Maniac Cop

Starring:Atkins, Landon, Campbell, Roundtree
Studio: Legacy Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

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Out for Justice [Blu-ray]
Starring: Steven Seagal
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000RL6GBO
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Description

A Brooklyn police officer tracks down a boyhood adversary turned druglord who's responsible for the death of the cop's friend and fellow officer.

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Out for Justice [HD DVD]
Starring: Steven Seagal
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000RL6GBY
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Description

A Brooklyn police officer tracks down a boyhood adversary turned druglord who's responsible for the death of the cop's friend and fellow officer.

Average customer rating:

Basehart a Darkhorse!
He Walked by Night
Great and dark
You could call this a Dragnet prototype. Jack Webb has
Just the Facts on an Elusive Criminal

He Walked By Night
Starring: Richard Basehart , Scott Brady , Roy Roberts , Whit Bissell , and James Cardwell
Director: Anthony Mann , and Alfred L. Werker
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000CNY4Z
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Amazon.com

This gritty and often chilling documentary-style noir (based on a true story) about the hunt for a cop killer in Los Angeles is a must-have for fans of vintage crime films. Richard Basehart stars as a cold-blooded thief whose murder of a police officer sets off a citywide manhunt; the law, led by granite-jawed Scott Brady, tracks him relentlessly until the pair square off in the shadow-steeped drainage canals beneath the city (the same locale for the finale of Them!). Though Alfred Werker is credited as director, noir and Western vet Anthony Mann actually helmed the majority of the film; his muscular direction lends palpable suspense to the picture, aided in no small part by longtime collaborators John C. Higgins (who co-wrote the script) and cinematographer John Alton, whose Germanic-influenced lighting creates an otherworldly atmosphere. Supporting cast member Jack Webb borrowed the no-nonsense, semi-documentary approach for Dragnet. --Paul Gaita

Description

Based on true events, this film noir classic is a "thrilling, absorbing story, superbly told, well-acted [and] brilliantly photographed" (The Hollywood Reporter). Starring Richard Basehart, Scott Brady and Jack Webb, this "tense, exciting" (Variety) thriller was the inspiration not only for the TV series "Dragnet" but for many other subsequent "ripped from the headlines" crime dramas. Taken from actual case files, He Walked by Night is the suspenseful, action-packed tale of a manhunt for the most cunning criminal in the history of the LAPD. With a combination of ingenuity, state-of-the-art technology, sweat and sheer determination, the police painstakingly track down a brilliant, elusive thief and cop killer who seems to have the ability to vanish into thin air. But can they catch him before he murders again?

Customer Reviews:

Basehart a Darkhorse!.......2007-06-27

Richard Basehart gives an under the radar performance as a lonely, troubled, cold killer in He Walked By Night (1948). His screen presence as the character Roy commands recognition among noir stalwarts such as Widmark, Duryea , Mitchum, and Lancaster. How this minor league studio produced such a realistic vision of Los Angeles noir is amazing. The acting, camera work, script, lighting, sets, and final print leaves little to be desired. A bit more plot intrigue would have earned this film a 5 star rating and a place alongside noir masterpieces such as The Asphalt Jungle, The Killers, and Out of the Past. The film boasts a wide range of characters; from mailmen, police officers, and crimminal technicians to a mentally unstable housewife. Unfortunately I own The Ultimate Film Noir Collection which contains 5 DVD's and 10 films one of which is He Walked By Night that omits closing credits. I accessed the uncredited cast of He Walked By Night by visiting a helpful website-the movie data base which contained interesting information about the film and cast. One comment I would like to make that was mentioned by previous reviewers is the comparison between the underground chase scene in He Walked By Night and The Third Man. The sound, editing, visual bleakness and desperation captured in the chase scene in He Walked By Night is superior to the plagarized scene in The Third Man.

He Walked by Night.......2007-06-22

The semi-documentary approach Director Mann pioneered within film noir, seen in both "T-Men" and "Naked City," was realized most effectively in this picture, which methodically follows a manhunt for a cop-killer. The film is extremely tight, plays out in chronological time, and climaxes with a brilliantly-shot sequence in a city sewer. The spooky, skin-crawling performance of Basehart as the baby-faced killer is reason enough to add this movie to your must-see list of noir masterworks.

