Schizophreniac: The Whore Mangler (1997 Video) User Reviews

Not even for lovers of low budget. More whore mangling wouldn't harm.

[insomniac_rod · 5/10 · 24 June 2005]

Well this is the perfect example of mediocre exploitation movies from the late 90's. The 70's was the decade of exploitation by excellence, the 80's had some highlights but in the 90's things got simply awful! "The Whore Mangler" is one of the worst Horror movies I've seen and that's a lot to say! The make up or f/x are as cheesy and cheap as you can get and without a doubt the producers didn't spend more than 1000 on this crap.

The killer is laughable I wonder if the actor is ashamed of this role. The guy looks like a total freak. I only dug his rape in the ass expectations. You can't say the guy had a specific meaning for life.

Please avoid this attempt of ultra low budget exploitation. There isn't even an attempt to make a decent movie. The director's vision is impossible to be understood and what about the plot? there isn't. The idea of the rubber doll telling the killer how to act is simply dull. I mean the idea is "okay" for a Horror movie but the way it develops in the movie is simply painful. Also, filled with horrid dialogs.

Ugh.

I Guess I Was Expecting More "Whore-Mangling"...

[EVOL666 · 3/10 · 24 March 2006]

SCHIZOPHRENIAC: THE WHORE MANGLER is another example of what happens when you get a bunch of untalented people together to make an "extreme" horror film. Any sort of acting, production, storyline, FX, etc...go out the window in an effort to create "shock-value". Now don't get me wrong - I consider myself a connoisseur of "shock" films, and the sleazier/gorier/nastier the better - but it's still nice to see SOME sort of talent from SOMEONE involved in the film.

SCHIZOPHRENIAC chronicles the life of Harry Russo - a drug-addicted freak-show who takes orders to kill from his ventriloquist's dummy, Rubberneck. He goes on a few sprees killing hookers and other random people, and screaming about how much he hates "hoo-uhs" (that's "whores" for those of you that don't speak New York-ese...) and how he wants to rape them in the ass. There are a few weak necrophilia scenes, very little gore, and some nudity to mix things up a bit - but nothing that you haven't seen in a better film...

The only redeeming thing that I can find in this retarded film are the often (unintentionally?) hilarious screaming-fits from our main man, Harry. He goes on-and-on-and-on about wanting to kill everyone and do them in the ass, and it really becomes quite comical after a while. In fact, I'm almost tempted to believe that there's supposed to be some sort of homo-erotic undertone to this film, with all the ass talk and constant shots of Harry running around with his dong hangin' out. In all honesty, that joker is nekkid more in this film then the few chicks that show some T-and-A (and some full-frontal, for good measure). SCHIZOPHRENIAC is mildly amusing as a 1-time watch, but I can really only recommend this to those that want to be able to say that they watched a film called SCHIZOPHRENIAC: THE WHORE MANGLER. To be honest - the title, by far - is the best thing about this trash...A generous 3.5/10

Wow...that's all I can say...wow

[jynx242 · 3/10 · 7 March 2007]

There are bad movies, then there are the movies that are SO bad, that they become almost art. This is one of those films. My partner and I are still both kind of shell shocked, you know, staring off into space and drooling! You can tell that the people involved (I hope they changed their names to protect themselves) were having a blast, and they definitely weren't shy. I give this one a three out of ten just because of the gratuitous smut and REALLY bad gore effects. I laughed out loud during most of the movie, so I guess you could say that it showed me a good time. Beware viewer, the above words in no way construe that this is a good film, because it is not. All I can say in my defense, is that it was impossible to pass up a movie with such a GREAT title!

Not even so bad it's fun.

[fertilecelluloid · 1/10 · 4 July 2006]

A "friend", clearly with no taste or class, suggested I take a look at the work of Ron Atkins. If this is representative of his oeuvre, I never want to see anything else by him. It is amateurish, self-indulgent, criminally shoddy and self-indulgent rubbish. The "whore mangler" of the title is an angry low budget filmmaker who murders a bunch of hookers. There is a little nudity and some erections, but no single element could possibly save this from the hangman's noose. The lighting is appalling, the dialog is puerile and mostly shouted, and the direction is clueless. I saw a doco on American exploitation filmmakers during the recent Fangoria convention. Atkins was one of those featured. He spoke like there was something important about his work, but after a viewing of this, I see nothing of any import whatsoever. There is no style, either, and the horrible video effects (like solarization) only enhance the amateurishness. Not even so bad it's fun. Avoid.

