tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110147752122772426.post3858839698622643446..comments2024-03-28T10:33:39.051-07:00Comments on Horror Movie A Day: Madman (1982)BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480847497966171794noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110147752122772426.post-81883964744830691942015-07-02T05:06:49.658-07:002015-07-02T05:06:49.658-07:00I've read several reviews (such as this one) t...I've read several reviews (such as this one) that mock the scene where Madman pulls the deeply-embedded axe from the tree stump, claiming that he briefly struggles with it and that the filmmakers botched an attempt to demonstrate his strength. These criticisms seem to miss the point of the sequence.<br /><br />Earlier two men attempt to extricate the same axe simultaneously, with both hands, and fail. Conversely in this later scene, Madman Marz gets a firm grip with one hand, gathers his strength and removes the blade while splitting the stump in the process. It constitutes one of the most badass moments in the film.<br /><br />From a practical standpoint, his "struggle" with the axe allows the camera to pan towards the stump before the blade is wrested free. At the same time, the sequence implicates that the mad farmer has more power in one hand than two men combined! I'm not sure why some reviewers don't understand this. How much stronger does he need to be to qualify as an intimidating, hulking figure? Perhaps he should pull entire trees from the ground, or topple cabins with his bare hands!The WZAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03682689098112367182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110147752122772426.post-46152239619885597412013-08-18T17:01:42.568-07:002013-08-18T17:01:42.568-07:00LOOK AT ALL THE BACK-HANDED COMPLIMENTSLOOK AT ALL THE BACK-HANDED COMPLIMENTSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110147752122772426.post-78397655363194324912010-10-19T12:03:40.237-07:002010-10-19T12:03:40.237-07:00I've got to defend MADMAN. Not only is it char...I've got to defend MADMAN. Not only is it charming and kind of naive in its silly badness, but you can see that the director is actually trying to do fun/innovative stuff.<br /><br />The "peripheral camera glances" of Marz; some of the kills (the noose-drag and the "check under the hood" being two prime examples); the night-for-night photography. I mean, look: it's NOT a good movie, but I think it's actually on a short list of GOOD guilty-pleasure slasher movies.<br /><br />I think that the majority of slasher knock-offs from the early 80's were boring. They all had interminably long stretches of people looking around all alone (let's see, off the top of my head: HELL NIGHT, PROM NIGHT, HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW, TERROR TRAIN, THE BURNING, THE PROWLER, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME -- each have long, drawn-out, boring sequences of soon-to-be-victims wandering around in the dark for prolonged periods before an attack), it's a standard trope of the genre. (The Platinum Dunes remake of FRIDAY THE 13TH tried to remedy the inherent boredom by making all of the characters talk to themselves when they were alone. Which was awful.) Everyone making those films hoped they were building suspense while simultaneously reveling in how much padding they were adding to their runtimes.<br /><br />I think that you may be right about certain movies being something you had to see at a particular age or time to gain appreciation for them. No argument there. But I saw MADMAN for my first time about 4 years ago when I was working on a slasher movie project and decided to basically watch as many old school slashers as I possibly could.<br /><br />MADMAN somehow stood out for me. I felt like there were at least attempts to be innovative and atmospheric while basically doing nothing more than ripping off FRIDAY/HALLOWEEN (which is more than I could say for a lot of the other films of the era I watched). And it charmed me with its naivete.<br /><br />I guess I ENJOYED how bad it was, rather than tearing it apart for things it doesn't know it's doing wrong.The Inspectorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09594240478578332525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110147752122772426.post-77175650239192106422010-10-18T22:15:51.719-07:002010-10-18T22:15:51.719-07:00never understood all the hype. Madman is undoubted...never understood all the hype. Madman is undoubtedly one of the worst and most boring slashers from the 80sMaynard Morrisseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484689288762406307noreply@blogger.com