Director: William Lustig
Screenplay: Larry Cohen
Starring: Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, Robert Z’Dar, Michael Lerner, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Leo Rossi, Clarence Williams III, Charles Napier, Robert Earl Jones
Country: USA
Running Time: 87 min
Year: 1990
I’ve been covering a few of Fokus Media’s PM Entertainment releases recently, but the label isn’t solely devoted to putting out that particular studio’s work on Blu-ray. Out now on UHD & Blu-ray, courtesy of Fokus Media, is Maniac Cop 2, director William Lustig and writer Larry Cohen’s sequel to, you guessed it, Maniac Cop.
Maniac Cop 2 finds officers Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) and Theresa Mallory (Laurene Landon) surviving their deadly encounter with undead former cop Matt Cordell (Robert Z’Dar) but struggling to convince others in the force that the criminal they had faced was some sort of zombie.
To make matters worse, Cordell is back and even more indomitable than before. As he continues his vengeful killing spree across New York City, he forms a twisted alliance with a sadistic serial killer (Leo Rossi) who’s been targeting strippers. With bodies piling up and the justice system paralysed by fear and corruption, grizzled detective Sean McKinney (Robert Davi) and police psychologist Susan Riley (Claudia Christian) must unravel the truth behind Cordell’s resurrection and finally put an end to his reign of terror.
As that synopsis described, Maniac Cop 2 picks up directly where the first film leaves off, and in many ways, it plays like the second episode of a gritty, violent Saturday morning serial. This, reportedly, is exactly what Lustig intended for the franchise. This instalment, however, is bigger, bolder, and, arguably, better than the first. Lustig himself has gone on record calling this his favourite of the trilogy, and it’s not hard to see why.
From the outset, it’s clear the production had a significantly larger budget – nearly four times the cost of the original – and every dollar is up on screen. The cinematography is slick, the action scenes are impressively staged, and the stuntwork, in particular, push this far above typical B-movie fare. A lengthy sequence featuring a character handcuffed to a runaway car and an epic, fiery finale are two of the most impressive scenes, but there are thrilling set-pieces throughout.
The film has a fantastic cast of B-movie and character actor favourites. The returning members deliver the goods, particularly Z’Dar, though not all of the others last as long as you’d expect. Robert Davi is a fine addition to the cast. He’s perfect as the grizzled detective, grounding the film with a world-weary charm. His chemistry with Claudia Christian is strong too, even if the behind-the-scenes stories suggest otherwise. According to reports, Christian concealed a pregnancy during casting, was injured performing a stunt, and suffered a tragic miscarriage, which led to major production delays (though lawsuits were avoided). The incident cast a shadow over the set, but her performance remains strong on screen.
The film is fast-paced and gripping throughout, not just due to the high level of first-rate action, but through sharp writing and taut direction. It’s hard to second-guess what’s going to happen, with major characters getting killed off and new ones sending the plot in new directions.
Not everything worked for me though, it must be said. I found the friendship that forms between Cordell and the serial killer Turkell to be a little too odd for its own good, though it could be said that this sets the film apart from similar slasher movies.
I’m not sure I bought the final sequence either, which offers a bit too much of an easy redemption for Cordell, after witnessing him killing countless innocent people.
Speaking of tonal jumps at the end, the film is also capped off by an utterly ridiculous Maniac Cop rap. This is either the worst or the best closing credits song I’ve heard; I can’t quite decide. It’s hilariously out–of-place but also cheesily enjoyable and catchy as hell.
Minor niggles aside, Maniac Cop 2 is an excellent sequel to an already strong film. It’s perfectly paced, exciting, unpredictable and loaded with cool stunts. Backed by a strong cast too, it’s a B-movie classic.
Film: 
Maniac Cop 2 is out now in a 2-Disc UHD/Blu-Ray Collector’s Mediabook Edition, a standard UHD edition and a standard Blu-ray edition, released by Fokus Media (you can order it on the Fokus Media website or you might be able to find it on various import sites). The transfer, playing in the 1.85:1 ratio, is gorgeous. Colours are rich, details are sharp, and there’s a lovely natural, light grain. I’ve used screengrabs throughout this review to give you an idea of how it looks, though these have been compressed.
You get a choice of German or English language audio options (both 5.1 stereo). I opted for English and it sounded good. German or English subtitles are also available on the disc.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
– Audio commentary by Josh Hadley, Fred Fritz, Cecil Trachenburg
– Maniac Cop 2 – A Sequel Better Than The Original
– Robert Z’dar Interview at the Madison Horror Film Festival 2012
– Robert Z’dar Maniac Cop Q&A
– Exploring Maniac Cop 2
– Slideshow: Lobby Cards / Press Photos
– Various Trailers
The commentary sees fans of the film, Josh Hadley, Fred Fritz and Cecil Trachenburg, analysing it as it moves along. It’s not a straight-up love in though. There’s some genuine debate here, with plenty of arguments kicking off and nitpicks. Generally speaking though, the trio love the film.
‘Exploring Maniac Cop 2’ sees Cecil Trachenburg provide a handy 12-minute overview of the film’s production history. This is a great addition for those who don’t have time to watch the full commentary.
There’s an interview and a Q&A with Robert Z’dar too. These are both quite enjoyable. The actor is happy to share stories, though he spends a lot of time plugging forthcoming projects.
‘Maniac Cop 2 – A Sequel Better Than The Original’ is an enjoyable review of the film, which is generally positive but doesn’t shy away from its flaws.
Overall, this is a fantastic package from Fokus Media. Highly recommended.
Disc/package: