Review of Maniac Cop (1988) by Stevie J — 17 Jun 2011

If there are two genres I love the most, it's horror and action. A good action movie features amazing stunts, car chases, and an action hero. A good horror movie has either a) scares and suspense or b) B-movie fun.

As a mixture of horror and action, Maniac Cop couldn't be any better. It's got all the things a good action movie should be (with the hero being none other than BRUCE CAMPBELL) and both of options "a" and "b".

The killer is frightening because, well, he's dressed like a cop. He can put handcuffs on you or get you out of your car without you thinking anything is wrong. Robert Z'Dar's unique facial features pay off here, as he is very creepy when a shadow is cast over his face.

While the maniac cop looked a lot creepier in Maniac Cop 2, he's still pretty ghoulish in this one as well. This was directed by William Lustig of Maniac fame, and written by Larry Cohen probably most known for directing The Stuff and It's Alive.

Cohen writing stylishly combines old school scares with humor that works wonders. Bruce Campbell is phenomenal as always as Jack Forrest, a cop convicted of the "Maniac Cop" murders. Tom Atkins is playing a detective for the thousandth time, but why try and improve on perfection? Richard Roundtree (SHAFT!!!) is a police commisoner.

Sam Raimi makes an appearance as a reporter. The kills are all well done and people you wouldn't expect to get killed die. I have yet to see parts 2 & 3, but they're all written by Larry Cohen, so they must not be that bad.

Maniac Cop is one of those movies that you watch and you automatically love it (don't pay any attention to naysayers). If you like Bruce Campbell or Tom Atkins, Maniac Cop is a must.