This film is a unique piece of art for those of us disillusioned by the modern horror genre and its lack of originality. It feels like every week a new horror is announced only to find it's a half hearted remake or "reboot" or something the 70s or 80s already produced with more flair and gusto than Hollywood appears to have left in her old bones. Echoing "Maniac", "When a stranger calls" and other films of the "perverted big city slasher" ilk, MZ'77 follows the interlocking stories of a young woman down on her luck in the big city and a disenchanted police detective hunting an anonymous "Night Stalker" style character who is out dismembering and disemboweling sex workers. One can't help but draw parallels between writer/director Hedwig Schreck's Manhattan Zodiac and real life terrors Jack Unterweger and Richard Ramirez as he artfully combines perversion and obsession with gore and violence, making for a genuinely unsettling antagonist. Without spoiling the simple but compelling story, the ending is perfect for those of us who love a flip off to the establishment but also an honest take on the 'final girl' trope. All in all, a fun and bloody romp around 1970s time square, shot on gritty super 8 for a unique and artisan recapturing of the classic horror aesthetic.
7 Reviews
An excellent timewarp to 70's American 42nd Street Grindhouse theatres
Berto8622 October 2023
Be prepared to get timewarped back to a time where all sorts of exploitation films were booming business in the 70's New York's 42nd Street.
This film really feels like a giallo made in the 70's and reminded me most of a combination of William Lustig's "Maniac" (1980) and Lucio Fulci's "The New York Ripper" (1982).
The film looks like it was filmed in the 70's with an 88mm camera, and has a great sleazy synth score by Everett Dudgeon.
Also worth noticing is that the scenes of the streets of New York you see, are of New York in the 70's, which is great for the overall atmosphere and timing of the film.
Things i liked less is that it's all filmed very darkly, so you don't see many colors, and don't expect much blood, gore or nudity.
It's all there more or less, but on low profile.
Anyhow, this is a unique giallo/slasher combo and it's a delight and highly recommended must-see for fans of 70's and 80's Italian and American grindhouse exploitation cinema.
Director Hedwig Schreck is highly talented in this style of cinema and i can't wait to explore more...
This film really feels like a giallo made in the 70's and reminded me most of a combination of William Lustig's "Maniac" (1980) and Lucio Fulci's "The New York Ripper" (1982).
The film looks like it was filmed in the 70's with an 88mm camera, and has a great sleazy synth score by Everett Dudgeon.
Also worth noticing is that the scenes of the streets of New York you see, are of New York in the 70's, which is great for the overall atmosphere and timing of the film.
Things i liked less is that it's all filmed very darkly, so you don't see many colors, and don't expect much blood, gore or nudity.
It's all there more or less, but on low profile.
Anyhow, this is a unique giallo/slasher combo and it's a delight and highly recommended must-see for fans of 70's and 80's Italian and American grindhouse exploitation cinema.
Director Hedwig Schreck is highly talented in this style of cinema and i can't wait to explore more...
Love the Homages, Needed a Bit More to Work
Reviews_of_the_Dead22 February 2024
This is a movie that I got the chance to check out this as a screener thanks to Zahliia Miiller from Astra United Films. I'll be honest, the title intrigued me. I figured out that this was horror and that it took place in New York City, as well as doing its festival rounds making this a 2024 release as well. Other than that, I came into this one blind.
Synopsis: a weary, alcoholic New York police detective hunts a sex-obsessed psycho who commits a series of gruesome murders in and around Times Square. Two young women sharing a nearby rundown hotel room become his next intended victims.
We start this off by getting a warning about what we'll see and then starting off with the grindhouse 'Feature Presentation' logo. I'll admit, this made me smile as I'm a sucker for the era that this is paying homage to.
It is from here that it sets up that NYC is a dangerous city with multiple murders daily. We then see a woman being followed as she walks down the street. She is stabbed to death. What we'll learn is that this killer is dubbed the Manhattan Zodiac (Henri Stuart).
The latest victim is found by a homeless man as he looks in a dumpster. There is a decomposing skull. The detective in charge is Stryker (Jürgen Raffner) and this case is weighing on him. There isn't much to go on so that adds to the stress.
We then get introduced to Emily (Anja Belle) as she arrives in New York. She is staying with Eva (Greta Krauss) who has a hotel room that she lives in. Emily is here to get away from their small hometown. She is also pregnant and came here to get an abortion. This is a heavy decision that she might not be ready to make.
