Maniac Cop (DVD)

MANIAC COP (1988)

Tagline: “You have the right to remain silent. Forever.”

A series of horrific murders have occurred on the streets of New York. They appear related. Witnesses identify the killer as wearing a police officer’s uniform. Officer Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) suddenly becomes the prime suspect with even his wife doubting him. With the help of love interest Theresa Mallory (Laurene Landon) and detective ...
...is Robert Z’Dar as the maniac cop that steals the show. His strong physical presence combined with the image of the starched, authoritarian police uniform creates a very foreboding character. The very idea of fearing police officers late at night leaves a lasting impression.

Larry Cohen’s (Phone Booth and a multitude of trashy low budget horror flicks) script does contain a strong central premise, which slowly reveals itself throughout ... more

MANIAC COP (1988)

Tagline: “You have the right to remain silent. Forever.”

A series of horrific murders have occurred on the streets of New York. They appear related. Witnesses identify the killer as wearing a police officer’s uniform. Officer Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) suddenly becomes the prime suspect with even his wife doubting him. With the help of love interest Theresa Mallory (Laurene Landon) and detective Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins) he mounts his own investigation to clear his name, which leads to some startling discoveries about an old and supposedly closed case.

William Lustig (Maniac) makes a strong impact at the start of the film with a number of brutal deaths. From there on he slow things down a little as it becomes more of a thriller than horror. The movie suffers most from low production values, which will put many people off. There are times during Campbell’s investigation that the film drags a little and some lacklustre dialogue lets down a number of scenes. The story also takes some quick turns with little regard for any realism. Despite these flaws Lustig somehow managed to maintain my interest and provide some good thrills.

Tom Atkins (Lethal Weapon), Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead Trilogy) and Laurene Landon (It’s Alive 3) all give satisfactory performances, as does Richard Roundtree (Shaft) as the police Commissioner. It is Robert Z’Dar as the maniac cop that steals the show. His strong physical presence combined with the image of the starched, authoritarian police uniform creates a very foreboding character. The very idea of fearing police officers late at night leaves a lasting impression.

Larry Cohen’s (Phone Booth and a multitude of trashy low budget horror flicks) script does contain a strong central premise, which slowly reveals itself throughout the film. Unfortunately you may find yourself frustratingly reaching correct conclusions ahead of the characters, as the story is relatively basic.

Overall this movie is visually of quite poor quality and not without it’s plot holes. However the strong, simple central story pulls it from mediocrity, providing some entertainment. Recommended only for fans of the genre.

Trivia: Quick cameo from director Sam Raimi as a reporter.

Running Time: 85 mins
Certificate: 18
 

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