JUST ANOTHER MANIC FRIDAY

Today has been pretty manic for reasons I won't bore you with dear reader, which got me to thinking about manic movies. Some movies exude mania, so much so that the viewer is prone to palpitations and hyperventilation. These films take place in heightened states where the protagonist finds themselves in situations of extreme jeopardy, racing against the clock or in bizarre environments.  There is an art to conveying a heightened state of anxiety on the big screen and here are 10 of the stand-outs in the manic movie stakes 

• Uncut Gems- The Safdie brothers look at high stakes gambling and perennial underdogs having their day is a masterpiece of sustained anxiety. The performances, score and editing leave you gasping for your breath.
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit?-Have you ever wondered what it would be like living in the world of Looney Tunes? well, imagine no more, as Bob Hoskins' gumshoe experiences the high octane world of Toons.
• Race With The Devil-A road movie and a satanic cult movie rolled into one. A collision of the great American Road trip and a  literal race for your life.
• Mad Max Fury Road-From minute one this is a furious barrage of action and adrenaline.
• Crank-High concept that hardly allows the audience to blink. Statham at his boneheaded action hero best
• It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World-Greed is good; or is it? Take a whose who of American comedians and have them race across the country in search of buried treasure and you get this over the top concoction that is both funny and nerve shredding
• The Congress- A bizarre blend of live action and animation where the viewer is unsure what's going on but whatever it is that's going on is crazy
• Hard Boiled-A bullet flying, scenery splintering action bonanza from John Woo that never wanes in its relentless pace
• The Evil Dead 2 : Dead By Dawn-The sequel that ratchets things up to 11. By turns scary and hilarious
• Duck Soup-The masters of mania The Mark Brothers satirise politics magnificently