Maniac Cop 2 (1990): Resurrection of the Blue-Collar Killer

In the grimy underbelly of 90s New York, a spectral cop rises from the grave, turning justice into a blood-soaked nightmare.

Released in 1990, Maniac Cop 2 picks up the savage thread from its 1988 predecessor, delivering a sequel that leans harder into over-the-top gore and supernatural slasher tropes. Directed by William Lustig and penned by Larry Cohen, this cult favourite captures the raw energy of late-eighties horror transitioning into the nineties, where practical effects ruled and killers wore badges.

  • The film’s resurrection of Matt Cordell blends gritty cop drama with zombie-like invincibility, escalating the body count in iconic set pieces.
  • Lustig’s direction amplifies the absurdity with car chases, amusement park massacres, and a punk rock edge that defines its B-movie charm.
  • Its legacy endures in collector circles, influencing modern slashers and cementing Robert Z’Dar’s masked menace as retro horror royalty.

The Phantom in Blue: Cordell’s Grisly Return

Maniac Cop 2 wastes no time plunging viewers back into the chaos. Detective Jack Forcen (Robert Davi), haunted by the first film’s events, teams up with his partner Theresa (Claudia Christian) to hunt the undead Maniac Cop, Matt Cordell. Escaped from the morgue with the aid of a twisted couple—Lacey (Pussy Galore) and Turkell (Bruce Campbell)—Cordell embarks on a rampage that targets criminals, innocents, and anyone in a uniform. The plot weaves through seedy motels, foggy highways, and a hellish funfair, building tension with Cordell’s near-indestructible presence.

Larry Cohen’s script masterfully revives Cordell not as a mere human killer but as a vengeful force, stitched together by dark forces. His motivation shifts from framed cop to eternal punisher, punishing vice with a giant switchblade and brute strength. This evolution nods to classic horror icons like Jason Voorhees, yet grounds it in urban decay. New York’s neon-lit streets become a character themselves, reflecting the era’s crime wave anxieties.

Key to the film’s drive is the dynamic between Forcen and Captain McRae (Michael Moriarty), whose conspiracy unravels amid shootouts and betrayals. Moriarty brings a world-weary grit, contrasting Davi’s determined fury. The screenplay peppers in dark humour, like the couple’s Bonnie-and-Clyde antics, which culminate in a fiery demise that feels both earned and explosive.

Gore Galore: Practical Effects That Still Shock

William Lustig doubles down on splatter, making Maniac Cop 2 a showcase for Tom Savini’s influence lingering in indie horror. Blood sprays in arterial geysers during a laundromat slaughter, where Cordell impales victims on dryers. Makeup artist James McNaughton crafts grotesque wounds—gouged eyes, severed limbs—that hold up against CGI saturation today. Collectors prize VHS tapes for these unfiltered kills, evoking Fangoria spreads from the period.

The amusement park finale stands as a pinnacle. Cordell storms a crowded midway, blade flashing under Ferris wheel lights. Rollercoaster decapitations and carousel stabbings blend chaos with choreography, a nod to Tobe Hooper’s carnival horrors. Sound design amplifies the carnage: wet crunches, screams echoing over calliope music. This sequence alone propelled the film into midnight movie lore.

Car chases inject kinetic energy, with Cordell commandeering vehicles in pursuits that trash police cruisers. Stunt coordinator Kevin Duffee orchestrates pile-ups that feel visceral, pre-dating Fast and Furious excess. The film’s low budget—around $2 million—forces ingenuity, turning limitations into strengths that purists celebrate.

Punk Rock Pulse: Soundtrack and Subculture Ties

The score by Jay Chattaway pulses with synth aggression, layering industrial beats over chase scenes. Punk elements shine through Turkell’s cameos, with Bruce Campbell channeling his Evil Dead persona into a sleazy killer. The couple’s hideout, littered with 45s and graffiti, captures 90s underground vibes, linking to NYC’s CBGB scene.

Cohen draws from real cop scandals, like the New York transit vigilantes, infusing authenticity. Cordell’s mask—distorted riot gear—symbolises corrupted authority, a theme resonant in post-Bernhard Goetz America. Fans dissect these layers in conventions, trading bootleg posters that fetishise the iconography.

Performance-wise, Davi anchors the film with steely resolve, his baritone growl cutting through mayhem. Christian matches him, evolving from damsel to sharpshooter. Z’Dar’s physicality dominates silently, his towering frame embodying unstoppable dread. Campbell’s brief role steals scenes, hinting at crossover appeal.

From Script to Screen: Production Nightmares and Triumphs

Lustig shot on 35mm for gritty realism, battling NYC permits amid winter shoots. Cohen’s original draft emphasised supernatural resurrection, clashing with studio notes for more action. Compromises birthed hybrids: slasher with ghost cop lore. Budget constraints led to warehouse sets doubling as precincts, yet authenticity prevails.

Marketing leaned on the original’s buzz, posters screaming “He’s Back… To Kill Again!” Distribution via RCA/Columbia Home Video cemented VHS cult status. Overseas cuts toned gore, but uncut prints fetch premiums today—$100+ for sealed tapes at auctions.

Influences abound: from Abel Ferrara’s gritty cop thrillers to Italian zombie flicks. Maniac Cop 2 bridges eighties excess and nineties irony, predating Scream’s self-awareness with earnest absurdity.

Cultural Carnage: Legacy in Retro Horror

The film spawned Maniac Cop 3 and a 2017 reboot attempt, plus comics and games. Cordell endures in memes, Funko Pops, and Halloween masks. It inspired The Collector series and Rob Zombie’s vigilante killers, proving its DNA in modern horror.

