Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1993)

A female cop is gunned down and wrongly accused of using excessive force in a hostage rescue attempt. Maniac cop returns from the dead once more to seek revenge, destroying everthing and ... See full summary »

Director:

William Lustig

Writers:

Larry Cohen (characters), Larry Cohen

Stars:

Robert Davi, Robert Z'Dar, Caitlin Dulany

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Davi	...	Det. Sean McKinney
Robert Z'Dar	...	Matt Cordell
Caitlin Dulany	...	Dr. Susan Fowler
Gretchen Becker	...	Katie Sullivan
Paul Gleason	...	Hank Cooney
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Frank Jessup
Julius Harris	...	Houngan
Grand L. Bush	...	Willie (as Grand Bush)
Doug Savant	...	Dr. Peter Myerson
Robert Forster	...	Dr. Powell
Bobby Di Cicco	...	Bishop
Frank Pesce	...	Tribble
Lou Diaz	...	Leon
Brenda Varda	...	Lindsey
Vanessa Marquez	...	Terry

Storyline

A female cop is gunned down and wrongly accused of using excessive force in a hostage rescue attempt. Maniac cop returns from the dead once more to seek revenge, destroying everthing and anyone that stands in his way.

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Plot Keywords:

violence | hospital fight | coma | shootout in a hospital | shootout in a church | 

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Taglines:

The Maniac is back!

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Genres:

Action | Horror

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Certificate:

NC-17

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

MC3: Maniac Cop 3

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

NEO Motion Pictures, First Look Pictures, Overseas FilmGroup

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As with the preceding film, Matt Cordell (Robert Z'Dar) speaks only once, this time telling Julius Harris to finish a voodoo rite.

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Goofs

Near the end of the movie, with the detective and the doctor riding in the ambulance, the first head-on shot of the ambulance clearly shows the ambulance has a headlight out on the driver's side (3 lit). Subsequent shots show the ambulance with no headlights out (4 lit).

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Quotes

Det. Sean McKinney: [sighs] What's the prognosis?
Dr. Peter Myerson: [smiles] Stick 'er in a rock garden!
Det. Sean McKinney: I don't like your sense of humor.

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Connections

Features Maniac Cop 2 (1990)

User Reviews

A bigger chin than Bruce Campbell returns

Former killer cop, officer Cordell is resurrected to take care of some unfinished business and exact revenge on those who have disgraced a policewoman shot in the line of duty.

Despite being made in 1993 Badge of Silence reeks of the 80s farmore than Cordells rotten flesh, basically it's part slasher flick, part cop shoot 'em up. There's stunt doubles, car chases and cops on the edge. To its credit Larry Cohen's Maniac Cop 3 story touches on some topical issues, problems with gun crime, the TV/press manipulation and corrupt officials.

With a hint of the Bride of Frankenstein and a more blatant supernatural overtone Robert Z'Dar is reduced to a zombie with a bigger chin than Bruce Campbell as wronged cop Matt Cordell. It feels like Z'Dar has less to do this time around and through no fault of his own his character is a shade of grey with his motivations as murky as cities officials.

The casting is above par for this kind of flick. Robert Davi is on form as usual, returning as Det. Sean McKinney and pretty much owns each scene with a Dirty Harry grimace. Top character actors Robert Forster and Paul Gleason have welcomed bit parts with Ted Raimi putting in cameo.

Where as part one shocked because of its daylight surprise setting, two because of its dark tone, grit and seediness part three is only notable for being the darkest looking installment lacking it's own identity feeling like an episode of the Equaliser starring The Terminator in places. However, where the aforementioned parts were low budget with a big budget results, edgy and delivered shocks, three falls short feeling rushed and underdeveloped retreading the antagonists past and redemption. Nevertheless, to director William Lustig's credit and writer Cohen 3 manages to mix a voodoo element and the gritty police backdrop successfully unlike for example Halloween 6 which followed two years later.

Overall, while not as entertaining nor as well executed as its predecessor it's worth seeing if only for Caitlin Dulany and Davi's performances and also to hear Joel Goldsmith overlooked score.