Themes: Unlikely Criminals, Obsessive Quests, Flight of the Innocent
Main Cast: Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A maniacal murderer is stalking New York City cops in this urban crime thriller. Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) is suspected of being the killer until Lieutenant McCrae (Tom Atkins) is found dead. Jack takes over the case after McCrae's death with help from undercover cop and sweetheart Theresa (Laurene Landon). Commissioner Pike (Richard Roundtree) is under fire to solve the case as more men in blue meet their maker much too soon. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Review
With its out-there premise and huge dollops of over-the-top violence, Maniac Cop is an unapologetic exercise in pulpy exploitation filmmaking. That description may alienate viewers with more mainstream tastes, but those who are predisposed to such offbeat fare will discover that the film actually delivers on all the action and horror promised by the title and is surprisingly stylish to boot. Maniac Cop's key strength is Larry Cohen's script, which infuses the film's comic-book premise with plenty of his trademark eccentric characters and a few unexpected twists that will keep viewers on guard. Maniac Cop will also please B-movie fans, thanks to its cast of seasoned character thespians, including John Carpenter regular Tom Atkins as a grizzled detective and Evil Dead hero Bruce Campbell as the beleaguered cop who has to prove he isn't responsible for the title character's rampage. The supporting performances are just as engaging, especially biker film veteran William Smith as a creepy police official and Sheree North as the crippled police clerk with something to hide. Director William Lustig, a seasoned vet of both the action (Hit List) and horror (Maniac) genres, creates a nicely paced blend of story and action and crafts a number of impressive set pieces in the process. Highlights include a scene where Laurene Landon has to escape the title character while handcuffed to a dead man and the impressive car chase that caps the film. In the end, Maniac Cop is probably a little too pulpy and gleefully gruesome for the average viewer, but provides a colorful, action-packed treat for anyone in the mood for classic drive-in-styled entertainment. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Sheree North - Sally Noland; Robert Z'Dar - Matt Cordell; Nick Barbaro - Councilman; Lou Bonacki - Detective Lovejoy; Barry Brenner - Coroner; Victoria Catlin - Ellen Forrest; Jill Gatsby - Cassie Phillips; Rocky Giordani - Fowler; Jon Greene - Tactical Sergeant; Dan Hicks - Squad Leader; Erik Holland - Dr. Gruber; Marcia Karr - Nancy; Judy Levitt - Woman in Car; Vic Manni - Jail Guard; Frank Pesce - Watchman; Bernie Pock - Sam; Carla Reynolds - Police Officer; Ingrid van Dorn - Waitress; Luke Walter - Musician; Alma Washington - Black Woman (TV sequence); George "Buck" Flower - Old Man (TV sequence); John F. Goff - Jack's Lawyer; William Lustig - Motel Manager; Louis Pastore - "John"; Sam Raimi - Parade Reporter; Patrick Wright - Prison Guard; Lee Arnone - White Woman (TV sequence); Nay K. Dorsey - Young Black Man (TV sequence); Tito Nunez - Chico; Judy Kerr - Motel Maid; Tom Taylor - Man in Bar #2
Credit
Jonathon Hodges - Art Director, Geno Havens - Casting, Jef Richard - Co-producer, Dorothy Amos - Costume Designer, Sanford Hampton - First Assistant Director, William Lustig - Director, David Kern - Editor, James Glickenhaus - Executive Producer, Jay Chattaway - Composer (Music Score), John Naulin - Makeup, Vincent J. Rabe - Cinematographer, Sanford Hampton - Production Manager, Larry Cohen - Producer, Craig Felburg - Sound/Sound Designer, Donna Garrett - Stunts, Andy Gill - Stunts, Bernie Pock - Stunts, Don Pulford - Stunts, Charlie Croughwell - Stunts, Phil Culotta - Stunts, Ron Rondell - Stunts, Richard E. Butler - Stunts, Glory Fioramonti - Stunts, Gregory J. Barnett - Stunts, Matt McColm - Stunts, Freddie Hice - Stunts, Kurt Bryant - Stunts, Larry Cohen - Screenwriter, Lawrence Cohen - Screenwriter
Innocent people are being brutally murdered on the streets of New York City by a uniformed police officer. As the death toll rises, Detective Frank McCrae heads the investigation. Jack Forrest, a young cop, finds himself under arrest as the chief suspect. He and his girlfriend Theresa, along with McCrae then set out to solve the mystery before the Maniac Cop strikes again.
Jay Chattaway's score was released on LP in 1988 by Phoenix Records.
Track listing
"Main Title"
"A Night in the Park"
"Flashback Montage"
"The Chase"
"Morning Train"
"Face Down"
"Sally's Drive"
"On the Ledge"
"Splash Dance"
"Epilogue"
Release
The film was first released on DVD on April 8, 1998 by Elite Entertainment but it did not include any special features or even the option of subtitles. Later, on November 14, 2006 a "special edition" DVD was released by Synapse Video. This version includes the film restored and re-mastered in proper DTS surround sound.
The film was mostly panned by critics at the time of its release. Critics noted that the filmmaker didn't do anything interesting or unexpected with its high conceptplot.[1][2]
