Maniac

I WARNED YOU NOT TO GO OUT TONIGHT A killer stalks New York. On a peaceful Long Island beach, a young couple are mutilated during their moonlight romance. Miles away in a sordid Times Square hotel a twenty-year old prostitute is strangled. There is nothing to link the two crimes, except for the killer's grisly trademark. Both women are scalped; their hair and their clothes are the trophies of the MANIAC (Joe Spinell) who murdered them. A NON STOP NIGHTMARE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. THE MANIAC is out prowling for more victims to people his bizarre fantasy world. After each killing he returns to his lair, which he shares with a collection of life like mannequins costumed in the clothing and the hair of the women he kills. From the bizarre to the sublime, Anna D'antoni (Caroline Munro) enters the life of the MANIAC through a chance meeting in Central Park, where she casually snaps a picture of THE MANIAC. Anna is a professional photographer who finds THE MANIAC interesting if not a bit strange. At a fashion shoot THE MANIAC becomes enraged when Anna ignores him in favour of Rita one of Anna's favourite models. THE MANIAC follows Rita home, ties her to the bed and proceeds to stab and scalp her. The next day THE MANIAC invites Anna to accompany him to his mother's grave, it is here that he loses total control over reality. He unsuccessfully attacks Anna and in the ensuing struggle is wounded. As he pursues Anna he starts to halucinate, the most terrifying vision of his mother emerging from her grave. When he finally returns to his apartment his halucinations take the form of his previous victims tearing him apart. The final scene is one of the most terrifying on the screen.