Maniac Cop (1988)

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

Director:

William Lustig

Writer:

Larry Cohen

Stars:

Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Atkins	...	Frank McCrae
Bruce Campbell	...	Jack Forrest
Laurene Landon	...	Theresa Mallory
Richard Roundtree	...	Commissioner Pike
William Smith	...	Captain Ripley
Robert Z'Dar	...	Matt Cordell
Sheree North	...	Sally Noland
Nina Arvesen	...	Regina Sheperd (as Nina Aversen)
Nick Barbaro	...	Councilman
Lou Bonacki	...	Detective Lovejoy
Barry Brenner	...	Coroner
Victoria Catlin	...	Ellen Forrest
James Dixon	...	Clancy (as Jim Dixon)
Corey Michael Eubanks	...	Bremmer (as Corey Eubanks)
Jill Gatsby	...	Cassie Philips

Storyline

Innocent people are being brutally murdered on the streets of New York City by a uniformed police officer. As the death toll rises and City Hall attempts a cover-up, Frank McCrae heads the investigation. A young cop, Jack Forrest, finds himself under arrest as the chief suspect, having been the victim of a set-up by the real killer and a mysterious woman phone-caller. Forrest, his girlfriend Theresa, and McCrae set out to solve the puzzle before the Maniac Cop can strike again.

---

Plot Keywords:

cult film | new york city | police officer | psychopath | shower | 

---

Taglines:

Sometimes help can be dangerous.

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Horror | Mystery

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

William Lustig: makes a brief cameo as a motel-manager.

---

Goofs

When McCrae is looking through the Cordell newspaper archive, you can momentarily see that the articles themselves are completely unrelated to the story.

---

Quotes

Frank McCrae: He'll kill again... he enjoys killing.

---

Alternate Versions

The Swedish VHS version is cut, a violent kick to the knee and a stabbing has been removed.

---

Connections

Referenced in El Rato Muerto: Tanacompras #1 - Maniac Cop 3, Basket Case y más joyas (2016)

---

Soundtracks

Hello Heartbreak
Composed by Michael Shanklin and Tamila Jensen
Vocals by David Carradine
© 1984 Silver Feather Music Publishing

User Reviews

Almost Great, But Lacking A Little

This movie is almost completely incredible. The first twenty minutes or so are incredible, with tons of killings. Then, as the plot unfolds, the film turns into more of a detective story, and it loses a little of its punch. BUT, there are glimmers of B movie greatness that make this worth checking out. I viewed it as a William Lustig film, and as a Lustig film, this one lacks a little bit of his signature extremism. 6/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Maniac Cop

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,100,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$671,382

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$671,382

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 91 min (DVD) 88 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1