Elijah Wood & Franck Khalfoun Talk MANIAC

Welcome to another edition of INSIDE HORROR!

Elijah Wood may be known best as the lovable Frodo Baggins from LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT (not to mention the titular penguin of HAPPY FEET) – but in 2013 he became Horror Film Royalty, stepping into the gore-splattered shoes of the legendary Joe Spinell for the reboot of William Lustig’s classic, MANIAC!

Join INSIDE HORROR hosts Elric Kane and Staci Layne Wilson as they do a deep dive into the MANIAC death pool with Elijah Wood and Director Frank Khalfoun (HIGH TENSION, P2), peeling back the scalp on these tasty topics (among others):

– Elijah’s approach to playing Frank Rizzo, and the challenge of living up to Joe Spinell’s iconic portrayal in the original film.
– The risky use of a 1st-person POV for most of the film, and the challenges it posed for Wood as an actor.
– Los Angeles as a character in the film, and the lamentable loss of the grimy, gritty, grisly 42nd Street sleazery of early ‘80s New York City.
– Can Nora Arnezeder make us forget Caroline Munro? (Actually, this wasn’t discussed, but we wanted to throw it out there!)

For those of you who are completely in the dark about the movie:

MANIAC follows the disturbed owner of a Los Angeles mannequin shop, Frank Rizzo (Elijah Wood), who, after years of mental abuse at the hands of his prostitute Mommy, has begun to unleash his most violent fantasies on a series of young women. These fantasies include scalping and dressing up his mannequin friends as the various females in question – OUCH. A chance meeting with a sympathetic photographer, Anna (Nora Arnezeder) offers hope of redemption, but ends in tragedy for both when she discovers Frank’s grisly activities.

MANIAC also stars the lovely Nora Arnezeder (SAFE HOUSE, THE WORDS), in the role originally played by Caroline Munro, with a screenplay by Alexandre Aja (THE HILLS HAVE EYES, HIGH TENSION, P2), Gregory Levasseur, and C.A. Rosenberg.

And speaking of Alexandre Aja, we had him on the show last season while MANIAC was still in production. You can check out his thoughts on the reboot here.

Oh yes, we had a bloody good time, and we think you will too. Have you seen both versions of MANIAC? How do you think the reboot stood up to the original? Did Elijah Wood make you forget Joe Spinell (or wish he’d rise from the grave)?

Hit us up on Twitter (@InsideHorror) or Facebook (facebook.com/InsideHorror) and share your thoughts!

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INSIDE HORROR

What do John Landis, Elijah Wood, Joe Dante, Kate Beckinsale, Ti West and Elvira have in common? They all spill their guts to INSIDE HORROR on The Stream.TV!

INSIDE HORROR is your go-to deadstination for in-depth discussions with the Icons, Auteurs, and Movers-and-Shakers in the world of contemporary horror.

Hosted by industry insiders Elric Kane and Staci Layne Wilson, every live streaming episode is jam-packed with killer conversation with artists as diverse as John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Elijah Wood (Maniac, Lord of The Rings, The Hobbit), Joe Dante (The Howling, Gremlins, Piranha), Ti West (The Innkeepers), Tom Holland (Fright Night, Child’s Play), Kate Beckinsale (Underworld), Alexandre Aja (Maniac, P2, High Tension) and Danielle Harris (Hatchet 2 & 3).

Fangoria’s Rebekah McKendry adds a touch of mayhem to the mix, bringing you the latest “Dreadlines” on fright flicks in production, hot theatrical and VOD releases, and under-the-radar projects that need your support.

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Meet The INSIDE HORROR Team:

Elric Kane (Creator, Producer, Host)
Elric is a filmmaker, entrepreneur and bona-fide horror fanatic with several directorial credits to his name. A native of New Zealand, he has taught film in Chicago and in Los Angeles, recently opening the Relativity School of Film Media and Performing Arts. His short, Tender, is currently on the festival circuit.

Staci Layne Wilson (Creator, Producer, Host)
As Senior Reviewer and on-camera reporter at Horror.com, and an ongoing contributor to Fangoria magazine, Staci brings a Type-A pedigree to INSIDE HORROR. In addition to her duties as a roving reporter and scribe, she is the author of 50 Years of Ghost Movies, and director of the short films The Key to Annabel Lee and The Night Plays Tricks.