absolute crap

[movieman_kev · 1/10 · 2 June 2005]

Director Ron Atkins is certifiably insane. This ultra-low budget film chronicles a few days in the life of one Harry Russo (John Giancaspro, who also co-wrote), a nut-job who receives a Rubberneck doll from his bitch girlfriend. He starts to take orders from the doll to take massive amounts of drugs, rape and kill, not always in that order. What starts off as being a balls-to-the-wall exploitation film, well stays like that, but it gets VERY repetitive VERY fast. I'm leaning more toward the certifiably insane. It IS hard to forget once seen though. Kinda like if Tom Green ever did a horror film.

My Grade:F

Eye Candy: Laurie Farwell gets fully nude; Jasmin Putnam shows tits and bush

ANTI-eye candy: seeing John completely naked repeatedly

immature as a junior high kid with a cheap video camera

[loudave14 · 1/10 · 8 March 2005]

I was interested to see the move thinking that it might be a diamond in the rough, but the only thing I found was bad writing, horrible directing (the shot sequences do not flow) even though the director might say that that is what he is going for, it looks very uninspired and immature) the editing could have been done by anyone with 2 VCRs and the stock was low budget video. I would say that it wasn't even something as simple as mini digital video.

There are some simple ways to fix a film with what the director has, like through editing etc. But it is obvious that he just doesn't care. There is as much effort put in to this movie as a ham sandwich. It could be made better, but that would mean extra work.

Well, It's Different At Least

[Michael_Elliott · 4 October 2009]

Schizophreniac: The Whore Mangler (1997)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Harry Russo (John Giancaspro) is a cocaine sniffing maniac who gets his thrills by cutting up, beating and raping women he feels to be dirty. Sometimes he does the killing and then the raping so you know he has a few screws loose. He appears to also be getting orders from a doll known as "Rubberneck". This isn't the greatest film ever made and it's certainly not a good one but I must admit to having a nostalgia trip down memory lane. Becoming a horror fan during the 1980's saw a big line of films being released straight to VHS and you never really knew what you were going to get. That's somewhat the case for this film as it was shot on a digital camera and probably features a budget of under a few thousand dollars. What the film lacks in money it tries to make up with all out craziness. Giancaspro gives it his all as he does on cray thing after another be it dancing around naked in a parking garage or doing some sort of strange dance in a blond wig. The funniest scene is when he goes through a Wendy's drive-thru and asks to order some Big Macs. It's clear this shot was "real" and it was rather hilarious. The "whore mangling" aspects of the film are mostly bad special effects but they always try to go an extra step including one scene where a nipple is cut off and eaten. Yeah, it's that type of movie. Again, this is a pretty bad movie but you have to respect the fact that these guys actually got one made. Only the most jaded people will want to check this out even with all the nudity.

Absolute Caca

[rwagn · 1/10 · 24 April 2010]

This film gives independent and guerrilla film-making a bad name. Truly a no talent affair across the boards. I've seen high school project movies that are a better caliber. Pure and utter crap not in the same vein as Ed Wood or Andy Milligan but true excrement. The lead "actor" instead of being evil or fearsome instead inspires guffaws of laughter as we watch him mince around naked or in lingerie with his junk exposed. This refugee from the Village People also appears to be a semi-clubfoot in reality. Watching him lope around and run with that weird gait indicates this was not an affectation of character but a real handicap. His many rants on sodomy appear to be from real life and not from script. I noticed he is given credit for additional dialog so maybe..... This is pure caca, wait, it's what I call "leavins'-the stuff that remains in the toilet bowl after the flush has completed.

Norman Bates on acid

[christopher-underwood · 5/10 · 12 January 2007]

Begins brightly enough as some misogynist rage with the murder of a handsome prostitute. Too soon though this degenerates into some sort of juvenile farce. The male lead spends the film nude or partly nude , walking, running and dancing like a demented Dervish, saying, 'F**k' all the time. When somewhere around a third of the way through the transvestite stage begins we seem to have Norman Bates on acid and it's not a pretty sight. It gets a little serious for a minute in the middle where he seems to blame his mother for all his ills, but then it's off on downward spiral. Interestingly for the main part Atkins is well aware of his limited resources and films scenes accordingly (I wish others would) but then he decides to do mock TV news bulletins complete with cuts to reporters at the scene and of course cannot pull them off.