Great and dark.......2007-02-20

As a kid I only knew actor Richard Basehart for his part as Admiral Nelson of the submarine Seaview on the 60's TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and wasn't aware of his edgy work in films that had preceded it. This precision tooled crime drama also includes several elements that would later become part of the Dragnet TV series, but this is a much more intense sort of work. Based on a real case, this fine black & white film showcases Basehart's portrayal of a brilliant sociopathic killer/criminal, but everyone is well cast and utilized; including a very young Jack Webb. Sort of half police-procedural film and half cold-blooded film noir. Basehart was also excellent as the man on the suicidal ledge in Fourteen Hours

You could call this a Dragnet prototype. Jack Webb has.......2007-02-02

a supporting role in this one as Lee, a forensic expert for LAPD. He must have been taking notes on how to do it. It is a good noir, murder thriller. Los Angeles became a favorite city for these type of movies for lots of obvious reasons. But it is also a huge city, spread out, diverse & exciting. A real challenge for cops. Richard Basehart is Roy Martin/Morgan, a smart sophisticated thief. He graduates to murder, a cop killer. He has no record & thus is able to fly under the radar of the cops for a quite a while. In a documentary style that became familiar, the film shows the slow, many times boring process in catching a dangerous criminal. This is seen through the main character, Sgt. Marty Brennan, played by Scott Brady. He is a doggedly determined homocide detective. It is also personal for him. One of the cops killed was his friend. He has the vast police community as his support system. Apprehension of the guilty seems assured. But the final chase scenes are nonetheless gripping, eventually ending in the vast sewer system underneath the city. Good drama, good movie

Just the Facts on an Elusive Criminal.......2006-12-30

He Walked by Night, 1948 film

This is a true story, only the names were changed to protect the innocent. Los Angeles was the fastest growing city in the nation, 452 square miles. An off-duty policeman noticed a man near a closed store. He asks for identification, and is shot by this prowler. The police stations are called and the police set up a dragnet to arrest anyone in the area and question them. Hotels in a four mile area and anyone on the street were brought in for questioning. [No probable cause?] Most were let go, the one sought wasn't caught. They search the MO file to find burglars who use picklocks; no success.

We learn Roy Martin is an ace electronics technician whose machines are leased to customers (reflecting post-war scarcity). One of them was stolen. The police are called and they set a trap. But Roy suspects something and arrives early. There is an exchange of shots and Roy is wounded but escapes to operate on himself! The police learn Roy worked for the Signal Corps. Now Roy begins a new career as a liquor store bandit (cash only, no credit as in small grocery stores). He learned to escape through the storm sewer system of Los Angeles, an underground highway. The police gather the crime victims to develop a picture of the robber. Wanted posters were sent out, but nobody knew this unknown subject. Roy eludes the police and sees a businessman to rob him. The police assign a new team to catch a man who has no friends, no records, no fingerprints, and can outsmart the police. The wounded officer comes up with a clue to find this seeming genius, Finally they get a suspect and a name! The detective tracks him down disguised as a milkman.

The police silently surround Roy's bungalow. His dog senses the strangers and barks a warning. But Roy escapes into his attic and jumps to another roof. When the police pursue, Roy jumps into the underground storm drain system to escape. The police arrange for converging columns, and Roy is trapped by a parked car. There is an exchange of shots, and Roy ceases to resist. The idea of a criminal who knows police procedure must be a bad dream for the police. Yet there are examples of this in some true crime stories. Jack Webb, who played a minor role here, went on to stardom in the "Dragnet" dramas on radio and television in the 1950s. This story could be a primer on police procedure. One significance of this film are the scenes of an extinct Los Angeles. Sparse traffic, sunny skies, no smog, small businesses, etc. are all gone. [The scenes of the hunt in the storm sewer system seems to be echoed in Carol Reed's "The Third Man".]

Average customer rating:

A cop killing innocent people? You mean a maniac cop?
Kill Street Blues...
Phantom of the Cop-era
Classic film by William Lustig
Beware The Fuzz

Maniac Cop
Starring: Bruce Campbell , and Robert Z'Dar
Director: William Lustig
Manufacturer: Synapse Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000IJ7A5Q
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

You have the right to remain silent. forever! Restored and re-mastered from original vault materials, Maniac Cop will blow you away with an all-new high-definition transfer and DTS surround sound! Bruce (The Evil Dead Trilogy) Campbell and Tom (Lethal Weapon) Atkins star in this action-packed cult classic!

