Although it was his only feature film as director, Joe Giannone’s Madman (1981) became an underground horror classic. Written by Giannone and his friend and producer Gary Sales, the movie was clearly inspired by those slashers that started to change the history of horror movies in the late 1970s and early 1980s; titles like Halloween (1978) or Friday the 13th (1980), where a deranged supernatural human was in the chase of a bunch of youngsters to terminate their lives in the most sordid and gory was as possible.
Madman (1981) focuses on an ax-wielding murderer named Madman Marz who, after accidentally summoned by a group of campers during a campfire tale, begins to stalk and murder the group who brought him back. Gathering around a campfire, the youngsters tell the tale that explains that anyone that says his name will awaken him and he will attack that person. Then, one of the campers plays smartass and awakens Marz by shouting his name right after throwing a rock into his old home. And from then on, slashing madness.
Despite its very modest budget, Madman (1981) managed to incorporate Gaylen Ross as the main protagonist. She was some sort of horror star at that moment after having appeared in George A. Romero’s zombie essential Dawn of the Dead (1978). Together with her, Tony Fish, Harriet Bass, Seth Jones, Jan Claire, Alex Murphy, Tom Candela, Frederick Neumann, Michael Sullivan and Paul Ehlers as Madman Marz also starred, being most of them mere debutants.
The indisputable success achieved this year by Halloween (2018) has put new revision of classic slashers back in hype. Or, at least, that is what the producers of Madman (1981) have thought since they are preparing a follow up almost 40 years after the first film. Its been confirmed that the screenplay is already written, although it didn’t transcend who will be in charge of the direction and who will star. And now, check out the trailer of the original movie:
