ArtisDead

Jigsaw: A History of Desperation (Maniac)

I never had any interest in watching any of the SAW franchise movies. My ex-girlfriend bought me the entire series and the reboot because she knew that I liked several of the other horror franchises like Hellraiser and Halloween. I felt there was no comparison. I did, however, try to watch the first movie. I fell asleep a few minutes into it. The entire premise seemed contrived.

So…when I found out that Maniac was spending a ton of time editing the entire catalogue into a single movie…I thought he had lost his mind. Over time, and a with a few of his other edits under my belt, I have come to the conclusion that that reality may have already transpired. However, since this was an edit by Maniac, and his edits freaking rock, I decided to check it out.

Maniac certainly has an intuitive gift for knowing what is truly twisted and disturbing and fully implementing that skill into the art of making other people’s demented movies as dark as the absence of light allows.

Maniac is probably as off the chain as most of these protagonists and likely needs professional help. Editing these movies is likely therapy for him and his personal crazy.

Jigsaw was full throttle balls to the wall nightmare inducing excitement. The three of us, my brother, his wife and I watched it the other night. It doesn’t relent. We were almost breathless and always at the edge of our seat. There are so many of the “choose your fate or die” situations that you don’t really get a chance to come up for air which is awesome if that’s your thing.

We loved that Maniac added a score that was more tension inducing. He probably had little choice since he was editing from at least seven movies. We also loved that he gave you the protagonist’s background and reason for his crazy right out the gate. You also get the reason for his accomplices and their backstories.

The entire affair hits you like a locomotive and speeds through you so fast that it’s over before you realize it.

The audio was perfect. The editing was almost perfect. The narrative was a master feat done exceptionally well and sets an example for others to follow.

Excellent! A master of his craft displaying his twisted psychologically disturbing masterpiece. As good as it gets.

Okay.

ArtisDead said:

This sounds very interesting. I mean it’s sort if been done a couple of times but you seem to have a different vision. I had it but lost it before I could watch it.

Might you send me a link again?

Pm sent.

I think this is an awesome idea. It could be a prologue to Psycho and there is a lot if crossover that can be utilized. I would live to help with this if I may.

I’m five episodes into this edit/s. I have to say… this is an amazing effort and vision. My family loves it. We are going to binge the rest this weekend. Thanks for the hard work.

This sounds very interesting. I mean it’s sort if been done a couple of times but you seem to have a different vision. I had it but lost it before I could watch it.

The community should rejoice! One of it’s brightest stars has decided to burn brighter for a bit longer! Good to see you back mate! Very excited to see your next masterpiece!

I’ve been looking for this. May I please get a link? Thank you so much!

This sounds very interesting after reading the entire thread. Really interested in seeing all of your corrections. Might I get links? Thanks!

Tony

I’m curious…is this the same Alien Redux (Alien Appendix 2 Virtual Workprint) by Meedermow that I am watching at this very moment that you are upgrading? Or is it different?

Please pm me a link for your upgrade. I am very excited about this.

This was excellent. You obviously put a lot of work into it. I really liked the way you structured it. A very good watch.

The Firefly Clan Both Parts by Maniac

WTF?!!! Talk about creepy, whacked out, disturbing-image-inducing, nightmare-causing-demented weirdos!

I never wanted to watch the three movies that these edit were based on (House of 10000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects and 3 From Hell) because of the reviews I read and the stories I heard. What kind of mind does it take to dream up this stuff?

Rob Zombie and Eli Roth need to have lunch…and then shoot each other in the head (not really but they might want to look for Maniac?). This stuff is disturbing because it could actually happen, may have happened, is happening or will happen? That’s when things get disturbing. When you can actually see the potential truth in it. These edits really messed with my head.

And you know what? As you might expect, you can leave it to Maniac to have an even more disturbing vision of how these movies can be spliced together, rearranged as it were, have a few scenes added…eeeewwwwww!, change out some music and take this s#$t to the next level.

3Razor had the “Scary as hell” edits. Maniac should call his the “Disturbing as hell” edits! Seriously, this s#$t will stay with you and mess with your head for a while.

Not for the light hearted.

“Disturbing as hell” seriously.

An almost perfect-hit you upside the head, corkscrew through your temporal lobes, psychotic rollercoaster ride. It’s full speed and non-stop.

It’s seamless, exceptional editing in every aspect.

But…

Damn!

I can only imagine what he’s done to upgrade The Devil’s Eyes.

The Lament Box by Maniac

This was a perfect two in one edit for me. I always felt that Hellraiser and Hellbound should have been combined into one movie with about a third of the cheese removed.

What’s not good about those movies is that the acting is atrocious. Not even the guy playing the father, who is much better in other movies, could save it. Not even the subtle porn. Nothing really. I loved these movies because of the story. I mean, seriously, these are the perfect nightmare. I love the part about how the cennobites were people before they “were tempted and got sent to hell”. Real creepy stuff. When you got a story that heavy who cares about the acting?

What Maniac has successfully done, as usual, is re-arrange certain aspects of the movies to accomplish a setup that is more satisfying and creates a more forceful impact. He has removed a lot of the cheese. I mean a lot. He couldn’t remove it all because it would be left as a half hour shock flick that would be very disturbing and confusing. He has added some things that truly make it more terrifying. He did it all in a manner that made it seem like it was meant to be.

I can’t imagine what could have been done better to integrate these two movies into one. Horrible acting aside, “It’s your flesh we want to experience” come on…cheese!,
Maniac has created a much more disturbing vision of a terrifying movie and it’s sequel. Don’t bother with the others. Just horrible from here. But this edit is definitive if you want to experience Hellraiser. My go to version from here on out.