Innocent people are brutally killed on the streets of New York by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, Jack Forrest (played by Bruce Campbell), finds himself marked as the chief suspect after his wife is murdered. As Lieutenant Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins) investigates these mysterious killings, the death toll rises and he suspects a mysterious police cover-up. This "maniac" cop must be stopped, but it might not be so easy! He isn't an ordinary man. He's inhuman. driven by supernatural forces. and ready to take on the entire police force, hell-bent on revenge!

Customer Reviews:

A cop killing innocent people? You mean a maniac cop?.......2007-05-21

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.

Kill Street Blues..........2007-01-19

MANIAC COP is a wonderful revenge film. Robert Z'Dar is the title character, a shadowy, towering killer who was once an NYPD hero. Is he alive? Dead? Something in between? Tom Atkins (The Fog, Night Of The Creeps) is the officer attempting to find and stop the maniacal man in blue. Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead 1 and 2, Bubba Ho Tep) is a likely suspect. Legendary Richard Roundtree (Shaft) is the police commisioner and William Smith (Invasion Of The Beegirls, Memorial Valley Massacre) is a captain! Larry Cohen's writing shines through this gloomy tale, w/ familar faces from his past work. Not very scary, but fun to watch...

Phantom of the Cop-era.......2007-01-07

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.

Classic film by William Lustig .......2006-12-25

Memorable guilty pleasure from the 1980's only in the time period could it be produced. However, it's actually not that bad. The performances here including Bruce Campbell, and Tom Atikis are very passable. There's a crazy killer masquerading as a cop in New York which nowadays would be very normal. It was directed by William Lustig of the classic film "Maniac: so I knew it would deliver the goods. It's not quite predictable either. He knows how to build tension and sometimes fool the viewer into thinking the killer will strike (as seen in the scene where a paranoid woman shoots a young cop thinking he's the killer).

The special effects and gore are fine. The movie never gets too boring and is very entertaining till the end. Robert Z'Dar as the Maniac who doesn't have any dialogue at all is very menacing as the Maniac. We also get a side story into how the mayor and other politicians know the reason why this guy is killing yet cover it up. This flick has it all. The sequels I heard are not that great but the first is always a classic.

The DVD has great stuff added to it including a couple of deleted scenes, a great featurette with Z'Dar himself, trailers and commentary.

"Maniac Cop" is a truly a horror classic. You know this plot as dumb as it sounds apply today to what's going in law enforcement isn't that far fetched (except for the part that this guy is unstoppable.) Recommended if you like any of Lustig's work.

Beware The Fuzz.......2006-12-06

Maniac Cop! Hell, the movie just sounds like loads of fun, doesn't it? I've always liked this film since the good ol' days when HBO would actually show these kinds of films at night. The title pretty much sums up what you're in for. A cop(he's a maniac) goes around terrorizing the streets of the Big Apple.
It's all revenge for getting screwed by the system. The cop isn't too picky about who he kills either. He wants revenge on the police department, but he's more than happy to slice up innocent civilians for kicks. A detective on the case slowly starts putting the pieces together while another cop is being set up by the Maniac Cop to be the fall guy. This film is full of great B movie character actors. Tom Atkins(THE Tom Atkins) plays the detective, while Bruce Campbell(in a serious role) plays the innocent cop accused of the killings. Richard Roundtree is the police commissioner, and all around badazz, William Smith, is his lieutenant. The Maniac Cop himself is played by Robert friggin' Z'Dar. This cool, underrated actor you may remember as the evil looking dude with the big jaw from Tango and Cash("Fry Tango!!!!"). The Maniac Cop himself is a bit confusing coz it's never clearly defined if he's a walking corpse out for revenge, or just so much of a badazz that he can't be killed. There's evidence to support both theories, but it's ultimately up to the viewer to decide. It's all great B movie fun, and handled very well considering the talent involved. B movie crusader Bill Lustig directs and Larry Cohen(who should need no introduction) wrote the screenplay. These two guys would cover similar ground a few years later with their film, Uncle Sam. Add to that, the great cast, you get a great and forgotten police thriller/horror film from the 80s. Well worth the moola, though the asking price is a tad high. Synapse does another good job, providing an entertaining commentary track with Cohen, Lustig, Campbell and composer Chattaway. Also included is a 10+ minute interview with Robert friggin Z'Dar himself! He seems like a very cool guy. A very good package.

Average customer rating:

Great entertainment!
Me Cop 3
The official Maniac Cop 3 DVD release!

Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence
Starring: Gretchen Becker , Grand L. Bush , Bobby Di Cicco , Robert Davi , and Caitlin Dulany
Director: William Lustig , and Joel Soisson
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
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ASIN: B0001US7OA
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Customer Reviews:

Great entertainment!.......2006-02-27

Matt Cordell, once a respected officer of the law, but now a rage-driven zombie, forced to live an excistence as neither living or dead.
This time he's out to get the persons responsible for a accident that put a female cop in coma.
The movie is very entertaining, perhaps even better than part 2(wich I also liked very mutch) It has good and talented actors, not teenage amateurs like in most other slasher films. The effects are also great, especially a burning car chase that must've been very complicated and unpleasant for the stuntman.
So if you liked part 2(Like I did) then go and get this one as well.

Me Cop 3.......2005-07-23

Matt Corrdell wont stay dead. And this time he's back to clear the name of a cop who kills someone in a foiled robbery, but the footage shown made it look to be her fault, when it was defence. And onc eher name is cleared, for some reason Matt Cordell wants to pot her as his bride.

This one didnt make a lot of sense to me in a few parts. But it has all your cheesy horror movie cliches in it that make this just a late night thriller for those who wanna be entertained and who wont go nitpicking on details and plot lines.

I really lked the ending of the film. It was really a blazing way to go out.

Here's to looking forward to Maniac Cop 4, hopefully.

They should release this as a box set or something. Have the trilogy on one disc maybe? Hell, they didnt bother to include ANY bonus features so 3 of them will fit on a four hour disc.

The official Maniac Cop 3 DVD release!.......2004-06-02

Love it or hate it 'Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence' is here on DVD. The last DVD release was by a company named platinum back in 1999 I believe.
Well this new DVD release has out done the last one, the picture quality is much more clearer and sharper than before and this is also in widescreen and with a trailer!
This is the first official DVD by the original company that released this film back in 1993 so the quality is very good but the front cover artwork is horrible-what were they smoking?
Also William Lustig has been placed back into the credits as the only director (there used to be 2 directors now this states only 1 in both the film credits and the box art).
If you liked the first two Maniac Cop films give this one a try!

Average customer rating:

Interesting 80's Curiosity
Some tight action scenes, but silly overall
JAMES WOODS AT TOP OF HIS GAME!!!
Riveting and uncomprising thriller
This is Woods, James Woods

Cop
Starring: James Woods , Lesley Ann Warren , Charles Durning , Charles Haid , and Raymond J. Barry
Director: James B. Harris
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B000ALM4DK
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Description

Academy Award®-nominee James Woods (Best Actor, Salvador, 1986; Best Supporting Actor, Ghosts of Mississippi, 1996) stars as a brilliant maverick police detective in this exciting, violent thriller with a hint of noir. Police detective Lloyd Hopkins (Woods) doesn't like to be told what to do, or what not to do. Stripped of his badge and gun, he pursues a killer no one thinks exists. By uncovering a secret hidden in a high-school yearbook, he will piece together seemingly unrelated clues to expose crimes dating back two decades.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting 80's Curiosity.......2007-03-06

The maverick cop sub-genre had been done to death in the 1970's, but this didn't stop James B. Harris and James Woods concocting this imitative thriller. There is nothing new in "Cop", but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a watch. I'm of the opinion that any film that Woods appears in is never totally a dead loss. All the elements are present, a broken family life, a pariah in his own department, a cop who works outside the rules, a psycho murderer leaving clues written in blood. Woods plays the role with his usual wisecracking intensity and is good value for money. The difference I suppose this film has is its exploration of feminist ideologies, but there are far too many ambiguities within the convoluted plot for any sense too be made of them. Ultimately like most of these cop thrillers, it is a tale of revenge, a case of the return of the repressed, as forgotten memories resurface to the top. James B. Harris is perhaps best known for his short production partnership with Stanley Kubrick in the late 1950's early 60's. From the evidence here, he should strictly stick to production. The film suffers from a visual flatness and very unimaginative direction, ultimately given the impression of a made for TV movie. With anyone else at the helm this could have become an impressive production, but too many elements jar and the film lacks a totalising cohesion. Nevertheless despite these shortcomings "Cop" is an interesting curiosity, which is worth a watch.

Some tight action scenes, but silly overall.......2007-02-19

Some good action scenes: the fight with Charles Haid, the final showdown, etc., but on the whole not at all credible.