An extreme viewing experience

[anton-125 · 8/10 · 5 November 2005]

This film is like marmite. You either love it or you hate it. If you go into this film expecting a proper film with decent production values, a good plot and great characters you'll hate it. If you go into this film expecting a low budget slasher you'll probably hate it.

If you go into this film expecting to see one of the most deranged characters ever put to film in the form of Harry Russo you will love it. John Giancaspro is absolutely brilliant in his over the top portrayal of the insane, murderous coke fiend.

The special effects are abysmal at best but really, who cares? If you're the kind of person who's prepared to watch a film Schizophreniac: The Whore Mangler you've undoubtedly seen scores of horror films filled with gore. With the budget this film was made for even if they had tried it probably would've mediocre at best. I'd much rather be able to laugh at something abysmal than be unaffected by the mediocre.

To sum it up, you'll probably hate this film but if you're one of the few who decide to see it anyway it'll become the best thing since sliced bread #2 I hate marmite.

Drug fueled rape, torture and general disturbing viewing

[stetheboro · 10/10 · 15 November 2004]

Did you ever wonder how far one movie could go?

Schizophreniac relentlessly explores the world of the extreme with Harry Russo.

Harry is an aggravated writer, killer and drug addict scumbag who will stop at nothing to destroy those who stand between him and insanity. Driven by the demonic voices of his ventriloquist dummy rubberneck, Harry begins his killing spree.

From director Ron Atkins comes the 1st installment of the vilest story ever to be filmed

The only other movie I have seen similar to this would happen to be the 2nd installment entitled Schizophreniac Necromaniac

This is a really low budget film and will not be for everyone, but if you are looking for something disturbing, different and horrific then this would make a fine choice.

DO NOT EXPECT ANYTHING LIKE MODERN DAY HORROR (Such as Scream)

Viewer discretion is advised

One of the most offensive/entertaining movies ever made.

[nnnoooiiissseee · 17 May 2009]

All I can say about the Necromaniac/Schizophreniac 2 series is... if you are even remotely "PC" or don't have a seriously messed up sense of humor, then you probably wont get it. As sick and disgusting as this movie is, it really is a comedy and not a "horror" movie at all. If you can appreciate somebody who pushes the bounds of good taste and political correctness to the most extreme limits imaginable, to the point where is becomes so out of hand that it's comical, then you must see this to believe it. This movie is so out of control that a major film studio couldn't touch this with a 10 foot pole (with a condom on the end). In my opinion though, the best, most extreme pieces of art come from way underground. If you don't stick to the same old formula that people are used to seeing, then they reject it.

I have seen stacks of terrible, boring, z-grade, Indy movies that were just a waste of a perfectly good VHS tape or DVD-R. I have also seen stacks of stink bombs coming from the big named studios that were a complete waste of millions of dollars. When a NO BUDGET film like these two from Ron Atkins/John Giancaspro come out and blow all of the other "shock" films completely out of the water, you really have to take a second look at the whole Indy movie scene. After seeing this, you can really see how much freedom an Indy film maker can have when they work on their own.

The funny thing is, even the other people who saw this movie and "hated it" admit to the fact that they laughed all the way through it. I don't think that is is possible for anybody to get bored watching either of these two. So if don't take everything that you seen in the mainstream media too seriously, and are able to laugh at a misanthropic, puppet wielding psychopath who has finally snapped, YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS. You may just be able to see it for the stand alone, cult classic that it is. Both Schizophreniac / Schizophreniac 2 are among the favorites in my collection of well over 1000 dvds.

Another unwatchable video

[ultra_tippergore · 26 June 2009]

I watched this the same day i watched Zombie Ninja Gangbangers. Man, what a double feature! Two of the worst piles of crap ever distributed. I love Low and No budget movies but i hate when the crap is not even so bad its good or like this one, when it is just crap. The plot is about the crazy killing spree of a psycho who makes low budget movies, or something like that. Who cares? This movie is just trash, bad trash not good trash like Violent Sh*it. Even the awful Das Kommabrutalle Duell is good in comparison. Lots of male full frontal nudity, abysmal direction and camera work, the worst Fx you will ever see, etc. I read on IMDb that a sequel of this one exists. God save us. 2/10