Another incredibly well done edit.

I watched these edits. They are seamless and excellent!

After reading the entire thread, I am intrigued and would like a link to this edit. I am a journalist and will be happy to review it.

Thank you.

May I get a link to this? I have a previous version.

Thanks!

I’m not sure these edits got finished. No one that I have talked to is aware of them being finished. A great idea.

I’m not sure these edits got finished. No one that I have talked to is aware of them being finished. A great idea.

I guess I will try here since the pm didn’t work. Can I get links for these?

Thanks

DigMod said:

As Software I used Vegas Pro. I know there are better Programs around, but I am used to it and don’t want to learn everything again.

All the cool kids use Vegas Pro 😉

Hey congrats on your first edit and finding the fanediting community. Welcome to the obsession!

Right? 😂🤣

This looks like it might be a very promising addition to the sequel fanedits. May I get a link?

Wow! Sounds very ambitious. A lot of changes. The colors love k awesome. Sorry to hear about anyone losing a beloved pet. My dog is my best friend. He is by far a non human person. Although, he would likely disagree.

In any case, can I get links to your project, please?

Thanks!

The Mercedes Killer by Maniac

I had the very rare pleasure of seeing this edit, not only before it was actually released but… drumroll…before watching the series that it was based on, Mr. Mercedes.

Sure, I was familiar with the premise…based on a work by the one and only Stephen King, the story centers on Bill Hodges, a man who left his native Ireland (love that accent) as a teenager and became a cop in the small town of Bridgton, Ohio. After several years of service, He’s now retired, divorced and his daughter hates him. He’s also an alcoholic haunted by a crime he wasn’t able to solve before he retired. Someone stole a Mercedes and used it to drive into a crowd of people waiting for the doors to open at a job fair, killing sixteen people (including an infant).

Two years after the murders, the killer decides to reach out to Hodges and taunt him. The viewer knows the identity of the killer immediately.

That’s all I am going to spoil.

I will say this…this is one whacked out story. I guess that’s why Maniac wanted to take a stab at it (pun intended). It has mystery, horror, sex, incest and masturbation (to his mother, no less and then-to his crime). This guy’s crazy is completely off the chain.

This edit may be as close to perfect as an edit of a television series into a long movie may get. Anjohan may have Game of Thrones down, but there can be no dispute that Maniac has horror down. I watched this coming off of a binge watch of his Hannibal edits. I had high expectations after watching those and reading a few reviews of Mr. Mercedes season one.

I don’t have the technical specs but I can say that the video editing is seamless, almost perfect and obviously of superior quality. The audio was amazing on my home theatre system. I believe there were some alternate music choices used to enhance the effect. I truly felt like I was watching one of Stephen King’s long horror movies. However, this was more a psychological horror than blood and gore (although it is there…in spades). I felt the disturbing cat and mouse game that was being played out as if I was involved. I also felt both-the protagonist’s pain and desire for closure and the antagonist’s torment and desire to unleash the beast-equally.

It was an immersive experience made perfect by the hyperspeed pace and sledgehammer impact of the editing. I don’t believe that I will even bother watching the series now. How could I, after such an experience? (I’m scratching my head thinking that I may go back and watch it again after everyone goes to bed to see if I missed anything). By the way, don’t be shocked to find an easter egg hidden in the movie on the sly.

All things considered, if you are into psychologically disturbing cat and mouse games with a taste of blood and gore, this nearly perfect edit is a must see.

Well done! Two thumbs very enthusiastically held high.

The World is Yours (a fanedit by Maniac)

Some time ago I was reading a post on some blog about horror fanedits. An edit by Maniac was among those mentioned. I think it may have been his edits of the Saw franchise. I visited his site and saved it to peruse at a future time. I noticed Maniac mentioned on another forum that I frequent sometime later. Several of his edits we’re listed. Among them was his edit of Scarface. Another was his edit of Apocalypse Now. These are my two favorite movies. I was very sceptical, even though I knew there was much that could be trimmed from either of those two movies.

I went back to his site. I saw mention of The Chesapeake Ripper, his edit of the first season of Hannibal. He trimmed it into a movie of reasonable length. I found myself quite intrigued. Hannibal is my third favorite television series.

A deliciously wicked game of cat and mouse with a bit of unrequited love, as it were. Beautifully done.

So…I made contact. Maniac had to go to some effort to make his edits available to me. I am grateful.

On to my review of The World is Yours…

I will say that if one must edit this amazing movie, Maniac did an almost perfect job. I would likely share his edit with someone viewing Scarface for the first time or who may not have cared for the original. Believe it or not some people haven’t seen it.

Gone is much unnecessary drag. The movie races by at a very quick pace and has a more Goodfellas type punch while retaining a Godfather vibe and Miami Vice atmosphere.

Specifically, I like that he trimmed the entire beginning. That changed the tone instantly. You are face to face with Tony Montana within a minute. I also like that he cut out most of the silly dance with Frank and Omar comparing the size of their appendages. The scenes of him upgrading his taste in clothes are also gone. Some of the bloated club scenes are gone, as well. We get straight to the famous end in all of it’s bloody glory much quicker, as well.

Although, the movie was meant to romanticize a small time hood’s rise to riches and swan dive into infamy, Maniac has successfully made the movie into a downright vicious gangster drama/horror flick that can be enjoyed in a single watch. As a diehard fan of the original movie for over thirty years, I give Maniac’s edit two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Well done!