Granted, in any cop movie, a certain amount of liberties have to be taken with reality. But this was too much. To list just one example, early in the film, Woods guns a guy down and then instead of hanging around to answer questions from the department about the shoot, promptly leaves with the prostitute who's also a witness to the shooting. That by itself would have merited termination in any ordinary police department.

One can reply that similar scenarios occur all the time in the Lethal Weapon and Die Hard films. Perhaps, but those films, in their way, acknowledge that they're more or less cartoon fantasies. The problem with "Cop" is, it wants to be taken seriously as a piece of work - "gritty" and "real" - while still maintaining the adolescent macho fantasy. Eg. the ridiculous scene with Woods and his daughter followed by the pretentious, overacted "innocence kills" argument with his wife. When you hear dialogue and you hear a writer speaking rather than a character, something's gone wrong.

William Goldman made a similar and, I thought, correct criticism of "L.A. Confidential." That is, you are not allowed to make a "serious", "gritty" police film while keeping the standard action, bubblegum movie silliness. You have to make a choice about what film you want to make. You can make "The Laughing Policeman" (great film) or you can make "Lethal Weapon" (great in a different way), but you can't make them both. Otherwise, you're demanding too much from the audience.

I'm not sure what to say about James Woods. It seems like he was a co-producer and it's clear that he exercised a great deal of control over this film. He's an actor of great talent. Eg. His performance in "The Onion Field" was outstanding. And he's obviously an intelligent man. "Cop" does him little credit, though.

JAMES WOODS AT TOP OF HIS GAME!!!.......2007-02-08

A TAUGHT MURDER MYSTERY WITH THE WILD & CRAZY JAMES WOODS AS AN ON THE EDGE COP.A GRIZZLY KILLING.A TRAIL THAT LEADS THE VIEWER DOWN A DARK PATH!A MUST SEE!! RIVETING!!

Riveting and uncomprising thriller.......2005-10-15

Maverick detective Lloyd Hopkins (James Woods) stumbles upon a serial killer that has been undiscovered until now when he discovers a crime scene involving ritualistic style murder. Tied into a network of swingers, the killer taunts Hopkins by writing letters ostensibly addressed to his victims but really designated for the police. Just as he is about to put the pieces together the pieces of his personal life fall apart when his wife leaves him ("you're a sick man") with their daughter because she's afraid he'll pass along his "sickness" to their daughter. Equal parts brilliant, defiant and unorthodox Hopkins isn't a likeable man but he doesn't have to be; he's a typical hardboiled screwed up anti-hero. He may not be somebody you like but he has a clear idea of right and justice. Hopkins must pursue the leads himself when solving this case becomes his personal obsession.

"Cop" is as brilliant, unorthodox and defiant as its main character. Producer/director James B. Harris doesn't allow the material to get away from him and James Woods. Playing like a darker more serious variation on the Dirty Harry films, Harris and Woods don't stoop to imitation and plow their own ground planting the seeds of an involving, powerful and sometimes unpleasant murder mystery. A cult classic, "Cop" finally reappears and will hopefully get its due as an uncompromising and powerful crime drama that doesn't shy away from the nasty side of the street nor does it try to gussy up the drama. A unknown classic much like (although quite different in tone from) "Night Moves", fans of noir films will love this adaptation of James Ellroy's ("L. A. Confidential") novel.

Although it doesn't receive a top notch transfer, "Cop" looks extremely good. The images are crisp throughout most of the movie and while there is a hint of edge enhancement that crops up now and again the film looks, for the most part, like it should-dark. As a modern day variation on film noir, the film has just the right texture and feel for the genre with deep, rich shadows and muted colors. The 2.0 Dolby Digital Surround track is pretty basic-the stereo effects work quite well but aren't always used to optimal effect. Still, the action sequences and scenes where the score take center stage sound robust and have a nice kick to them.

Beyond previews we don't any extras. The audience for this film is so small its unlikely that it will probably receive the attention its due unless a company like Anchor Bay licenses it at some point. Including the original theatrical trailer would have been a nice touch and I'm surprised that MGM chose not to include it as part of the package.
There isn't a commentary track here. It's unfortunate because the movie certainly could use a commentary track from Woods or Harris. Which Harris shooting "The Black Dahlia" (as producer with Brian De Palma directing based on another James Ellroy novel) hopefully we'll see this reissued with something in the way of commentary or extras.

A marvelous dark film that won't be everyone's cup of tea, "Cop" is a worthwhile film. The transfer is solid without analog flaws. It's a pity that "Cop" doesn't have any extras but it has a fairly small audience.

