Exactly what it sounds like, the Pick of the Week column is written up by the Cinapse team on rotation, focusing on films that are past the marketing cycle of either their theatrical release or their home video release. So maybe the pick of the week will be only a couple of years old. Or maybe it’ll be a silent film, cult classic, or forgotten gem. Cinapse is all about thoughtfully advocating film, new and old, and celebrating what we love no matter how marketable that may be. So join us as we share about what we’re discovering, and hopefully you’ll find some new films for your watch list, or some new validation that others out there love what you love too! Engage with us in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook! And now, our Cinapse Pick Of The Week…
In loving memory of Robert Z’Dar, June 3 1950 — March 30, 2015
This week we say our good-byes to Robert Z’Dar (real name Robert Zdarsky), who passed away on Monday at the age of 64. Known for his hulking, muscular frame and massive jaw (an extreme physical trait caused by a condition known as cherubism), he was a prolific cult actor who performed in dozens of films, most of them far outside the mainstream. But for many fans, Z’Dar, who was once a real-life police officer, will always be… Maniac Cop.
William Lustig’s original Maniac Cop is a better-than-average slasher film, memorable for its killer cop premise, grimy New York City atmosphere, fan favorites Tom Atkins and Bruce Campbell as protagonists, and of course for its menacing villain played by Robert Z’Dar. Not to mention it’s one of those “Adjective Cop” movies, which, if I’m being honest, is pretty compelling on its own. The film is a nice blend of horror and action, with a touch of the paranormal mixed in for good measure.
While I enjoyed Maniac Cop quite a bit, I didn’t necessarily harbor high hopes that its sequel would hold up. I fully expected that it might exhibit a sharp drop in quality like so many other action and horror revisits. But I got a chance to see it for myself on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse during the limited theatrical run of Blue Underground’s new print in 2013.
I shouldn’t have worried. Maniac Cop 2 is ridiculously good — even better than the first, cranking up the insanity on a number of levels.
It’s also a Christmas movie so add it to your holiday viewing list.
Maybe watching it theatrically influenced my reasoning, but there’s no doubt it absolutely earned my respect by refusing to be a slavish retread. It completely acknowledges and works in continuity with the first film, even beginning with a recap to bring viewers back up to speed (you don’t necessarily need to have seen the first film to jump right in), but then goes full throttle in a new direction with a new pair of cops: Detective Lieutenant Sean McKinney (Robert Davi) and psychologist Susan Riley (Claudia Christian).
Even though the Maniac Cop is a ghoulish bogeyman, he actually gets some sincere character development in this sequel. Visually, he’s far more decayed and necrotic than in the first film, attesting that he is in fact a supernatural, undead entity and not just a killer cop. His identity as spurned police officer Matt Cordell becomes more important to the plot, and the film takes more time to show us what makes him tick. It even gives the lone killer an unlikely ally in one of the odder twists of the series: Cordell is befriended by a chatty serial killer with a nasty habit of murdering strippers. This crazy component of the film is a weird joy to watch, and its left-fieldedness makes more sense with some background knowledge: Bill Lustig’s original plan was to have a franchise crossover with Joe Spinell’s character from Maniac, also directed by Lustig. Spinell’s death forced a change in plans, but the plotline was kept and simply fashioned into a new character. Maniac Cop 2 a damn near perfect movie, so the mind boggles at realizing the original concept was even better.
Genre fans will find plenty enjoy here. The entire series is a definite recommend for fans of the Sam Raimi school of filmmaking. Besides the obvious Bruce Campbell connection, they just have a similar vibe to his works — action mixed with horror, gory effects, a touch of sleaze, and even a chainsaw. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that Sam himself had a part in Maniac Cop 2 which was cut from the film but preserved as a deleted scene on the Blu-ray. Some other respectable character actors who appear include Charles Napier, Michael Lerner, Shelly Desai, and Danny Trejo. Along with Z’Dar, Campbell, and Davi, they add up to a pretty impressive cast.
But the main reason I was so enamored by this film is simple: the action. Again, my expectations for something that looked and felt like a low budget romp were completely blown away. In one memorable sequence, Cordell handcuffs Riley to the steering wheel of a car positioned such that her body is outside the vehicle, then sends it careening down a steep street, swerving wildly and smashing cars and obstacles.
After that amazing sequence I thought I’d seen the most amazing stunt work the film had to offer, but the insane climax proved me wrong. It begins with the unstoppable Cordell charging through the police station killing everyone in sight, follows with a crash-packed chase, and culminates with Cordell being set on fire for two minutes of screen time. That’s a full two minutes of an actor set on fire, including some agonizingly long shots that will momentarily take you out of the film because you fear for the life of the stuntman.
Maniac Cop 2 holds its own against any of the big action pictures of the 90’s, and Bill Lustig has is undeniably one of the greatest — and most criminally underappreciated — treasures of genre filmmaking. The film is downright amazing, and I can’t think of a better sendoff for Mr. Z’Dar than to herald the awesomeness of his greatest film and role.
A/V Out.
Get it at Amazon:
Maniac Cop 2 [Blu-ray] | [DVD] | [Instant]