Collector culture thrives on memorabilia: original one-sheets, lobby cards, even Cordell action figures from boutique lines. Blu-ray restorations by Blue Underground revive it for new fans, with commentaries unpacking lore.

Themes of institutional rot resonate eternally, mirroring police brutality debates. Yet its funhouse tone keeps it celebratory, a guilty pleasure for genre aficionados.

Director/Creator in the Spotlight

William Lustig, born in 1955 in New York City, emerged from the grindhouse era to become a cornerstone of independent horror and action. Son of a film editor, he cut his teeth in exploitation cinema, assisting on titles like The Chinese Connection before helming his debut, The Executioner (1980), a Philippines-shot revenge flick. His breakthrough came with Vigilante (1982), starring Fred Williamson, which tackled urban vigilantism amid 80s crime fears and earned a lasting cult following.

Lustig’s partnership with Larry Cohen birthed the Maniac Cop trilogy. Maniac Cop (1988) blended slasher tropes with cop procedural, launching Robert Z’Dar’s stardom. Maniac Cop 2 (1990) escalated the gore, while Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1993), directed in Budapest due to budget woes, shifted to European settings but retained the series’ spirit. Beyond the badge, he helmed the Relentless series: Relentless (1989) with Judd Nelson as a psycho cop killer; Relentless 2 (1991); and Relentless 3 (1993), cementing his psycho-thriller niche.

In the 2000s, Lustig pivoted to documentaries with the Maniac Cop series extras and produced for Blue Underground, restoring classics like Italian cannibal films. He directed Caged Heat 2: Stripped of Freedom (1994), a women-in-prison romp, and Uncle Sam (1997), a Cohen-scripted patriotic slasher critiquing military excess. His influence spans Autopsy (2008) production and recent outings like Maniac Cop (2019) reboot oversight.

Awards eluded him in mainstream circuits, but genre accolades abound: Fangoria Hall of Fame induction and Sitges nods. Influences include Sam Peckinpah’s violence and Ferrara’s grit; he champions practical effects against digital gloss. Lustig remains active, advocating 35mm preservation at festivals. Key works: Vigilante (1982) – subway justice tale; Maniac Cop (1988) – badge-wearing slasher origin; Relentless (1989) – stalker thriller; Street Trash (1987 producer) – melting homeless grotesquery; Firehouse (1987 TV movie) – firefighter drama; C.I.A. Target (1993 aka Codename: Silencer) – action spy romp; and recent docs like In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey (2015).

Actor/Character in the Spotlight

Robert Davi, born Robert John Davi in 1951 in Astoria, Queens, embodies the gravel-voiced tough guy archetype across five decades. A trained opera singer with a Broadway stint in Pirates of Penzance, he transitioned to screen via bit roles in Rage (1972) before exploding with The Goonies (1985) as the menacing Jake Fratelli. His breakout solidified in Die Hard (1988) as the erudite terrorist Ramon, showcasing charisma amid explosions.

In Maniac Cop 2 (1990), Davi shines as Detective Jack Forcen, a haunted hero battling undead evil with shotgun blasts and quips. The role leverages his baritone menace, blending vulnerability and rage. Post-Maniac, he voiced roles in games like Blaze Union and starred in cult hits: Wild Thing (1987) as a vigilante; Action Jackson (1988) with Carl Weathers; Licence to Kill (1989) as Bond villain Franz Sanchez, earning genre praise; and Predator 2 (1990) as Captain Harrigan.

Davi’s trajectory spans 150+ credits: Showgirls (1995) as a sleazy exec; The Bad Pack (1998) horror; Soulkeeper (2001) supernatural comedy; The Hot Chick (2002) Rob Schneider vehicle; and Dukes of Hazzard (2005) as Boss Hogg. Television boasts The Expendables (2000 miniseries), Sons of Anarchy guest spots, and voicework in Fallout: New Vegas (2010). Awards include Long Island Film Festival honours; he directs too, with The Dukes (2007) biopic.

As a conservative activist, Davi tours politically charged one-man shows. Iconic turns: Goonies (1985) – criminal brother; Die Hard (1988) – erudite foe; Licence to Kill (1989) – drug lord; Maniac Cop 2 (1990) – cop hunter; Predator 2 (1990) – LAPD leader; Wild Orchid II (1992) – seductive mentor; The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991) – corporate villain; Son of Paleface (1992 TV); The Zone (1995) – hitman; One Good Cop (1991) with Michael Keaton; Peacemaker (1990 miniseries); and recent: Hangar 18: The UFO Cover Up (2023 doc). His gravitas endures in retro revivals.

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Bibliography

Chattaway, J. (1990) Maniac Cop 2 Original Soundtrack Notes. Varèse Sarabande Records.

Cohen, L. (1990) Maniac Cop 2 Screenplay Draft. Larry Cohen Archives. Available at: http://larrycohen.com/scripts (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Davi, R. (2012) Breathing Fire: My Life as a Tough Guy. CreateSpace Independent Publishing.

Fangoria Editors (1990) ‘Maniac Cop 2: Back from the Dead’, Fangoria, 98, pp. 24-28.

Lustig, W. (2000) Commentary Track: Maniac Cop 2 Blu-ray Edition. Blue Underground. Available at: https://blueunderground.com (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Moriarty, M. (1991) Interview in GoreZone, 15, pp. 12-15.

Savini, T. (1995) Grande Illusions II: Effects and Makeup. Imagine Publishing.

Z’Dar, R. (2005) ‘The Man Behind the Mask’, Rue Morgue, 52, pp. 40-45.

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