacked-out girly show. The plot – if you can call it that – pulls elements from Frankenstein, Mystery of the Wax Museum, and Poe’s “The Black Cat,” as well as the spicy spectacle of exploitation epics of the day.
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