This is Woods, James Woods.......2005-09-23

This is one of the best cop movies ever made. I didn't get to see this thing until maybe five years ago and it was purely accidental. I couldn't believe I had missed such a great flick. James Woods is just so classic in this. Everything is just gritty as hell. It's all straight to the point. Just look at the title. One of the best endings to a movie I've ever seen, and only Woods could pull it off. Just...just plain good from beginning to end. He plays a guy you just love to watch. How he relates to his family and fellow officers, his kid, his wife (he hates)...and his drive and passion to find the bad guy and end things quick and dirty. Dirty Harry met his match with this guy. To think it's coming out on DVD now, and just now! What the hell is that about? Movies like this should be bumped up on the list for DVD production without question.

Woods' delivery of body language, sarcasm, force of will, whit, and general manner is unmatched by many of today's "tough guys." Watch the master at work here. After the final scene when the screen flashes to black (it doesn't fade at all, which works perfectly), I literally yelled out loud with a clenched fist in the air, "Hell Yeah!"

If you liked the attitude in Mel Gibson's Payback, you'll eat this one up alive.

Average customer rating:

fun movie
I loves me some cheese!
the worst bruce campbell appearance ive seen.
Maniac Cop
One of Bruce Campbell's best flicks!!

Maniac Cop
Starring: Tom Atkins , Nick Barbaro , Lou Bonacki , Barry Brenner , and Bruce Campbell
Director: William Lustig
Manufacturer: Legacy Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence
Psycho Cop Returns
Maniac
Street Trash
Prom Night

ASIN: B0000DE6B4
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Customer Reviews:

fun movie.......2006-04-20

THIS IS NO OSCAR WORTHY MOVIE BY FAR.BUT IT IS FUN AN ENTERTAINING.I MET ROBERT ZDAR WHO PLAYS MANIAC COP AND HE WAS A GREAT GUY TO HIS FANS AND GAVE ME A GREAT AUTOGRAPH.IN THE MOVIE HE PLAYS A CRAZED COP WHO IS SET UP BY THE VERY PEOPLE HE PROTECTED.IN PRISON HE IS KILLED BUT RETURNS BECAUSE HE CANT REST IN PEACE UNTIL HIS NAME IS CLEARED.BRUCE CAMPBELL IS ALSO IN THIS FUN MOVIE.YOU CANT BEAT IT FOR THE PRICE.

I loves me some cheese!.......2006-03-04

This is a classic cheesey slasher flick. Cool villian, cool death scenes, basically no plot. Everything you need for an entertaining, enjoyable 1980's cheesefest. Highly reccomended for fans of bad 80's low budget slashers. I love it!

the worst bruce campbell appearance ive seen........2006-01-22

i got this rare bare bones dvd movie of maniac cop because i had heard about how awesome bruce campbell is in it. i love the evil dead trilogy, bubba ho-tep, alien apocolypse, and man with the screaming brain and i must say that this movie blows. picture your typical late 80's cop movie that is really boring and add a psycho zombie cop that kills people. bruce campbell plays the most trite and boring character i have ever seen him play. i dont recommend this movie to fans of bruce campbell. if you like a boring cop movie mixed with a movie like halloween or friday the 13th then by all means purchase this cheap dvd. i should start learning to stay away from ultra cheap movies, for they sometimes can be amazingly funny or horribly bad. this is an example of horribly bad.

Maniac Cop.......2005-10-03

Interesting premise to a movie, a nice twist on the average slasher horror movie. Bruce Campbell stars in a darkly comic role and you are never sure if you should trust him. One thing this horror movie definitely has is the ability to make you guess. If you enjoy slashers and of course, the acting of Bruce Campbell, you will love this movie.

One of Bruce Campbell's best flicks!!.......2005-08-07

IF YOU WATCH EVIL DEAD THEN YOU KNOW WHO BRUCE IS! DON'T GET ME WRONG "EVIL DEAD" WAS GREAT, BUT I ENJOY "MANIAC COP" BETTER. THE STORY IS THAT MATT CORDELL ONCE A SUPERCOP IS FAME AND SET-UP BY HIS OWN PEOPLE AND IS SEND TO JAIL. ONCE IN JAIL HE IS MURDERED. OR IS HE?? WHEN A COP BEGINS TO START TO KILL THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK CITY ALL HELL BREAKS LOSE! I REALLY ENJOY THIS FLICK!

