For some odd reason, I always forget that Bruce Campbell stars in William Lustig’s ‘Maniac Cop.’ Of the long list of movies in which the chin-tastic actor has appeared — and not necessarily counting the hundreds of cameo appearances — this 80s cult favorite is often overlooked, in spite of the countless times I’ve watched it. It’s not that the beloved B-movie actor, best known by as the wisecracking hero of the ‘Evil Dead’ series Ash Williams, is all that terrible in his role as the wrongly-accused Officer Jack Forrest or that he’s somehow overshadowed by another cast member. It’s just that the role is unmemorable and the character himself is rather plain and humdrum. Frankly, there’s nothing notable about his performance.
Campbell basically plays the character straight — a beat cop with marital problems, in love with another woman on the force but unluckily caught in the middle of a city-wide scandal. A madman dressed in the uniform of New York’s finest is on a murder rampage, randomly killing innocent people while walking the streets at night. Campbell’s ill-fated Jack fits the profile… or so we’re told. Earlier, in a conversation with the police commissioner, the description was some six-foot-six giant with massive hands that can crush necks. But after Jack’s wife (Victoria Catlin), who also suspected him of the killing spree, is found dead in a hotel room, all eyes suddenly turn to the supposedly shorter Jack. The evidence pointing to him is so flimsy that it’s difficult to take it the least bit serious.
Order ‘Ender’s Game’
Coming to Blu-ray February 11th
Going against type, as if demonstrating his range, Campbell gives it his dramatic best, making the character at least likeable and affable despite him being ultimately forgettable. Playing opposite him is Laurene Landon as Jack’s secret lover with the crimped blonde hair Officer Mallory. But now that the wife is dead, they’re making their affair public. Also, because she is Jack’s best alibi. Funnily, the character is as equally unmemorable and nearly useless as a police officer because she spends more time screaming her lungs to death and acting the damsel in distress. Joining the pair, though he doesn’t share much screen time with Campbell, is the always awesome Tom Atkins as tough, smart and resourceful Det. Lt. Frank McCrae. With the exception of Landon, he’s the only one on the entire force who believes Jack’s innocence, yet fails to ever mention the guy doesn’t fit the very profile he described earlier. It’s a minor nitpick easily forgiven because he is Tom Atkins after all.
[Click to Enlarge]
Of course, the film’s main attraction is the maniac cop himself, played by veteran cult B-movie actor Robert Z’Dar. One of the more amazing aspects of the production is the fact that the actor didn’t require much makeup for the role. The man has one of the most remarkably unique faces ever seen in motion picture history, and he does a fantastic job of making the lunatic killer into a frightening presence. Although he’s not much taller than Campbell in real life, he makes for a startling monster nonetheless, thanks to his unusual facial features, incredibly broad shoulders and the excellent cinematography of James Lemmo and Vincent J. Rabe. Nicknamed “The Chin,” it could be argued that Z’Dar overshadows Campbell as the one memorable face of the movie.
From a script by B-movie auteur Larry Cohen (‘Phone Booth,’ ‘It’s Alive,’ ‘Q: The Winged Serpent’) and directed by William Lustig, ‘Maniac Cop’ is meant as a “slasher” horror movie, but it really feels more like a murder-mystery procedural that suddenly turns into an action thriller in the second half. The first half follows Atkins’s detective as he pieces clues that connect back to someone within the department. Campbell and Landon take over after Atkins meets his unfortunate demise, uncovering not only the killer’s identity but also a larger police conspiracy. It’s an awkward shift in the narrative, but Lustig maintains an energetic pace with a few surprisingly good action sequences, making the entire production an amusing and appealing low-budget actioner for cult enthusiasts.