The movie then gives us insight into our killer and why he is the way that he is. He had an abusive mother. He is violent with the women that he kills. He also likes to toy the police by sending a special gift to Stryker, much like the real Zodiac Killer.
That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start then is that this has a runtime of less than an hour. That intrigued me while also bringing concern. I was wondering how well they would be able to build characters as well as flesh out a solid story. That goes by the wayside a bit. Instead, this is more about showing how well they can simulate 70s NYC and showcase this killer.
I do want to say that I didn't hate this though. My opening thoughts bring up issues that I had, but I wanted to say that the best part is the cinematography. There is so much grain due to being shot on Super 8 film stock. That was something that made me smile since it is in line with the opening. I also read up a bit while doing this review that this was filmed in rural Australia as a 'mock' German/Euro lost horror film from the 1970s. Members of the crew are using pseudonyms and this even has bad dubbing. The text is also in German with English subtitles. I would have liked them to do a bit more with the story, but as a paying homage and being done as a 'lost' film is fun.
Something else I noticed is that they're paying homage to other movies that came before it. There is something that happened that was borrowed from My Bloody Valentine. That was a good choice. This also seems to borrow heavily from Maniac. Zodiac has a mother who traumatized him so badly that as an adult, he kills now. This also has shades of Henry Lee Lucas or the variation we got in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. I did like including that characterization.
Let me shift this to the acting. I thought that Belle was good as Emily. She is giving the most character development outside of Zodiac. I thought her and Eva were solid together since they become the target from the synopsis. Krauss was fine as the friend. I thought that Helmut Pratt and Raffner are solid as police officers. The latter is the lead there as we see this case weighing on him. Stuart works as our killer. They develop him the most, but that is done in a repetitive way. I'd also say that Anita Berger, Brigitt Janssen and Ilse Roth work as the victims. The acting here is fine. The bigger issues come from lacking fleshing them out with the writing.
I'll then finish this out with filmmaking. I've already said that I liked how they 'created' NYC and using Super 8 helped there. The cinematography does good things. I'd also saying the framing does as well. The killings we get to see have good blood. They cut away to hide things and leave it up to our imagination. I appreciated that. I'd say that this is also edited well. My biggest issue here is that we don't develop the story or the characters enough for this to fully work. It is nice though as something paying homage to films of the past like this. I'll drop here that the soundtrack fit what was needed. I loved that we're hearing sirens in the background for most of the movie. That fits this era of NYC.
In conclusion, I think there are good things done here. Using low grade stock is one to get that grain that makes me love grindhouse film of the past. I thought that paying homage there as well with things that they do works. I'll credit the actors for fitting their characters. Even the blood, cinematography and framing were solid. My problem is that I needed a bit more story or characters for this to fully work. I'd recommend it though to those that love this era of cinema or this low budget style of film, as I think they capture that heart well.
My Rating: 5 out of 10.
Synopsis: a weary, alcoholic New York police detective hunts a sex-obsessed psycho who commits a series of gruesome murders in and around Times Square. Two young women sharing a nearby rundown hotel room become his next intended victims.
We start this off by getting a warning about what we'll see and then starting off with the grindhouse 'Feature Presentation' logo. I'll admit, this made me smile as I'm a sucker for the era that this is paying homage to.
It is from here that it sets up that NYC is a dangerous city with multiple murders daily. We then see a woman being followed as she walks down the street. She is stabbed to death. What we'll learn is that this killer is dubbed the Manhattan Zodiac (Henri Stuart).
The latest victim is found by a homeless man as he looks in a dumpster. There is a decomposing skull. The detective in charge is Stryker (Jürgen Raffner) and this case is weighing on him. There isn't much to go on so that adds to the stress.
We then get introduced to Emily (Anja Belle) as she arrives in New York. She is staying with Eva (Greta Krauss) who has a hotel room that she lives in. Emily is here to get away from their small hometown. She is also pregnant and came here to get an abortion. This is a heavy decision that she might not be ready to make.
The movie then gives us insight into our killer and why he is the way that he is. He had an abusive mother. He is violent with the women that he kills. He also likes to toy the police by sending a special gift to Stryker, much like the real Zodiac Killer.
That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start then is that this has a runtime of less than an hour. That intrigued me while also bringing concern. I was wondering how well they would be able to build characters as well as flesh out a solid story. That goes by the wayside a bit. Instead, this is more about showing how well they can simulate 70s NYC and showcase this killer.
