gravegauze There are some actually really good obscure slasher movies from the 80s. This is not one of them.As much as I love watching these films, this one didn't finish well for me. Which is a little odd because there were some good gory scenes, but I think what might've ruined it for me is the monster-like element in "Madman Marz". Every time he's in a scene you pretty much see his inhuman creature-like hands, and he makes stupid noises in his scenes. The acting also wasn't the best from some of the cast.This could totally just be me though. I mean, it wasn't terrible. While I won't recommend it, I totally say you can give it a try. I can't ignore that there were some good gore scenes to see.

happyendingrocks This time capsule from the Golden Age of slasher movies utilizes every single touchstone of the genre with such abandon that anyone who has seen a handful of offerings from the era can probably predict every step of the action before it unfolds. But thanks to a suitably intimidating killer and a generous dollop of gore, Madman has enough spunk to be a fairly entertaining diversion.The film opens with our future victims huddled around a campfire hearing the tale of the film's titular Madman, and while this exact same set-up appears in nearly every "teens in the woods" splatter movie from the period, it's worth noting that since Madman was released fairly early in the cycle (1982), this establishing scene had not yet been rendered cliché. For what it's worth, this is the only slasher film I've seen in which the killer's legend is actually SUNG by one the characters, so Madman certainly scores a few dubious points for originality there.Once the ball gets rolling, everything else pretty much runs by the book. The victims-to-be are a bevy of uninteresting counselors at a camp for "gifted children", and after we've been filled in on the baritone back-story, they pair off to have sex and/or pointless conversations before finding increasingly foolish reasons to wander off into the woods alone.Madman Marz is the hulking behemoth the hapless counselors encounter amidst the trees, and in terms of sheer size, he is certainly an imposing presence. Unfortunately, the glimpses we get of him seem to suggest a sasquatch on the loose instead of a deranged killer. His bloody handiwork is a bit more impressive than his furry jowls, however, so that aspect of the film ably delivers the goods.Along with the grue, the film also boasts some priceless moments of unintentional hilarity. A definite high-point is that one of the male counselors is named T.P., a moniker he's apparently so proud of that he has it printed on his belt buckle. This buckle is a prominent feature in the funniest scene in the movie, which features a lugubrious montage of him and his lover slowly disrobing for a dip in the jacuzzi, accompanied by the most atrocious soft-core porn music you've ever heard.Certainly, this wasn't the first or last slasher movie to feature an ensemble of overwhelmingly brain-dead characters, but the zeal with which this crew invites their own demises is often astounding here. The general train of thought which sets up most of the murders is essentially, "some people are missing, and now the people who went looking for the missing people are missing too, so we should split up and go search the pitch black woods for them by ourselves." Later in the film, an even sharper lad bumps into his hysterical girlfriend, who has just seen the mountainous Madman appraising the decapitated body of his latest victim. His brilliant and comforting solution is to have her take him to where the killer is so that he can see exactly what she saw and "make sure". You can probably guess how that turns out.But wait, there's more. The same hysterical girlfriend, while being chased later in the film by the rampaging murderer, finds the most novel and sensible place to hide that I've ever seen utilized in a horror film... inside a refrigerator. I already knew refrigerators were useful for many things, including keeping food fresh and protecting Indiana Jones from atomic explosions, but it never occurred to me that they also offered perfect safe havens from pursuing mass murderers. Even better, Marz is about ten feet away from his shrieking prey when she loudly removes the contents from the unit to make room for her, and despite his proximity and the scattered food strewn all over the ground, the Madman apparently doesn't think to look inside the fridge. Yes, locking herself inside a refrigerator actually SAVES her. This is a plot twist I never saw coming, especially in a film this paint-by-numbers, so kudos to Madman for offering at least one big surprise. Sure, she eventually catches an axe to the chest, but that's what she gets for leaving the safety of the oxygen-less icebox.To the film's credit, the stereotypical final confrontation between the killer and the lone female survivor doesn't adhere to the same stringent formula that the rest of the movie does. Though the last frames before the credits are decidedly silly, the very fact that the film-makers did things a bit different is certainly admirable.I know it sounds like I'm being hard on poor, monkey-faced Madman Marz, but since the movie is just a big slice of pure, dumb fun, it's only fitting to celebrate the more ludicrous aspects of it. The best part of many of the early '80s slasher pics was how rife they were with accidental humor, and Madman offers up a healthy dose which ultimately only makes it more entertaining. If you love that period of cinematic history as much as I do, this is definitely one you should add to your list.

insomniac_rod Exceptional cinematography (blue and black always works in backwoods slashers), raw death sequences (all about the NASTY hanging of T.P.!), cheesy moments (all about the kitsch romantic dance followed by sex inside a jacuzzi!), a creepy villain, a spooky song about the legend of Madman. Those are the principal elements that make this slasher a winner.Although cheesy and at some points slow-moving, "Madman" deserves a chance because it surely is a damn entertaining slasher. Sure, it steals plenty of moments from "Friday the 13th" but also delivers unique moments of madness. WTF? about the girl hiding in the fridge?! This moment can be ignored when Madman pays tribute to "Black Christmas" (you know, the "eye" scene).What about showing the demises of all the characters when a guy is singing the spooky song around a campfire?! Neat!I recommend this one for those who love slashers flicks. I can't say more.P.S. R.I.P. T.P.!

bazza-davison This movie normally gets a hard time from people who expect Hamlet or Dostoyevsky from a movie whose entire budget wouldn't cover Sandra Bullock's dry cleaning bill.Firstly may i just point out the obvious flaws.Okay,the acting isn't too hot but what more do you want from a bunch of Brooklyn accented first time actors,Othello? People who savage this movie for being cheap and poorly acted are missing out on all its merits.Joe Gianonne and Gary Sales created this movie with one goal in mind-get a distribution deal with a major company.They failed only through chance and not being in the right place at the right time.My Bloody Valentine was picked up by Paramount along with Friday 13th and is in my opinion total garbage.Madman is second only to Halloween in league of the slasher genre.Gianonne who sadly passed away in Dec.2007 was a self confessed John Carpenter fanatic and pays homage to Halloween in a number of ways the old derelict Marz house,the actual name Mad-man-Marz,which could be mistaken for sounding like Michael Myers,the camera shots of the piano and furniture,Marz emerging from the shadows etc along with references to Texas Chainsaw,The Shining and Barn of the Naked Dead.Theyr'e all there if you look.Gianonne knew his stuff behind the lens-take the scene where Marz chases Ellie through to the kitchen.Its a perfectly positioned static shot of the terrified girl trying to hide in a fridge! and Marz approaching menacingly with an axe on the other.Very inventive and slick.The lighting of the movie is fantastic too,all icy blue tones that gives the movie an creepier feel than other entries-Sleepaway Camp to name but one.The deaths are great,with decapitation by car hood a standout and the overall atmosphere of creepiness is unsettling.Kudos to Gianonne for bending the genre rules by having the lead players killed off-only Richie the troublemaker survives the carnage and it was him that started all the trouble!Dawn of the Dead star Gaylen Ross starred in this under an alias and refuses to talk about it which is a shame because it certainly has a cult following now.I recently watched the documentary on the making of Hatchet and was astounded that they didn't cite Madman as an influence on it.Oshkosh overalls?Carrying an axe?Mutilated face?In the woods? God,Victor Crowley and Madman Marz could be twins! Movie snobs avoid.Trash fans rejoice! I love this unloved horror.