cynthia_h_49509

(2012-04-27 04:33:43)

Good Acting, interesting photography and scenery, poor plotting

I enjoyed the first part of this thriller produced by Hammer. KerwinMatthews is very appealing as the leading man and the first half of themovie I wasn't sure where it was going, who to trust and who wasdeceiving who. But the twist at the end made the actions of some of thecharacters in the first half of the movie illogical. When a films givesyou a twist at the end, I like to be able to look back and say, oh wow,now I see it. "Ten Little Indians", 1965, and "The Sixth Sense" ,1999,both are good examples of surprise endings that make sense when youlook back. This one doesn't. "Spoiler" When Eve's real motivations arerevealed at the end and we find out who Georges really is, the wholefirst part of the film unravels and Eve and "Georges" behavior isinexplicable. " Spoiler" I would recommend this to other fans of 60'sEnglish Cinema with the caveat that it is worth watching for theactors, and the scenery (even in black and white) but the plot has lotsof holes.

Wayne Malin

(2012-04-26 14:26:25)

Middling Hammer thriller

American artist Paul Farrell (Kerwin Mathews) is visiting France. Hefalls in love with hotel owner Eve Beynat (Nadia Gray). He helps her toget her husband George (Donald Houston) out of an asylum...and theneverything falls apart.Well-directed with some beautiful b&w cinematography--but that's allthis movie has going for it. The plot is old hat and the twists andturns that come fast and furious during the last half hour are nowfamiliar and obvious. To make matters worse the acting is prettyterrible. Mathews is tall, handsome, hunky--and totally blank as Paul.His face NEVER changes expression. I actually smirked when he gives noreaction at all to finding a dead body. Even worse is Liliane Brousseas Annette and her thick French accent doesn't help. Gray and Houstonare OK in their roles. This is OK to watch if you have nothing betterto do but don't expect much. I give it a 6.

Scarecrow-88

(2012-04-19 04:10:40)

Maniac

Artist Paul Farrell(Kerwin Mathews) escaping a bad relationship, getsin over his head when he falls in love with the seductive step-motherEve(Nadia Gray) of a young beauty, Annette(Liliane Brousse)who operatesa sea-side cafГѓВ© for which he's renting a room. Annette's father,Georges, is locked away in an asylum due to his brutal murder of arapist who assaulted her. Paul, so completely blinded by his love forthe married woman, agrees to help Eve in the escape of Georges, withdire consequences yielding problems he could never imagine. Georges,through a supposed conversation with Eve, wishes to escape hoping torendezvous with his daughter Annette in another place far away fromthose out to get him. But, another missing prisoner, who might'vepossibly escaped with Georges, will come back to haunt Paul and Eve.With Inspector Etienne(George Pastell)often poking around, askingquestions, it's only a matter of time before a sure-proof plan unravelswith betrayal and deception on the horizon..Super-slick and slippery as only Hammer scribe Sangster can deliveroffers several twists, with certain characters not as they appear. Oneparticular character twist some might see coming because of the endlessparade of thrillers and courtroom dramas which have come after"Maniac." But, there's one twist regarding the escaped madman whichmight raise eyebrows..it's certainly inspired, I'll say that. Moodyphotography helps enhance the mystery as it slowly develops and thesetting is alluring. The attractive cast also adds to the alreadybeautiful landscape the characters inhabit, and the seedy elements givethe film a nice naughty quality. You know, Hammer is known for theirgorgeous Gothic color films, but I really think the studios producedsome excellent B&W psychological thrillers as well.The opening sequence is quite startling in how it sets up the tone ofthe rest of the film, with a salivating old man looking on at aninnocent teenager from behind the bushes, offering her a ride home,moving her out of the visibility of the viewer behind waves of green,as one of Annette's school chums gets her father, with the result of anoff-screen altercation and blow-torch murder giving way to the creditsof the film.

lastliberal

(2012-04-18 17:21:17)

You take a man's wife, Mr. Farrell, but not his money?

Hammer films are usually enjoyable, so I take the time to tune in towhat promises to be an interesting story.I don't know much about Liliane Brousse (Annette). She only made 12films in a short period, and this was the next to last one. She plays ayoung girl who helps an artist (Kerwin Mathews ) who is stranded intown.Her stepmother Eve(Nadia Gray) has plans for the young man. Plans thatinvolve her incarcerated husband.Plenty of double-crosses to keep you interested, but you are leftwanting something that is not provided.

melvelvit-1

(2012-04-18 05:39:56)

A gialloesque Hammer noir

American landscape painter Geoff Farrell (Kerwin Matthews), stranded inEurope, is attracted to Annette, a young French barmaid, but ends upfalling for her seductive step-mother, Eve (Nadia Gray), instead. Fouryears earlier, the teen-aged Annette was raped on her way home fromschool and her father, Georges, institutionalized for taking anacetylene torch to her assailant. Eve soon convinces Geoff to help herhusband, now a local hero, escape from the insane asylum but, oncefree, a frightening series of events makes it look like Georges was ahomicidal maniac after all...In the wake of PSYCHO, England's Hammer Studios made a few black andwhite "mini-Hitchcock" thrillers that tried to emulate the "Master ofSuspense". PARANOIAC, MANIAC, and HYSTERIA all featured real orimagined madness, murder, sex, and deception -along with numerous plottwists- to keep viewers on the edge of their seats with varying degreesof success. There's a stark, creepy, noir-like quality to MANIAC andthe unseen rape, torture and murder in the beginning is quitedisturbing. The location shooting in the isolated region of the FrenchCamargue is a decided asset and the compelling story, written by JimmySangster, includes a number of suspenseful sequences before a surpriserevelation that is near impossible to see coming. I've read complaintsthat this wasn't directed by Freddie Francis but Michael Carreras doesjust fine with the gialloesque material. Recommended.

jim riecken

(2012-04-18 00:16:45)

xxx

Hammer apparently wanted to branch out from the "Grand Guignol" gothichorror thrillers they were cranking out at the time, and began turning outseveral psychological thrillers vaguely in the PSYCHO/DIABOLICmode.PARANOIAC (1963) and HYSTERIA (1965) are two examples along with the film indiscussion here; MANIAC. MANIAC stars Kerwin(7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD) Mathewsas an unhappily American in France who gets involved with a married womannamed Eve Beynat whose husband is locked away in a mental hospital for thewelding torch murder of the man who tried to rape his daughter Annette.Mathews gets tricked into helping Eve's "husband" escape from the mentalhospital thinking this will allow him to have Eve to himself. As canexpected, not all is what it seems. I won't reveal much more cause thatwould be a spoiler, but the film has good twist ending.MANIAC is not the best of Hammers psychological thrillers, but it is stillinteresting and worth viewing. Kerwin Mathews who was fine in films withlots of physical action is a bit out of his depth here, but over all hegives an acceptable performance. This seems to be the last film of thelovely Liliane Brousse. She seems to have disappeared from the screen afterthis picture.