Maniac; Sex Maniac

1192. MANIAC (SEX MANIAC) (1934-USA). WITH bill woods, Horace carpenter, Ted EDWARDS, PHYLLIS DILIER {not that Phyllis Diller). Directed by DWAIN ESPER. “Unhealthy thought creates warped attitudes which in turn creates criminals and maniacs.” With this prOfound bit Of knowlÂedge begins Maniac, a sex-horror exploitation quickie that is hokey, tacky, abysmally awful and knee-slappingly funny. The story (based, incidentally on EDGAR ALLEN POE’s (“The Black Cat”) chronicles the activities Of a crazed scientist who conducts his experiments in a rat-infested chamber. He bullies his much-abused assistant, a former actor, into arranging to pilfer from a morgue the corpse Of a pretty young girl who had committed suicide. The dizzy doc plans to perform on her a life-giving procedure. “It’s horrible, I tell you,” the helper moans, “working with the dead, trying to bring back life. It’s not natÂural. You with your weird ideas. Haven’t I stayed here and nursed dying dogs?” To which the scientist replies, “Once a ham, always a ham!” What follows is a saga Of murder and insanity, with performances that set new standards for awfulness. Some Of the cast members seem drunk, while others chew up and spit out the scenery with abandon. There’s also a bit Of nudity, as well as a bevy Of cuties who scamper about in their undies! A real curio, and a relic Of its era. 51 minutes. Exploitation Drama