Maniac Cop
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Movie Reviews of Maniac Cop
Movie Review: Phantom of the Cop-era
Summary: 4 Stars
This Larry Cohen flick (produced and scripted by Cohen but directed by William Lustig) is a clever hybrid of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA story, 1970s and 1980s cop films, and the slasher sub-genre of horror cinema. But instead of an opera house, the venue has expanded to include the entire city of New York, and the wronged antagonist is not a forgotten composer but is, instead, a once-good police officer (hulking actor Robert Z'Dar) who was used as a scapegoat by higher-ups and was subsequently murdered in prison at the hands of thugs. Slasher-film elements come into play when the resurrected cop leaves a trail of corpses in his wake as he heads to city hall to even the score with his former bosses.
As is usually the case, Cohen's script is replete with dark tongue-in-cheek humor and palatable helpings of terror and blood. The gags (both the laughing and choking kind) are bolstered by the presence of horror-genre fave Bruce Campbell, he of EVIL DEAD (1981) fame; Tom Atkins, a ubiquitous face in police departments on TV and in the cinema; sexpot Laurene Landon, a Cohen favorite; and the original SHAFT (1971) himself, Richard Roundtree. There are also some delightful cameos from genre regulars like the late George "Buck" Flower, Victoria Catlin (known to genre fans from her role in David Lynch's TV series TWIN PEAKS), Judy Levitt (wife of STAR TREK's Walter Koenig), director William Lustig, and SPIDERMAN (2002) director Sam Raimi.
The Special-Edition DVD of MANIAC COP from Synapse is well worth the price of admission. It offers a crisp, rich digital transfer of the film in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) with the original Stereo SurroundSound soundtrack (as well as the option of using new Dolby 5.1 or DTS 6.1 soundtracks). Extras include a delightful feature commentary with Larry Cohen, Bruce Campbell, and William Lustig; a new interview with the Maniac Cop himself, Robert Z'Dar; theatrical trailers, including one from France; and much more.
MANIAC COP is a must-see for fans of Larry Cohen and slasher-flick fans, and the Synapse DVD will make a nice addition to the film collection of any horror fan.
Movie Review: Beware The Fuzz
Summary: 4 Stars
Maniac Cop! Hell, the movie just sounds like loads of fun, doesn't it? I've always liked this film since the good ol' days when HBO would actually show these kinds of films at night. The title pretty much sums up what you're in for. A cop(he's a maniac) goes around terrorizing the streets of the Big Apple.
It's all revenge for getting screwed by the system. The cop isn't too picky about who he kills either. He wants revenge on the police department, but he's more than happy to slice up innocent civilians for kicks. A detective on the case slowly starts putting the pieces together while another cop is being set up by the Maniac Cop to be the fall guy. This film is full of great B movie character actors. Tom Atkins(THE Tom Atkins) plays the detective, while Bruce Campbell(in a serious role) plays the innocent cop accused of the killings. Richard Roundtree is the police commissioner, and all around badazz, William Smith, is his lieutenant. The Maniac Cop himself is played by Robert friggin' Z'Dar. This cool, underrated actor you may remember as the evil looking dude with the big jaw from Tango and Cash("Fry Tango!!!!"). The Maniac Cop himself is a bit confusing coz it's never clearly defined if he's a walking corpse out for revenge, or just so much of a badazz that he can't be killed. There's evidence to support both theories, but it's ultimately up to the viewer to decide. It's all great B movie fun, and handled very well considering the talent involved. B movie crusader Bill Lustig directs and Larry Cohen(who should need no introduction) wrote the screenplay. These two guys would cover similar ground a few years later with their film, Uncle Sam. Add to that, the great cast, you get a great and forgotten police thriller/horror film from the 80s. Well worth the moola, though the asking price is a tad high. Synapse does another good job, providing an entertaining commentary track with Cohen, Lustig, Campbell and composer Chattaway. Also included is a 10+ minute interview with Robert friggin Z'Dar himself! He seems like a very cool guy. A very good package.
Movie Review: A cop killing innocent people? You mean a maniac cop?
Summary: 4 Stars
First of all, let me clarify that the four star rating only qualifies in the genre of slightly-schlocky gore. For those of you that don't appreciate this type of movie, it's more like one star. But if you're looking to buy the DVD and reading this review, I have a feeling you're into this.
That being said, this is top quality when it comes to off-kilter horror action. A monstrous killer dressed like a cop is on the loose in New York, killing innocent people instead of criminals. One cop lets the paper know that they think it's a cop gone bad, which turns the public against the police force.
As the terror level escalates Bruce Campbell is framed for the murder of his wife, and becomes the lead suspect in the brutal killings. Now, only Bruce and two other cops know the chilling secret of the maniac cop, and will stop at nothing to try to stop him.
Although there are numerous amounts of "what the...?" sections in this film, it's still mindlessly enjoyable and Tom Atkins' performance as a hardnose cop keeps the film tenuously grounded in reality.
If you're into Bruce Campbell and silly horror movies, then you can't go wrong with Maniac Cop. If you're at all averse to either of those, then don't even bother thinking about it because you won't appreciate the hidden quality of such a classic as Maniac Cop.
Movie Review: Better than I expected
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this in HMV because I love slasher movies and it was very cheap so I thought, why not?
I wasn't expexting much from it (due to the low price and lackluster amazon reviews) but actually really enjoyed it.
The film starts with a handfull of innocent people on the streets on New York being murdered by a policeman (who's face we don't see). A policeman ends up as a suspect when his girlfriend is killed and the rest of the movie is set on him and a female police officer who he was having an affair with (the movie isnt as "Desperate Housewives" as it sounds..) trying to find the real killer, while the killer himself starts killing off everybody around him.
We actually find out who the killer is halfway through the movie, but rather than being a spoiler, this is actually a good thing because we see the mystery behind the killings unravel as well as the usual stalk-and-slash.
Quite a decent ending, too, which sets up for the sequel.
Movie Review: A classic horror/revenge with a twist
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie tricked me because it was about a cop who just went insane.the way its presented in the movie though is much better.the maniac cop seeking revenge for what happened to him in jail was brillient.the violence,blood,gore are all top notch as is the pacing of the story.i wish there was more flash back scenes about what happend to him but thats ok.bruce campbell was great in this as he is in all of his movies.this movie has something for everyone...horror,slasher,zombie and bruce campbell can all rejoice bacause this movie is the only one to combine all those great elements.deffinatly worth buying and having in your collection.