The Anatomy Of A Serial Killer With ‘Maniac’ & ‘Angst’ [Over/Under Movies Podcast]

Welcome to another edition of Over/Under Movies, the podcast in which we choose one overrated film and one underrated film — similar in tone, genre, style, or however we may see fit — and we discuss them.

On this episode, Oktay Ege Kozak and I celebrate the triumphant return of our original co-host Erik McClanahan, as he joins us to discuss our second round of horror-themed picks. And to make Erik feel right at home, my picks center around dark subject matter with scenes of horrific violence.

The films in question are the original 1980 “Maniac” – directed by William Lustig – and the 1983 Austrian film “Angst,” directed by Gerald Kargl and shot by the masterful cinematographer Zbigniew Rybczynski. Both films share a common thread of being subversive “slasher” films by telling the story from the perspective of the killer. However, we argue that Maniac – despite some terrific effects by the great Tom Savini – doesn’t rise above its exploitation roots, ending up being an interesting concept that’s executed in a sleazy way that would be in the same category as an off-brand slasher like “The Mutilator” had it not had the hook of being from a different perspective. With Angst, it’s the complete opposite. The film is artful, immersive, confrontational, and difficult to watch. We also use the film to launch into a larger discussion about our difficult times, and how films like this – being completely in the perspective of anyone from a different walk of life than you – are important to key us into the lives of others.

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