MANIAC COP

"You have the right to remain silent ... forever!"

Cassie (Jill Gatsby) leaves her local bar one evening and is accosted on her walk home by muggers. She flees to a nearby cemetery where she spies the silhouette of a policeman in the distance. She runs to him for assistance ... the muggers watch on bemused as the copper then picks her up and snaps her neck.

Of course, witnesses saw the youths chasing Cassie moments before her death, and the cops aren�t about to believe their tale of a maniac policeman. However, jaded detective Frank (Tom Atkins) later inspects Cassie�s body in the morgue and realises that the two tiny youths couldn�t possibly have inflicted such wounds upon her neck ...

But Commissioner Pike (Richard Roundtree) is not prepared to accept Frank�s hunch that the muggers may be telling the truth. Even when a drunk driver is murdered a short while later, and his surviving girlfriend says the killer was wearing an NYPD uniform.

As the killings continue, Frank realises he needs to raise public awareness of the lunatic cop if Pike is to pay heed to his warnings. And so, he meets with old pal Gina (Nina Arvesen), who hosts an evening news programme. She agrees to run an article on the killings.

Unfortunately, this has an adverse effect and as a result citizens no longer trust the police. One innocent officer even gets shot dead while attempting to help a distressed woman.

Pike and co suddenly take Frank�s hunch very seriously, and are desperate to capture the murderer in their midst, thus restoring the public�s faith in their force.

Enter Jack (Bruce Campbell), a young cop who�s struggling with recurring nightmares that may or may not be brought on by his failing marriage to nagging Ellen (Victoria Catlin). She�s convinced he�s the killer. After all, he�s on the beat every night. She follows him one evening and discovers the truth behind his night-time deeds to be much less sinister ... and much more blonde.

Sadly for Jack, Ellen is abducted and killed by the maniac cop later that evening. Which puts him in the frame and immediately in a cell with the stigma of being a killer cop attached to him. Only Frank, it would seem, knows Jack to be "a good kid" � and only Frank, it would seem, is prepared to try and clear the young lad�s name...

Directed by William Lustig in 1988, MANIAC COP is a much less grim proposition than his earlier MANIAC. Nor is it as gritty as his VIGILANTE. Instead, it�s a near-perfect pitch of dark humour and EC-type horrors, benefiting from decent production values which ensure well-lit set-pieces and smart performances throughout.

Speaking of which, just look at that cast: Campbell, Roundtree, Atkins � this is cult heaven. Campbell is more low-key than usual, proffering a welcome alternative to the camp antihero he normally portrays. I wish he�d tone it down more often, because this sees him at his best. Atkins is Atkins, and that�s always value for money. Elsewhere, the likes of Robert Z�Dar and Laurene Landon provide solid support.

Larry Cohen provides a savvy, intelligent and wry screenplay. His script is knowingly cheesy in many places, but still manages to flesh out characters well and provide a few satisfying twists along the way. Oh, and plenty of action. All of which is well-choreographed and violent without ever being vile.

Brisk, taut and blessed with a fine balance of humour and horror, MANIAC COP is ripe for revisiting.

Arrow�s region-free blu-ray disc presents MANIAC COP uncut in an extremely healthy looking MPEG4-AVC file, boasting a naturalistic 1080p HD mastering. The framing is correct at 1.85:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. Colours are strong without being blown out, contrast is subtly handled and images in general appear brighter and sharper, whilst retaining their filmic authenticity and exhibiting a welcome layer of fine grain. Occasional pops and scratches do not hinder the viewing pleasure.

I haven�t seen Synapse�s blu-ray of this film to compare, but this is certainly the best I�ve seen MANIAC COP look on domestic release � and I�d be surprised if their rendition can be an improvement for the naked eye.

English audio comes in an equally impressive 2.0 lossless HD track, which is clean and consistent throughout. Optional English subtitles for the hard of hearing are well-written and easy to read.

The disc opens with the now-traditional 4-minute Arrow showcase reel, offering a fast-paced montage of gore and rock music. From there, an animated main menu page makes attractive use of the new cover artwork.

Pop-up menus include a scene-selection menu allowing access to the film via 12 chapters.

Extras begin with a new 20-minute interview with Atkins. He�s aged well and is full of agreeable sarcasm as he chats affably about bagging a role in the film, and how it fits alongside his other genre work in the 80s (NIGHT OF THE CREEPS, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK etc).

Atkins is also on hand to provide a 38-second video introduction to MANIAC COP, even indulging his fans with his CREEPS catchphrase "Thrill me". Nice work, Arrow.

Landon is interviewed in a 13-minute featurette, which finds her amiable for the large part but somewhat bitter about working with Lustig.

Unfortunately the big guy isn�t around to offer his own comments, but Cohen is � in an excellent 26-minute interview which proves to be the bonus features� high point. Here, he gets to sing Lustig�s praises as a filmmaker and a friend, talks about the inspiration for his screenplay and his disappointment at the film�s lack of box office prowess. Also touching on more of his works from the same era, this is a most rewarding watch.

Two theatrical trailers and two TV spots round off the on-disc extras.

Also included in this set but unavailable for review, are the customary Arrow additions of a collector�s booklet and double-sided fold-out poster.

MANIAC COP hits blu-ray uncut in the UK, nicely packaged and with interesting contextual extras to boot. It looks and sounds great, and the film stands the test of time well. What�s not to like?

Review by Stuart Willis