Average customer rating:

Maniac's Ignominious Swansong
This more of an Slasher film than an thriller but Still Fun.
not as good as Maniac Cop 2
You can't keep a good corpse down
Officer Matthew Cordell finally put to rest. R.I.P.

Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence
Starring: Robert Davi , Robert Z'Dar , Caitlin Dulany , Gretchen Becker , and Paul Gleason
Director: William Lustig , and Joel Soisson
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Maniac Cop
Maniac Cop
Psycho Cop Returns
Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence
Puppet Master: The Legacy

ASIN: B00008G8N9
Release Date: 1999-06-29

Customer Reviews:

Maniac's Ignominious Swansong.......2003-11-01

Don't let the supremely entertaining Cop 2 build your expectations. The original producer/director team of Larry Cohen and William Lustig were bumped mid-production and replaced by hack extraordinaire Joel Soisson. Consequently, the film suffers from anemic visuals, highly diffused lighting, claustrophobic set pieces, a bright and sunny Los Angeles futily masquerading for gritty NYC, and a synth score that pales in comparison to original composer Jay Chattaway's moody, orchestral music cues (which by eliminating Maniac Cop's signature bittersweet "whistle theme" has committed a cinematic faux pas comparable to changing the Halloween score). The film is not all bad; Cohen's off-beat script still shines through in several places. However, it's an ugly stepchild to the wildly inventive action horror of Maniac Cop 2, the quintissential B movie.
The basic story is a simple, creative coda to the resolution of the second film: after being vindicated by Detective Sean McKinney (Robert Davi), Maniac Cop Matt Cordell (Robert Z'Dar) is ressurected by voodoo magic to help exhonerate comatose cop "Maniac Kate" (Gretchen Becker), who is similarly framed and ostracized when two greedy freelance tabloid reporters (Bobby DiCiccio; and Frank Pesce who gets killed for the second time in the series)doctor a tape of her shooting a drug store clerk. The films lower budget doesn't allow for Cop 2's jaw-dropping stunt work, authentic NYC location shooting, or talented and quirky supporting cast (Cop 2 featered a veritable "who's who" of character performers). Still, Cop 3 is a cut above your average late night cable fare; and Laserlight's low resolution disc is comparable to above average vhs.
Ironically, the Maniac Cop franchise resembles a far loftier trilogy: The Godfather. The series started strong with a raw film that revealed more potential than pay-off (Cop 1), graduated to a grander, more textured sequel that delivered on the promises of the previous installment (Cop 2), but ultimately faltered with a denoument that was rushed and plagued with production problems (Cop 3). And much like Godfather 3, Maniac Cop 3 is better than your average potboiler, yet suffers in comparison to its predecessor. Now, if only someone would give Cohen and Lustig the money Coppolla had...............

This more of an Slasher film than an thriller but Still Fun........2001-12-10

Most thought the murderer cop (Robert D`Zar) is dead but he has been brought back to life by a voodoo man. Now the cop only wants one thing, an woman is his life.

This silly premise works because of Larry Cohen (Phone Booth) Script. Directed by the same director:William Lustig (Maniac Cop 1 & 2, Uncle Sam). The Last in the Series. Watch for actors:Robert Forster (Jackie Brown) & Paul Gleason (The Breakfest Club). Grade:B-.

not as good as Maniac Cop 2.......2000-08-26

I saw this at my local blockbuster and decided to rent it. I thought if Maniac Cop 1 and 2 were that good maybe this will be the same. I was wrong. Maybe it was the lack of a good cast as in the first films despite Robert Davi and Robert Z'Dar. The story was interesting but dull. William Lusting did not directed some of this film and it can tell some of the acting isn't that good. Spiro Razatos did a great job on the stunts and the last 30 minutes was really good. Most of the ways Cordell kills is very stupid. I have seen some good movies like "The Green Mile" and "Night of the Living Dead" but this is not in that catagorie. I recommend this for people who have Maniac Cop 1 and 2 so you can complete the series, but if you didn't like 1 or 2 don't buy it.

