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MOVIE SCORE |
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DVD SCORE |
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REVIEWER |
Chucky |
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REVIEW DATE |
2nd September, 2004 |
Review Quote
"Maniac Cop has always been a low quality, low budget, B-Grade film. Yes, the acting isn't all that good, the make-up used on Cordell's face is similar to someone just being crapped on but it still makes no difference for the film that it is. You either enjoy it or you don't."
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The Plot
Respected cop, Matt Cordell was framed and sent into prison with the criminals he, himself had put behind bars. In the prison, Cordell was beaten/attacked by his enemies and thought to be dead. Later on, a man in a police uniform is seen killing innocent people on the street, causing hell for the Mayor (the man who had Cordell framed). Cordell is back and wants revenge, those who framed him better look out because he's coming for them!
The Movie
This is a favourite movie of mine, one of the first slasher type films I got into. The film stinks of cheese and I'm loving this home cookin'. I'm not a die-hard Bruce Campbell fan but let me say this... BRUCE CAMPBELL IS IN THIS MOVIE! Now that I've gotten your attention, let me say this... Bruce Campbell doesn't not have much in common with his Evil Dead character Ash as he does as Jack Forrest in Maniac Cop.
Maniac Cop has always been a low quality, low budget, B-Grade film. Yes, the acting isn't all that good, the make-up used on Cordell's face is similar to someone just being crapped on but it still makes no difference for the film that it is. You either enjoy it or you don't. If you like your cheesy, old slasher films, you should enjoy watching Maniac Cop. If you need your mainstream horror fix, you won't find it here.
The performances (as I mentioned before) are not really worth mentioning. You could probably dig up some no-name actors for a film and still get the same level of professionalism. Tom Atkins may entertain you with his unwelcomed smile at the beginning of the film but fails to create anything interesting for people to fall in love with his character. Jack Forrest played by the well-known Bruce Campbell gives you just about what you'd expect, a typical "I'm the innocent hero who's being framed" type of character and works it to the extent needed.
The movie is mostly filled with your usual 80's action/suspense music though holds a rather nice, playful "whistling" tune that's always pleasant to hear and also works its way in very well with Cordell's dream/flashback sequence. Some may find it freaky, some may find it pleasant and some may find it childish. It's your call.
Maniac Cop doesn't host much for gore fanatics out there. The kills are mostly bloodless or off-screen which usually works well, especially since a lot of the kill scenes happen at night. The movie doesn't gain much ground though when it comes to story progression. The first hour or so shows Matt Cordell killing people in the streets and the mayor shitting his pants. The story only makes its real mark when they explain why Cordell is back (check plot) and when Jack Forrest takes the risk to attempt to prove his innocence.
If you like your 80's slashers, this is one that you'll want to add to your collection. Though this movie is more action than horror (mainly because of the amount of guns used and car chases) it's still an enjoyable (horror) romp.
The DVD
Nothing to add here. Quite a shitty DVD in all aspects. The picture quality is no different than a nice VHS viewing though I hear the movie originally is bad quality picture-wise. The DVD menu is the same as all other Legacy DVD's. A sky/cloudy background with soft music playing, what the hell? Only good thing to say about this DVD is that it's region 0 so it can be played anywhere.
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Director
William Lustig
Cast
Tom Atkins
Bruce Campbell
Robert Z'Dar
Laurene Landon
Sheree North
Screenplay
Larry Cohen
Tagline
"You have the right to remain silent... Forever."
Country
USA
Classification
R
Year
1988
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Format
NTSC
Region Coding
0 (all regions)
Aspect Ratio
1.33:1
16x9 Enhanced
No
Running Time
88 minutes
Year Released
2004
Packaging
Keep Case
Extra Features
None
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This Version On DVD
Region 0: Buy Me Now
Other Versions On DVD
Region 1: Buy Me Now
Region 2: Buy Me Now
Region 3: Not Available
Region 4: Not Available
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If you find any errors in this review, know of any other versions of this DVD available or no longer available, send us an e-mail so we can get the word out to the horror community.
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