Maniac Cop
Encyclopedia
Maniac Cop is a 1988 action
/horror film
directed by William Lustig
and written by Larry Cohen
. The film spawned two sequels, Maniac Cop 2
(1990) and Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence (1993).
by a uniformed police officer. As the death toll rises, Detective Frank McCrae heads the investigation. Jack Forrest, a young cop, finds himself under arrest as the chief suspect. He and his girlfriend Theresa, along with McCrae then set out to solve the mystery before the Maniac Cop strikes again.
Cameos are made by William Lustig
, and Sam Raimi
.
's score was released on LP
in 1988 by Phoenix Records.
Track listing
, writer Larry Cohen
, star Bruce Campbell
and composer Jay Chattaway
as well a trailer and deleted scenes. Later, on November 14, 2006 a "special edition" DVD was released by Synapse Films
. This version includes the film restored and re-mastered with a DTS soundtrack. Synapse Films scheduled an October 2011 Blu-ray release.
The film was mostly panned by critics at the time of its release. It currently holds a 38% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
. Critics noted that the filmmakers did not do anything interesting or unexpected with its high concept
plot.
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
/horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by William Lustig
William Lustig
William Lustig , also known as Bill Lustig, is an American film director and producer who has worked primarily in the horror film genre.-Movie career:...
and written by Larry Cohen
Larry Cohen
Lawrence G. "Larry" Cohen is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is best known as a B-Movie auteur of horror and science fiction films - often containing a police procedural element - during 1970s and 1980s...
. The film spawned two sequels, Maniac Cop 2
Maniac Cop 2
Maniac Cop 2 is a 1990 American action horror film directed by William Lustig and written by Larry Cohen. It is the sequel to Maniac Cop and stars Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, Michael Lerner and Bruce Campbell.-Plot:...
(1990) and Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence (1993).
Synopsis
Innocent people are being brutally murdered on the streets of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by a uniformed police officer. As the death toll rises, Detective Frank McCrae heads the investigation. Jack Forrest, a young cop, finds himself under arrest as the chief suspect. He and his girlfriend Theresa, along with McCrae then set out to solve the mystery before the Maniac Cop strikes again.
Cast
- Bruce CampbellBruce CampbellBruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
as Jack Forrest - Tom AtkinsTom Atkins (actor)Tom Atkins is an American television and film actor. He is primarily known for his work in the horror film genre, having worked with writers and directors such as John Carpenter, Stephen King, and George A. Romero...
as Frank McCrae - Laurene LandonLaurene LandonLaurene Landon is a film and television actress. Laurene first began appearing in movies in the late 1970s. She is best known for playing the role of Molly in ...All the Marbles...
as Theresa Mallory - Richard RoundtreeRichard RoundtreeRichard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...
as Commissioner Pike - William SmithWilliam Smith (actor)William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
as Capt. Ripley - Robert Z'DarRobert Z'DarRobert J. Zdarsky , better known as Robert Z’Dar, is an American actor and film producer, perhaps best known for his role as Matt Cordell in the cult horror film Maniac Cop and its two sequels. Due to his unusual facial structure, he is often referred to as "The Chin".-Early life:Born in Chicago,...
as Matt Cordell (aka Maniac Cop) - Sheree NorthSheree NorthSheree North was an American actress, singer, and dancer. She was known for being 20th Century Fox's answer to Marilyn Monroe from 1954 to 1956...
as Sally Noland - Ken LernerKen LernerKen Lerner is an American television, stage and film actor who is perhaps most famous for playing "Principal Flutie" in the first episodes of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Early life:...
as Mayor Killium (while not present in the USA version, a Japanese edit exists which features Lerner as the Mayor of New York City. The subplot has little interaction with the main story.)
Cameos are made by William Lustig
William Lustig
William Lustig , also known as Bill Lustig, is an American film director and producer who has worked primarily in the horror film genre.-Movie career:...
, and Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
.
Music
Jay ChattawayJay Chattaway
Jay Chattaway is an American composer of film and television scores. He is mainly known for his work as score composer for several Star Trek television series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise...
's score was released on LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in 1988 by Phoenix Records.
Track listing
- "Main Title"
- "A Night in the Park"
- "Flashback Montage"
- "The Chase"
- "Morning Train"
- "Face Down"
- "Sally's Drive"
- "On the Ledge"
- "Splash Dance"
- "Epilogue"
Release and reception
The film was first released on DVD on April 8, 1998 by Elite Entertainment which included a commentary by director William LustigWilliam Lustig
William Lustig , also known as Bill Lustig, is an American film director and producer who has worked primarily in the horror film genre.-Movie career:...
, writer Larry Cohen
Larry Cohen
Lawrence G. "Larry" Cohen is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is best known as a B-Movie auteur of horror and science fiction films - often containing a police procedural element - during 1970s and 1980s...
, star Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
and composer Jay Chattaway
Jay Chattaway
Jay Chattaway is an American composer of film and television scores. He is mainly known for his work as score composer for several Star Trek television series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise...
as well a trailer and deleted scenes. Later, on November 14, 2006 a "special edition" DVD was released by Synapse Films
Synapse Films
Synapse Films is a DVD/Blu-ray label owned and operated by Don May, Jr. and his business partners Jerry Chandler and Charles Fiedler. The company specializes in cult horror, science fiction, and exploitation films....
. This version includes the film restored and re-mastered with a DTS soundtrack. Synapse Films scheduled an October 2011 Blu-ray release.
The film was mostly panned by critics at the time of its release. It currently holds a 38% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Critics noted that the filmmakers did not do anything interesting or unexpected with its high concept
High concept
High concept is a term used to refer to an artistic work that can be easily described by a succinctly stated premise.-Terminology:High concept narratives are typically characterised by an over-arching "what if?" scenario that acts as a catalyst for the following events...
plot.