Summary:
A killer dressed as a cop prowls the streets of NYC. IS ANYWHERE SAFE!?
My Thoughts:
I’m at the point in my life where I’ve accepted the fact that I’m a horror junkie and can unironically enjoy horror films that other people find completely insufferable. So, though it may come as a surprise to some, when I set out to watch “Maniac Cop” I did so not because I thought it would be a really schlocky thing to laugh at (though that’s more or less what this turned out to be), but because I thought one of Lustig’s earlier films, “Maniac”, was ahead of its time, and I hoped this film might be another hidden gem.
Unfortunately, “Maniac Cop” doesn’t have nearly as vicious a bite as “Maniac”. As it’s slightly ridiculous title might lead you to believe, this film is just like any other one of the hundred-and-fifty thousand chintzy slashers to come out in the 80s; but, if you’re a horror junkie like me, sometimes a run-of-the-mill slasher with a few fun moments (and Bruce Campbell!) is all you need. This film is nothing special, but I couldn’t bring myself to hate it entirely.
“Gina, this isn’t about romance. It’s about murder.”
A killer cop prowls the streets of NYC, and Detective Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins, “The Fog”) is tasked to head up the investigation. Frank’s main suspect is Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell, “The Evil Dead”), but Jack claims he’s innocent, and he and his girlfriend Theresa (Laurene Landon, “Maniac Cop II”) must race to find the real killer before he strikes again.
So, the thing that brought me here was William Lustig’s “Maniac”. That film is incredibly gory and gross, and the premise is downright disturbing. In an era where most horror films were more about fun thrills and franchises (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Halloween”), “Maniac” was a horror film that felt like pure arthouse exploitation; it felt like a movie that might even be controversial even today. “Maniac” truly surprised me, and so I hoped this film might do something along those lines. Unfortunately, Lustig seems to have muzzled himself in this movie. Where “Maniac” implemented a ton of fantastic graphic special effects from Tom Savini (special effects coordinator for “Day of the Dead”), this film was remarkably tame.
I know that when “Maniac” first came out it was panned by critics, and it took years for it to develop a cult following. I’m sure Lustig was disheartened by the reviews and took a look at the films that were popular around him and just tried to replicate films like those, and unfortunately, he ended up just creating a film that feels almost indistinguishable from nigh every other slasher from the 80s. Still, there were a few moments that made this movie worth the runtime (with a few qualifiers).
While I wouldn’t say that this film is necessarily worth watching if you’re looking for something truly scary, I do think this film is pretty fun if you’re just looking for something silly to throw on. I watched this with one of my roommates, and by the middle of act two, we were cheering on both that killer cop as he slashed his way through the streets and Bruce Campbell as he tried desperately to prove his innocence. This movie is just sort of fun; I mean, it’s about a supernatural cop that kills people; how much schlockier can you get? Bruce Campbell shines in his usual over-the-top way. The dialogue in this movie is flat out laughable: from macho man drivel like “He’ll kill again… he enjoys killing” to lines that just make you scratch your head, like “Whole city’s goin’ to hell. You can’t take a pee anywhere anymore.” This movie just provides plenty of equally baffling and memorable lines.
Another thing that this film provides is plenty of ridiculous violence. Though this doesn’t have nearly as good of special effects as “Maniac”, the body count is still pretty high. Many of the kills seem to be inspired by Jason or Michael Meyers type kills- the maniac cop is essentially just another rendition of ‘The Shape”- a figure that lives mostly in darkness and only shows himself when he’s about to strike. There’s almost always something crazy going on in this movie, so even if it’s not good, it’s at least entertaining.
Verdict:
I feel like the best way to watch this movie is with friends and slightly inebriated. If you’re looking for a genuinely good horror movie, this is certainly not the movie you are looking for, but if you’re looking for a silly horror flick with a ridiculous premise and an even more ridiculous execution, then you’ll probably find something you’ll like here. I had enough fun that I plan to check out “Maniac Cop II”.
Review Written By: