William Lustig's Maniac Cop was released on May 13th in 1988 and features a trio of genre heavyweights in Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, and Richard Roundtree. A funky meld of action and horror, it manages to craft a sort of subversive response to the vigilante cop subgenre. In honor of its thirty-third anniversary, let’s take a look back.
When a serial killer dressed as a cop starts murdering innocent people in the city, it's up to Tom Atkins' world-weary police detective McRae to solve the case. He soon discovers that the murders are the work of an undead ghoul who was formerly a loose cannon cop of the Dirty Harry variety. However, McRae’s commissioner, the inimitable Roundtree, is more inclined to believe it's the work of Campbell's beat cop and unfaithful husband, Jack Forrest. The story doesn't always add up, but for this type of film, it works well enough. Screenwriter and producer Larry Cohen, known for inserting wry sociopolitical commentary into his work, generates some discussion of police brutality and offers an examination of public distrust of cops.
I love films shot and set in sleazy pre-Giuliani New York. It’s an aesthetic that’s not found anywhere else in cinema. The combination of ‘80s decadence, near post-apocalyptic imagery, and a deliciously corrupt atmosphere is irresistible to me. Cinematographers James Lemmo and Vincent J Rabe make ample use of the city's authentically rotten visuals to boost its paranoid effect. A handful of aerial shots lend some scope to the low-budget affair as well, even as the grimy, muted palette is retained. What I'm trying to say is, the movie looks great for various reasons but not necessarily in traditional ways.
Our fan-favorite performers bring their A-games to this B picture. Roundtree is imposing, Atkins is sufficiently street smart, and Campbell is resourceful. Robert Z’Dar, who suffered from a genetic condition that enlarged his jawline, is pitch-perfect as the monster that gives the film its name. We also get the always-welcome William Smith as another cop, and Sam Raimi and Jake “Raging Bull” LaMotta make uncredited cameos.
There's some fantastic stunt work in the film, too. In the final set-piece, which follows up a fun car chase, watch for the stunt guy careening head over heels off of a paddy wagon as it dives off a pier. It’s especially impressive to modern eyes, as there’s no mistaking it for CGI. Makeup effects are nicely done, with Z’Dar’s mutilated visage making an impression. Additionally, Jay Chattaway’s accompaniment is energetically spooky and adds a memorable layer to the experience.
Not quite a horror film and not quite an action film, Maniac Cop nevertheless delivers on the suspense and the action in equal measures. All of the leads command your attention and Lustig's direction doesn't disappoint. Maybe there are some lapses in logic, but that's par for the course for this type of flick. If you're like me, you probably won't care. It's an enjoyable little genre romp and there are plenty of reasons why it’s fondly remembered all these years later. Supposedly, Nicholas Winding Refn is working on a remake, but it would be reimagined as a TV miniseries. There’s been scant news about it, recently, though. Highly recommended for fans of Nighthawks, Night of the Creeps, and Escape from New York.
Michael Cavender