Maniac Cop

Name: Maniac Cop
Genre: Action, Mystery, Horror, Crime
Released: May 13, 1988
Duration: 85 min
Rating: 40
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Lou Bonacki, Nick Barbaro, Nina Arvesen

1988

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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6.2

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6.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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Maniac Cop

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Movie Details & Credits

Cineplex-Odeon Films | Release Date: May 13, 1988 | R

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Lou Bonacki, Nick Barbaro, Nina Arvesen, Richard Roundtree, Robert Z'Dar, Sheree North, Tom Atkins, William Smith

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

Director: William Lustig

Genre(s): Action, Mystery, Horror, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 85 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Eric Henderson

Maniac Cop is the type of movie that you would want to watch through the slits in a sewer grate, only its execution sits perched well above its scummy aim, and the end result is that you feel guilty for wishing for something more perverted. Read full review

Noel Murray

Maniac Cop is heavier on the goofery than the relevance. Read full review

Empire Kim Newman

A no-holds-barred assault on hollywood cop sensibilities that could have benefited from more comic diversions. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Maniac Cop is a disappointing thriller that wastes an oddball premise and offbeat point-of-view. Read full review

Caryn James

The acting is stiff, the dialogue is stiffer and the action scenes are laborious. Even the presence of professionals like Sheree North and Richard Roundtree, in small roles, tend to diminish them rather than improve the film. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

This is a one-idea concept enlivened ever so slightly by fleeting moments of Cohen's patented sociopolitical subtext and goofy black humor. Read full review

Chris Willman

It also begs for an anarchic-camp approach, or else a deeper exploitation of the very real fears the common citizenry have of men in blue in so many urban climes nowadays. Read full review

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User Reviews

93dkd

Mar 22, 2021

great movie cheesy but great.Stars: Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree

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ForeverFinalGir

Dec 20, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I’ve got 4 words why I’m excited for this movie: Bruce Campbell Tom Atkins. Need I say more? Just kidding. There’s more to this movie than those two. Maniac Cop isn’t the greatest movie but it is a fun ride nonetheless.

PLOT

Look at the size of those hematomas!–Frank

A killer dressed as a police officer is killing innocent people in the streets of New York City. One cop is accused of the crimes, his lover and another cop is trying to prove his innocence.

MY THOUGHTS

Whole city’s goin’ to hell. You can’t take a pee anywhere anymore.–Frank

We get a lot of kills, some on screen, some not. We do see some blood. But not a lot of gore. I thought this would be the typical slasher movie but it isn’t. It’s a little more with the acting and the plot. We get a gritty New York City where the people are now suspicious of the cops when Cordell starts killing people. The acting was pretty good. I mean Tom Atkins. Do I need to say more? He knows more than the other cops. His death 2/3rds of the way through the movie really surprised me.

Before I could get too disappointed, that’s when Bruce Campbell started picking up the pace. With Campbell we get a different kind of role than what we are used to. We normally think of the sarcastic and over the type, Evil Dead style, acting. He’s more serious and dare I say normal? Plus, nice to see a younger Bruce. It’s been awhile. Cordell is menacing with his huge stature so it’s easy to see him as the killer.

Unlike typical slashers, in this first movie in the series there isn’t any nudity. Even when Jack’s wife walks in on him and Mallory having sex. And the ending has an obvious opening for a sequel (which happens). Though, unless they come up with a really good reason, there may be an issue on how he survived being impaled on a pole. But, I haven’t seen the sequels so there may be a “logical” reason for it.

If you enjoy slashers, especially 80’s slashers, this is a good movie to watch. What do you think? Is this a “must see” for a slasher fan, or am I crazy? Let me know in the comment section below.

Actor Robert Z’Dar, who played the Maniac Cop, worked as a police officer in real life for the Chicago police department.
Bruce Campbell admits that he only did the film because he needed work. He also admits that the film wasn’t any good.
Jill Gatsby (Cassie) is Larry Cohen’s daughter and is killed in every one of his movies that she’s in.

Let’s get into the rankings:

Kills/Blood/Gore: 3/5
Sex/Nudity: 0/5 No nudity.
Scare factor: 3/5
Enjoyment factor: 8/10

My Rank: 3.5/5
IMDB: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: critics: 5/10 audience: 4/10
Letterboxd: 3.1/5… Expand

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villain_edits

Mar 1, 2022

É ok, a ideia é boa mas poderia ser mais bem aproveitada, acho que um remake bem feito daria muito certo, discutindo violência policial, abuso de poder e ao mesmo tempo fazer um slasher mais violento e criativo. Do jeito que ficou tá só ok, apesar de alguns pontos interessantes. Só recomendoÉ ok, a ideia é boa mas poderia ser mais bem aproveitada, acho que um remake bem feito daria muito certo, discutindo violência policial, abuso de poder e ao mesmo tempo fazer um slasher mais violento e criativo. Do jeito que ficou tá só ok, apesar de alguns pontos interessantes. Só recomendo pra fanáticos pelo Bruce Campbell e slasher.… Expand

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