Review: Maniac Cop (Blu-ray)

William Lustig’s late 80’s “horror” film, written by Larry Cohen, is now out on DVD/BluRay courtesy of the fine folks at Synapse Films. The blurb on the Blu-ray case claims Maniac Cop is regarded as a classic of the genre, but is it? I would be hard pressed to even call it a horror movie, but more of an action/thriller/revenge film.

The film concerns itself with Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) a young police officer with marital troubles who becomes the prime suspect in his wife’s murder. But it gets worse…people have reported seeing a rogue cop attacking and murdering people, and naturally our hero is put on the top of the suspect list for those crimes as well.

Of course, the real solution can’t be this simple, so it’s up to detective Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins) and Forrest’s associate Theresa Mallory (Laurene Landon) to figure out who the real killer is! Richard Roundtree plays the police commissioner, and Robert Z’Dar is the hulking menace in question. The problem with this movie is that the villain is so uninteresting for the bulk of the screen time that when it comes time to reveal his backstory it’s a case of too little, too late.

Any genre fan knows that Atkins is so smooth that he can do anything and come out smelling like roses. There isn't a bad performance in the lot, but nobody really shines here. Everyone gets the job done here, but sadly, all of these characters are really one note. Campbell is the good guy who is imperiled and must prove his innocence. Tom Atkins is the detective that will help, and Laurene Landon is the hard as nails policewoman who can kick ass alongside any man. The only character here with any real emotional conflict and interest is Sally Noland, the police station record keeper (Sheree North). She harbors a long kept secret that she will protect at any cost.

North's performance rises above the rest simply because it is informed of the comedy inherent in the material. Everyone else seems to be playing it completely straight, and if this were a film with gallows humor and biting wit that played better with a straight face I could understand it. But when you have a scene in which Bruce Campbell is careening around like a pinball off the back of a delivery truck your film has gone into Three Stooges mode. The premise of the film begs for one tone or the other, and unfortunately Lustig can't seem to pick one.

On the A/V side of things, this is probably the best this low budget affair is going to look, and Synapse's HD-transfer is quite nice to look at. The detail level isn’t going to blow you away, but it’s quite crisp just the same. The film grain seems natural, with no artificial scrubbing to be seen, and the audio is perfectly serviceable. With special note to the score by Jay Chattaway coming across like gangbusters! The music really elevates this project from dull to watchable. I don’t think it would be nearly as good without this score.

Topping the special features are video interviews with Tom Atkins, Robert Z’Dar, and Danny Hicks. These are all enjoyable, with Atkins’ talk being the most interesting and revealing about the project. There are a few trailers and TV spots, with the most interesting item being scenes that have been filmed specifically for Japanese television! It would have been nice to have a commentary by the cast/crew, Lustig and Cohen most notable, but alas there is none.

As someone who was befuddled by the cult around this movie, finally seeing it for myself makes me understand why some people gravitate toward it. It is worth a watch, and a decent way to pass an hour and a half, but I don’t see the replay value in it. I would say it’s worth a rental, and a purchase for Bruce Campbell or Tom Atkins collectors, (I know you’re out there), and those who like Lustig’s particular brand of schlock.

Film Score: 2/5 Disc Score: 3/5