Maniac on the Loose

This checked a few boxes. It kept me guessing, was scary, had suspense and had the effect of making time pass that bit more quickly! The film-makers when what they were doing when they tapped into that unconscious fear of a threat just outside. We all know that nasty people are there, somewhere. It is just a comfort factor to believe that the most evil are staying where they are. This film dispelled that myth and broke the comfort zone, It was not all tension and scare - some humour was there as well. I liked that as it helped to provide a balance with the more shocking parts. This is a scary film, it had me wondering which genre it fitted best - suspense thriller or horror. In the end I decided that it ticked both boxes but defining it to such a resolution was not important as the outcome of both was achieved as it helped me to suspend belief and 'enjoy' the story. An all round good effort with a fine result.

When it comes to low-budget films I overlook things like poor sound quality and bad acting because quite often these are passionate people making the best film they can with the resources they have - just look at Len Kabasinski's films to see what I mean. However, that's not the case with 'Maniac on the Loose'. It suffers from the overused horror plot of an escaped killer and doesn't even throw in some interesting death and gore scenes to make it memorable. In an over-saturated market I can't even say watch it if you like horror and have run out of things to watch because there's so much out there I can't imagine anyone running out. The director published a book of 'Maniac on the Loose' which is free on Kindle. I was even less impressed with the book because it's basically just the film script. This would be fine if it was advertised as a script rather than a short story.

Good Lord....I lasted 13 mins... Nothing original, very corny, not clever and cheaply made....I can't send this back to Netflix fast enough... The acting was HORRIFIC.... Come on , man you can do better than that!!

There is the escaped mental patient trope. And guess who's house this poor woman ends up at. But why is he there? Is it even him?

If the production values and script where better they might have had a good film on their hands.

As it is it's a little bit dull and boring. There are some twists however which are good and it's a well written story. It's like Tales from the Crypt which is what it reminded me of for some reason. I might be way off but the story is kind mysterious and all ties up at the end.

I actually fell asleep watching so I had to watch it again from the middle.

It's slightly tedious viewing but ultimately it gets there. It's not what you would expect from the tittle. I thought it would be a slasher rampage of biblical proportions. It's not. It's very tame and has a lot of talking.

I had a good time watching Maniac on the Loose. If you have ever said that you like horror movies I am sure you will enjoy this too!

It is a brilliant tale about an escaped mental patient and why that can be a such bad thing. Steve Hudgins has woven a tale that should have everyone calling their local mental institutions to verify that ALL the doors are locked. It has been said that too much knowledge is a dangerous thing and Steve skillfully doles out this plot in a manner that perhaps will make you feel just a little too safe. But it's for your own good. You like surprises don't you? Do you like think you know the score? When a maniac is on the loose it is best just to stay at home, right? Really? In this case the best place to be is anywhere but Madisonville.

In some ways this is a cautionary tale on the pitfalls of on-line romance. In other ways it is a cautionary tale on the pitfalls of getting up and going to work. In ALL ways this is an excellent creation by the good folks at Big Biting Pig Productions. The camera work is admirable. The sound is A-O-K. The musical score is awesomely effective. The editing is Super-Good. The acting is just about to the top notch.

It has Humor cards. It has Suspense and Mystery Cards. It has Horror and Creepy cards. Are you in? The dealing has begun but beware, Steve has masterfully stacked this deck!

I recommend this for those who like good clever fiction with just enough terror to keep you glued to the screen.