I do want to say that I didn't hate this though. My opening thoughts bring up issues that I had, but I wanted to say that the best part is the cinematography. There is so much grain due to being shot on Super 8 film stock. That was something that made me smile since it is in line with the opening. I also read up a bit while doing this review that this was filmed in rural Australia as a 'mock' German/Euro lost horror film from the 1970s. Members of the crew are using pseudonyms and this even has bad dubbing. The text is also in German with English subtitles. I would have liked them to do a bit more with the story, but as a paying homage and being done as a 'lost' film is fun.
Something else I noticed is that they're paying homage to other movies that came before it. There is something that happened that was borrowed from My Bloody Valentine. That was a good choice. This also seems to borrow heavily from Maniac. Zodiac has a mother who traumatized him so badly that as an adult, he kills now. This also has shades of Henry Lee Lucas or the variation we got in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. I did like including that characterization.
Let me shift this to the acting. I thought that Belle was good as Emily. She is giving the most character development outside of Zodiac. I thought her and Eva were solid together since they become the target from the synopsis. Krauss was fine as the friend. I thought that Helmut Pratt and Raffner are solid as police officers. The latter is the lead there as we see this case weighing on him. Stuart works as our killer. They develop him the most, but that is done in a repetitive way. I'd also say that Anita Berger, Brigitt Janssen and Ilse Roth work as the victims. The acting here is fine. The bigger issues come from lacking fleshing them out with the writing.
I'll then finish this out with filmmaking. I've already said that I liked how they 'created' NYC and using Super 8 helped there. The cinematography does good things. I'd also saying the framing does as well. The killings we get to see have good blood. They cut away to hide things and leave it up to our imagination. I appreciated that. I'd say that this is also edited well. My biggest issue here is that we don't develop the story or the characters enough for this to fully work. It is nice though as something paying homage to films of the past like this. I'll drop here that the soundtrack fit what was needed. I loved that we're hearing sirens in the background for most of the movie. That fits this era of NYC.
In conclusion, I think there are good things done here. Using low grade stock is one to get that grain that makes me love grindhouse film of the past. I thought that paying homage there as well with things that they do works. I'll credit the actors for fitting their characters. Even the blood, cinematography and framing were solid. My problem is that I needed a bit more story or characters for this to fully work. I'd recommend it though to those that love this era of cinema or this low budget style of film, as I think they capture that heart well.
My Rating: 5 out of 10.
The best horror film I've seen in decades!!;
jmazzzz5 May 2023
I'm absolutely so in love with this excellent horror film. I love everything about it .
The New York grittiness of that time 1977 ,the moody feel of the film that makes me instantly think of Maniac and Don't go in the House, the soundtrack is amazing and the tip of the hat to giallos is so welcomed it just elevates this film instantly to cult status . The acting is great I must say my favorite character is Stryker,and I'm curious to see a longer version of this film. I want more more more.
The Fulci feel to it also as characters walk the streets of NYC with the constant blaring of police sirens is accurate as NY at that time was a hotbed for crime and seediness Technically I love the grind house feel that it has as I love film grain and I definitely highly recommend this film as it will definitely renue your faith that horror still lives!
I'm looking forward to more films from this very inventive and talented director and can't wait til it is released on DVD and Blu-ray.
The New York grittiness of that time 1977 ,the moody feel of the film that makes me instantly think of Maniac and Don't go in the House, the soundtrack is amazing and the tip of the hat to giallos is so welcomed it just elevates this film instantly to cult status . The acting is great I must say my favorite character is Stryker,and I'm curious to see a longer version of this film. I want more more more.
The Fulci feel to it also as characters walk the streets of NYC with the constant blaring of police sirens is accurate as NY at that time was a hotbed for crime and seediness Technically I love the grind house feel that it has as I love film grain and I definitely highly recommend this film as it will definitely renue your faith that horror still lives!
I'm looking forward to more films from this very inventive and talented director and can't wait til it is released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Captures The Feel Of The Seventies Slashers Perfectly
ladymidath29 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I grew up going to the cinemas and watching all the horror thrillers and slasher movies of the era and I have to say that Manhattan Zodiac '77 captures the feel of these films perfectly.
The story revolves around a man who stalks and kills his victims. A psycho who is haunted by images of his abusive mother. An alcoholic detective is on the case and hunts for the killer while two young women living in a hotel room nearby are in danger of becoming his next intended victims.
The movie manages to recreate the slasher films from the seventies, the look and feel are absolutely authentic. The movie manages to capture the gritty look and feel while still being unique in its own right and not being a carbon copy of other films. The characters are interesting and the actors do a great job here. The filming and music really add to the overall feeling and mood of the film. The director also took great pains to make the movie look authentic, right down to the clothes and hairstyles. All up, this is an excellent movie that was entertaining with a plot that kept me watching the whole time. I highly recommend this film to anyone that has a love for older movies and solid thrillers that deliver a great story.
The story revolves around a man who stalks and kills his victims. A psycho who is haunted by images of his abusive mother. An alcoholic detective is on the case and hunts for the killer while two young women living in a hotel room nearby are in danger of becoming his next intended victims.
The movie manages to recreate the slasher films from the seventies, the look and feel are absolutely authentic. The movie manages to capture the gritty look and feel while still being unique in its own right and not being a carbon copy of other films. The characters are interesting and the actors do a great job here. The filming and music really add to the overall feeling and mood of the film. The director also took great pains to make the movie look authentic, right down to the clothes and hairstyles. All up, this is an excellent movie that was entertaining with a plot that kept me watching the whole time. I highly recommend this film to anyone that has a love for older movies and solid thrillers that deliver a great story.
WOW!
finebabeau19 October 2023
I loved this movie! It really did come from the 70s with an 8mm film! The lighting, music, angled of shots all set a perfect mood and set up for being transported back to NY in the 70s. The perfect flashbacks and subtle 'evil decent of the bad guy' so well done and never overdone. I felt like I found a hidden old reel and played it, found a gem! Knowing this was made today and not back in the mid 70s makes this a masterpiece and the acting was superb for an era that has been captured right here for your viewing pleasure. Be transported back in time and be immersed into an era long gone when you watch this movie! Absolutely perfectly executed! You will not be disappointed.
Thank the Gods an Unweaponized Nostalgic Film!
rikschmittel21 October 2023
In a world filled with Reboots, Sequel, Remakes, and Prequels it's so lovely to get something that's original and still manages to comfort us with warm memories of yesteryear! From the opening images of the credits, to the music score, Manhattan Zodiac 77 takes you on an electrifying, high octane thrill ride for your eyeballs and mind!
Nothing beats a good period movie, they're not easy to pull off with a modest budget, but when they are, boy does it add such power and strength to the cinematic atmosphere and story! And believe me, MZ77 delivers! The painstaking attention to detail is exquisite, from the character wardrobe to the film textures, colour pallets, and lighting, it's hard to really accept that this is a contemporary film! The hidden Easter Eggs also goes to show the audience how skilled these film makers really were during this process. 1977 reprint of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist is probably my favourite. Gorgeous from start to finish, it's a modern marvel!
The best part of a good thriller, is having a simple plot that catches you almost the second the film is rolling, and this is probably the best thing about this film, nothing convoluted that confuses the plot as it races to the finish line. It's cut and dry, and keeps you on the edge of your seat every step of the way. And don't get me wrong, there isn't a single one dimensional character, Powerful low-key performances from the cast sell the time period, without being restricted to a minimalist story line.
This movie has something for everyone, from Grindhouse novice, Horror film professionals, Thrill-seeking movie goers of ALL AGES!
I look forward to Hedwig Schreck's next rediscovered lost film!
Nothing beats a good period movie, they're not easy to pull off with a modest budget, but when they are, boy does it add such power and strength to the cinematic atmosphere and story! And believe me, MZ77 delivers! The painstaking attention to detail is exquisite, from the character wardrobe to the film textures, colour pallets, and lighting, it's hard to really accept that this is a contemporary film! The hidden Easter Eggs also goes to show the audience how skilled these film makers really were during this process. 1977 reprint of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist is probably my favourite. Gorgeous from start to finish, it's a modern marvel!
The best part of a good thriller, is having a simple plot that catches you almost the second the film is rolling, and this is probably the best thing about this film, nothing convoluted that confuses the plot as it races to the finish line. It's cut and dry, and keeps you on the edge of your seat every step of the way. And don't get me wrong, there isn't a single one dimensional character, Powerful low-key performances from the cast sell the time period, without being restricted to a minimalist story line.
This movie has something for everyone, from Grindhouse novice, Horror film professionals, Thrill-seeking movie goers of ALL AGES!
I look forward to Hedwig Schreck's next rediscovered lost film!
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