Name: Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie
Genre: Horror, Short
Duration: 8 min
Rating: 6.3
Cast: Joe Spinell

Less a sequel to "Maniac" than a remake of the obscure 1975 thriller "The Psychopath" (which starred Tom Basham as Mr. Rabbey, a children's TV host who kills abusive parents), this film shows how much Buddy Giovinazzo loves the grit and grime of '70s horror, as if the brilliant "Combat Shock" didn't make that obvious enough. Joe Spinell is in fine form here, and -- although it is marvelous that they got to work together before Spinell's untimely passing -- it's work like this that makes me annoyed that Giovinazzo has been toiling in German television the last few years. At a time when glossy, inferior remakes of horror classics are glutting the multiplexes, a truly edgy filmmaker like Giovinazzo, who knows how to preserve the spirit of the originals, could be box-office gold.

The horror genre features stories that aim to elicit fear, suspense, and a sense of dread in its audience. Horror stories often explore themes related to the unknown, the supernatural, and the macabre, and they frequently evoke strong emotional reactions such as anxiety, terror, and unease.

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

A live children's TV show host plots murderous revenge against parents who abuse their children.

Joe Spinell in Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie (1986)

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Dana Andrews and Peggy Cummins in Curse of the Demon (1957)

Apostolos Souglakos in O straggalistis tis Syggrou (1989)

Michael O'Keefe and Paul Rodriguez in The Whoopee Boys (1986)

Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie

Videos1

Photos23

Cast1

User reviews11

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed