Maniac Cop (1988)

A killer dressed in police uniform begins murdering innocent people on the streets of New York City.

You have the right to remain silent… forever!

Personnel

Director

  • William Lustig

Starring

  • Tom Atkins
  • Bruce Campbell
  • Robert Z’Dar
  • Laurene Landon
  • Richard Roundtree
  • William Smith
  • cameo from Sam Raimi

Info

Trailer

Full movie

(Warning: there’s a licensed copy available on YouTube, 1hr 19min, but it screws up the ending, cutting most of it. It was only after running into that problem that I finally remembered it was on Fawesome, complete at 1hr 25min.)

I’m pretty sure I saw this in the 90s. I remembered it a lot more “exploitationy” but seeing it now it was more like a fairly competent TV movie. Maybe the sequels are trashier and I’m confusing the original with the sequels. (For example, I could have sworn I remember seeing Robert Z’Dar in Hell Comes to Frogtown, but it turns out he’s only in Return to Frogtown which I didn’t even realize existed.)

  • DominusOfMegadeus@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    5·
    1 day ago

    Straight up, this movie is a fucking cinematic tour force, and I do not exaggerate. The writing is far, far better than it has any right to be, the acting is genuine, the story is actually intriguing, and Bruce Campbell, of course, is positively a delight as always. I shit you not this is a thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly well-made film. I cannot recommend it enough. I have not gotten around to watching the sequels yet.

    • Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafeEnglish
      4·
      14 hours ago

      Bruce Campbell??

      OP should’ve lead with that!

      Currently watching Jack of All Trades and Brisco County Jr., two shows that should’ve had years of episodes (especially Jack).

      Bruce just gets it.

      • fistac0rpse@fedia.io
        4·
        14 hours ago

        as a huge Bruce Campbell fan, how have I never heard of Jack of All Trades? thank you, gonna download it now

        • Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafeEnglish
          4·
          9 hours ago

          Jack is outrageously funny, irreverent, and a bit too adult for broadcast TV at the time.

          Just like Brisco County, he was just a little early. A couple years later when the dedicated cable channels hit their stride he would’ve been very successful (FX, SciFi, etc).

          I bought the Jack DVD’s, they were like $20 - totally worth it.

          • klu9@piefed.socialOPEnglish
            1·
            2 hours ago

            Bruce is in Maniac Cop, but he doesn’t get the chance to be very “Campbellesque” ;)

            I’ve still never got round to watching Jack of All Trades, although back in the day I did catch some episodes of its “stablemate” Cleopatra 2525.

            I did finally see Brisco a few years ago, such a shame it was cut short. Apparently it was during a moral panic about violence on TV, and the campaign group picked an episode of Brisco featuring a boxing match, and they counted every single punch as another incidence of violence, giving a total that made it seem like it was a Blumhouse slasher.

      • SSTF@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        1 day ago

        Absolutely he was. He survived a ton of damage with no other explanation given. Along with the general vibe of the movie and the fact it came out after Friday The 13th Part 6 which popularized the unambiguously undead Jason.

        Also he’s straight up undead in the sequel.

        • klu9@piefed.socialOPEnglish
          4·
          1 day ago

          Thanks. 2 & 3 are on YouTube, don’t know if legit, I might watch them in the following weeks.