Dorathen
Better Late Then Never
MoPoshy
Absolutely brilliant
Delight
Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.
trashgang
Not as popular even as it is a straight slasher made in the full bloom of hack 'n slash. But it still has it's fan base and it's worth picking up for the effects used. But the story is rather simple and the ending isn't the next big thing.It do contains the typical elements of a slasher and I was surprised that Gaylen Ross (Besty) of Dawn Of The Dead (1978) fame went naked but it's rather slow and doesn't make sense all of the time. But if you are a slasher geek then it's a must see and you need this in your collection. A typical example of a slasher.Gore 1,5/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 2,5/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5
trek79
As a kid, growing up in the 80's in Australia with a Beta video player, I was quite limited in my movie watching range; I had films such as The Evil Dead 1&2, House, Return of the Living Dead, a range of Feldman/Haim movies, as well as River Phoenix, and Cannibal Apocalypse (starring John Saxon, known as Nancy's Dad in Nightmare on Elm Street) but I also had this little gem, Madman.Now by todays standards this may be quite laughable, but this and another movie called Bad Dreams (starring Richard Lynch) I considered up there with Freddy and Jason.So before you call this film crap, I ask you to consider the perspective of a 7 years old kid, who had not been exposed to the CG revolution.
BaronBl00d
I had always heard of this film but never had an opportunity to see it. Once I saw it - I confess I fell in love with it. It is in the tradition of Halloween and Friday the 13th and that whole slew of slasher films that littered the movie scene in the late 70's and more aptly the early 80s. While not on a par with Halloween(few films like it are) I thought Madman was MUCH better than Friday the 13th. It is undeniably cheaply made but really does not show. The film opens with a wonderful red drawing of two clutching, gnarled hands whilst the titles play and this loud yet engrossing theme plays. We then go to a campfire where we see an older-looking camp counselor singing some bizarre ballad about people getting killed as he goes from person to person(the counselors out-number the children). Then the leader of the camp, an older guy named Max, tells this terrifying tale of Madman Marz and how he butchered his family with an axe and then was strung up by a group of people but escaped from being hanged where he now waits to do the like to any one who says his name above a whisper. Well, his name is said above a whisper and you can imagine what follows: deaths - many of them. While this is a very formulaic film, it has style and I was truly impressed. None of the actors except the lead female - Gaylen Ross who was one of the leads in Romero's Dawn of the Dead and Creepshow - has had any career(hers as an actress preceded this film actually). None of them are embarrassing - in fact I though everyone was pretty good, BUT it is the tension of the film that carries it. The Madman looks scary as we really see little of him through the film. The deaths are scary - from a guy being strung up and almost freeing himself to a girl hiding in a fridge to, my favorite, the hot girl(Harriet Bass as Stacy) taking the lyrics to "Keep truckin" a little too seriously. The film is mostly separate killings until the end when Ross realizes what is happening. The ending takes place in Madman Marz's dilapidated house. The direction by Joe Giannone and the story by Gary Sales and company really are quite entertaining and I am surprised more did not come out of their careers. They have obvious talent. The print I saw was by Anchor bay and was PRISTINE. I also enjoyed much of the director/cast/crew commentary provided.
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.!
