Search - Maniac Cop on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 7/7/2018...

Actually was pretty good for an old 80s movie. Bruce Campbell did well in this and I liked the plotline. There was still one unanswered question but I'll let you figure that out as you watch the movie.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL
Reviewed on 3/2/2010...

Fun film from the William Lustig (director of Maniac) and written by Larry Cohen (It's Alive, Q, The Stuff). The insane killer cop is very iconic and this film helped create it. Tom Atkins and Bruce Campbell do a decent job, but the performance of Robert Z'Dar as the Manic Cop is what stands out.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Damian M. (ratchet)
Reviewed on 3/11/2009...

A horror/thriller about a tough cop, jailed for finding corruption too high up the power structure, returns not to only get revenge, but to kill for killing's sake. I have no interest in the sequels, but is mildly entertaining, mostly because of Bruce Campbell and some good action sequences.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

A cop killing innocent people? You mean a maniac cop?

Z. Freeman | Austin, TX | 05/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, let me clarify that the four star rating only qualifies in the genre of slightly-schlocky gore. For those of you that don't appreciate this type of movie, it's more like one star. But if you're looking to buy the DVD and reading this review, I have a feeling you're into this.

That being said, this is top quality when it comes to off-kilter horror action. A monstrous killer dressed like a cop is on the loose in New York, killing innocent people instead of criminals. One cop lets the paper know that they think it's a cop gone bad, which turns the public against the police force.

As the terror level escalates Bruce Campbell is framed for the murder of his wife, and becomes the lead suspect in the brutal killings. Now, only Bruce and two other cops know the chilling secret of the maniac cop, and will stop at nothing to try to stop him.

Although there are numerous amounts of "what the...?" sections in this film, it's still mindlessly enjoyable and Tom Atkins' performance as a hardnose cop keeps the film tenuously grounded in reality.

If you're into Bruce Campbell and silly horror movies, then you can't go wrong with Maniac Cop. If you're at all averse to either of those, then don't even bother thinking about it because you won't appreciate the hidden quality of such a classic as Maniac Cop."

You have the right to remain silent..........Forever!.

Puzzle box | Kuwait | 06/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I didn't make that up, thats the actual tagline for this decent low budget 1980's slasher flick/cop thriller. Maniac Cop has some great and thrilling moments along with some cheesy and over the top death scenes and the film has a pretty good b-movie cast which includes Bruce Campbell as a wrongfully accused cop named Jack Forrest framed for the murder of his wife and you might also recognise the other actors like Richard Roundtree from Shaft who plays the police commissioner along with Tom Atkins from The Fog as the detective who's trying to solve the case and Robert Z'dar as the maniac cop Matt Cordell who kills innocent people on the streets of New York and check out the small cameo by Sam Raimi as a T.V. reporter cool!. The film was about Matt Cordell an innocent cop who pissed off the wrong people, tired of media criticism of police brutality the police commissioner ensures that Matt is tried and convicted for the supposed beatings of some really bad guys. Once Matt is in prison he is beat up and killed by the very people he put away but he soon comes back to life seeking vengeance and hes also killing alot of innocent people along the way while the police themselves are looking for the wrong person when officer Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) is set up and framed for the murder of his wife and the closer the investigation gets to stopping Matt, Jack gets accused of being the Maniac Cop himself and people on the streets start panicking not trusting any cops in uniforms.

I used to enjoy this film alot and it was one of my favorites, the film was more recently re-released on DVD by Synapse and has plenty of extras which includes some deleted scenes and an interview with Robert Z'dar, this new synapse release has a good widescreen transfer which was alot better than the previous Elite Entertainment release which I use to have . The film was written by Larry Cohen and was directed by William Lustig who previously made Maniac, unlike that film Maniac cop was less serious than Maniac and you can tell that he just wanted to make a fun b-movie with less gore and violence so the film wasn't really gory whilst Maniac was about a deranged serial killer and was quite dark and disturbing with a gloomy atmosphere, you get a laughable death scene where a guy gets drowned in concrete by the maniac cop so don't take it to seriously. The film was shot in N.Y. and William Lustig gets to benefit from the great locations and it does have some great atmosphere, I have to give credit to the director for turning this into an exciting horror/thriller film there was never a dull moment, I especially liked the car chase scene with Bruce Campbell handcuffed at the back of the police van and this was definetely one of his best roles so if your a Bruce fan then you should check it out. Overall this is definetely a well made film with some good acting and a great storyline but it doesn't have any scares, some scenes were a bit tense while others were just a bit ridiculous but it's still worth watching just don't expect anything earth shattering, watch it with a group of friends and you might enjoy it even more the sequels were great too."

Phantom of the Cop-era

Michael R Gates | Nampa, ID United States | 01/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This Larry Cohen flick (produced and scripted by Cohen but directed by William Lustig) is a clever hybrid of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA story, 1970s and 1980s cop films, and the slasher sub-genre of horror cinema. But instead of an opera house, the venue has expanded to include the entire city of New York, and the wronged antagonist is not a forgotten composer but is, instead, a once-good police officer (hulking actor Robert Z'Dar) who was used as a scapegoat by higher-ups and was subsequently murdered in prison at the hands of thugs. Slasher-film elements come into play when the resurrected cop leaves a trail of corpses in his wake as he heads to city hall to even the score with his former bosses.

As is usually the case, Cohen's script is replete with dark tongue-in-cheek humor and palatable helpings of terror and blood. The gags (both the laughing and choking kind) are bolstered by the presence of horror-genre fave Bruce Campbell, he of EVIL DEAD (1981) fame; Tom Atkins, a ubiquitous face in police departments on TV and in the cinema; sexpot Laurene Landon, a Cohen favorite; and the original SHAFT (1971) himself, Richard Roundtree. There are also some delightful cameos from genre regulars like the late George "Buck" Flower, Victoria Catlin (known to genre fans from her role in David Lynch's TV series TWIN PEAKS), Judy Levitt (wife of STAR TREK's Walter Koenig), director William Lustig, and SPIDERMAN (2002) director Sam Raimi.

The Special-Edition DVD of MANIAC COP from Synapse is well worth the price of admission. It offers a crisp, rich digital transfer of the film in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) with the original Stereo SurroundSound soundtrack (as well as the option of using new Dolby 5.1 or DTS 6.1 soundtracks). Extras include a delightful feature commentary with Larry Cohen, Bruce Campbell, and William Lustig; a new interview with the Maniac Cop himself, Robert Z'Dar; theatrical trailers, including one from France; and much more.

MANIAC COP is a must-see for fans of Larry Cohen and slasher-flick fans, and the Synapse DVD will make a nice addition to the film collection of any horror fan."