You can't keep a good corpse down.......2000-03-13

Considering the fact that William Lustig (director) and Larry Cohen (writer/producer), creators of the two predecessors, were also responsible for this follow-up, it's not surprising that also Maniac Cop 3 turns out to be pretty good - even though Lustig stopped filming after 24 days and was replaced by another director. The cast, including Robert Davi (No Contest) and Robert Forster (Scanner Cop 2), is decent, and you can spot Ted Raimi (Skinner) in a cameo. There are quite some new and interesting ideas, and the whole movie's pace should satisfy any undemanding horror buff, although the end is closer to an action than to a genre flick. Lustig is currently trying to raise money for another sequel - and if it is as good as this one, why not? If you look at Lustig's (in)famous Maniac, it is obvious his style is getting better and better. If directed by some other b-movie filmmaker, this might have turned out to be just another cheap trash movie. Of course, MC3 is not a masterpiece, it's just good thrills for horror fans. And if that's what you looking for, check it out. There is also an Unrated Version available on VHS, try to get that one!

Officer Matthew Cordell finally put to rest. R.I.P........1999-10-02

Well, starting from the end of Part 2. Cordell is finally at rest, although flashbacks from Part 2 become to apparent in the opening credits. A voodoo master of the occult is resureccting Cordell. Basically this has nothing to do with revenge its good if you like Cordell. He actually speaks in this one compared to being Silent in Pt. 1. Part 2. He gasped his name although he was still human kind of. Now he is more burnt. I like Robert Z'Dar but I wish they would have kept his original make up and uniform. I didnt like the leather because it didnt give him to much arm movement.

Average customer rating:

Basehart a Darkhorse!
He Walked by Night
Great and dark
You could call this a Dragnet prototype. Jack Webb has
Just the Facts on an Elusive Criminal

He Walked By Night
Starring: Richard Basehart , Scott Brady , Roy Roberts , Whit Bissell , and James Cardwell
Director: Anthony Mann , and Alfred L. Werker
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Film Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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T-Men
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ASIN: B000098ZS7
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Basehart a Darkhorse!.......2007-06-27

He Walked by Night.......2007-06-22

Great and dark.......2007-02-20

You could call this a Dragnet prototype. Jack Webb has.......2007-02-02

Just the Facts on an Elusive Criminal.......2006-12-30

Five Minutes to Live (aka Door-to-Door Maniac)

Average customer rating:

There's no "Hello I'm Johnny Cash" here
Cash the Bad Guy

Five Minutes to Live (aka Door-to-Door Maniac)
Starring: Johnny Cash , Donald Woods , Cay Forrester , Pamela Mason , and Vic Tayback
Director: Bill Karn
Manufacturer: And More Bears
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Murder in Coweta County
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The Last Days of Frank & Jesse James

ASIN: B0001Z4PBY
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Customer Reviews:

There's no "Hello I'm Johnny Cash" here.......2007-01-27

This has the makings of a decent crime thriller, but it gets overdone in the storyline. Cash shows he's an actor in this as the sociopathic Johnny Talon. I also feel Vic(Mel Sharples)Tayback did a great performance in this as Fred his partner. This is an odd couple indeed, but there's nothing to laugh at here. Fred hires Johnny to hold up a bank, and the catch is they take the vice president's wife which Johnny does, and Fred does the hold-up. There's one catch though, and that's the vice-president doesn't care as he's about ready to run off with his mistress. Cash not only does a impressive acting job, but he actually shows off his guitar abilities here, and he's actually good. Unfortunately, this had some moments that were overdone like where the woman Priscilla keeps calling the vice-president's house to speak to his wife, and then there was little Ronnie Howard as thier little boy who makes it home just in time bringing the police with him. I found the ending too predictable not like in "Jeopardy" where Barbara Stanwyck convinces an bank robber to help her husband as he's caught under a fishing pier, and when he frees her husband she lets him escape. I feel the soundtrack was good, Cash was good, and so was Tayback, but the storyline was overdone by about 15 minutes. Wait till Walmart sells this for a buck.

Cash the Bad Guy.......2005-01-08

Cash plays a villian who conspires with a mobster to rob a bank by kidnapping a banker's wife and demanding money. He plays a kind of derranged villian who hasn't a problem killing another person (except children). It's a decent, low-budget film, the kind of film you'll see on a Saturday afternoon on television--nothing remarkable. His acting is a bit stiff. He sings the song, "Five Minutes to Live." I've seen him in other, more exellent films. This one is for a collector.

DVD:

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Sabotage (1936)/Lodger/Blackma

Ali vs Spinks Fights 1 And 2 : DVD

Starman, Vol. 1: Attack from Space/Evil Brain From Outer Spa

DVD: Down with Love (Widescreen Edition)

Richard Wagner - Die Walküre