Most horror anthology movies rarely go on to achieve any great success or renown. That seems like an overstatement considering the popularity of Creepshow, Tales from the Hood, and Trick ‘r Treat. However, those movies are the exception as opposed to the rule. The bulk of anthologies go the way of Mania, a low-budget ’80s obscurity very few folks have heard of, much less watched. Despite being so unfamiliar and unseen, this four-storied collection is quite pleasurable for fans of standalone scares.
Mania — a.k.a. Mania: The Intruder or Mania: Episodes in Terror — is technically not trapped on VHS like other vintage anthologies, seeing as the movie was released on DVD in Germany in 2022. Unfortunately, the batch run was limited to a whopping 111 copies. And despite the new title of Mania: American Tales of Terror, this anthology is, in fact, Canadian (without getting into “North America” semantics). Just a quick glimpse at the cast and crew credits is enough to realize this movie has “Hollywood North” origins. Regardless, the setting is of no significance, as far as the stories go. They are all set in nondescript suburbs and cities.
The most recognized of the three directors here, at least to horror fans, is Paul Lynch of Prom Night fame (and to a much lesser extent, Humongous). The other two directors are John Sheppard and David M. Robertson. The latter, who primarily worked as an assistant director prior to and after Mania, helmed the second story, The Intruder. Sheppard, the writer of each segment, tapped into a fairly popular urban legend for Robertson’s contribution. He gets points for simply not adapting the more obvious choices. Unawareness of the inspiration will yield a better first-watch experience, yet even those who know exactly how this tale will unfold can find amusement in it.
Set during one unfortunate winter, The Intruder begins with a universal fear. Neighborhood homes have been burglarized and the culprit is still at large. And after being alerted by the police of these continuing crimes, Ruth Benson (Cheryl Wilson) urges her husband, Jack (Richard Monette), to get a guard dog. He is visibly reluctant, given his unspoken fear of dogs, but rather than explaining himself, Jack caves in and brings home a rottweiler. The question now begs: who is the story’s namesake? The dog, who strikes fear in Jack, or the unseen home invader possibly lurking in the background?
As Jack struggles to acclimate to the dog’s presence, his apprehensions gather like the snow on the ground. His nervousness is so pronounced that the original threat (the robber) diminishes. Ruth is also oblivious to her husband’s anxiety around the pooch, but all she seems to care about is their immediate wellbeing. It does not help that Jack never communicates his ill ease — he would rather stay in denial. Like when a dog trainer literally asks Jack if he is scared of dogs, or when Ruth suggests he finally get reading glasses. So long as Jack avoids the issues, all is okay. This need to keep it together and never admit his “weaknesses” ultimately comes back to bite him, so to speak.
Without spoiling the story, The Intruder goes on to have one of the better twists in this anthology. The opening segment, See No Evil, has the other; a witness to a murder receives his comeuppance after refusing to come forward. The remaining two stories have entertainment value, however, this fearsome foursome is indeed front-loaded with its best offerings.
Watch Mania:
So the Story Goes spotlights notable anthology tales from both television and film, with an emphasis on the horror genre.
Tales from the Paulside 
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