Day 289: Maniac Cop

Maniac Cop

At least Maniac Cop has a sense of humor

The 1980's were a special time. A B-level actor was president for 8 years, Madonna and Michael Jackson had not yet become complete freaks, and the slasher craze ballooned and then popped. Every writer, director, and studio wanted to have the next Friday The 13^th or Halloween. Every holiday got their own slasher film. Almost every profession had a slasher movie whether it was a janitor or a teacher or a doctor. By the time the late 80's rolled around, the genre had already run it's course, and had settled back to a more even level in terms of volume and quality. One also included a young Bruce Campbell.

Maniac Cop is a 1988 slasher starring Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, My Name Is Bruce) as NYPD Officer Jack Forrest and Tom Atkins (The Fog, Creepshow) as Detective Frank McCrae. A man in a police officers uniform begins killing civilians in brutal fashion, sending the city into a panic. Detective McCrae begins investigating the case, discovering that the killer is incredibly strong. Jack Forrest is a young officer that constantly works the night shift. Jack has a strained relationship with his wife Ellen, who suspects that he might actually be the cop behind all the murders. One night, she follows him to a seedy hotel only to find him in bed with Theresa Mallory (Laurene Landon, Airplane II, The Ambulance) a fellow police officer. Ellen pulls a gun on Jack, but leaves the hotel in a hurry. She is murdered by the maniac cop and Jack is taken into custody. Things don't add up and McCrae continues the investigation, leading him to a former police officer Matt Cordell (Robert Z'Dar, Tango & Cash, The Summoned). Cordell was a hero police officer, known for shooting first and asking questions later. When he started going after the mob, Mayor Killium (Ken Lerner, Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Series, The Running Man) set Cordell up and had him sent to prison. In prison, he was viciously stabbed all over his body and was pronounced dead. Jack discovers that Cordell did in fact survive and escaped prisoner, thanks to the help of a female police officer in love with him. Will McCrae and Jack be able to stop this maniac cop form continuing his reign of terror?

"I am the law!"

My initial reason for watching Maniac Cop was because I believed that Bruce Campbell was going to be the villain. Most movies I have seen starring Campbell have portrayed him as the hero and I was a little disappointed that he wasn't the maniac cop. Having a police officer as your killer is certainly different, but unfortunately, the movie does not continue with a trend of originality. They portray Cordell as a nigh-invulnerable killing machine, similar to Jason from Friday The 13^th. We see him shot in the chest several times and Theresa even claims to have shot him in the head twice. There is no reason to explain why this is. Is he magical? Is she just an incredibly terrible shot with horrible eyesight? If they wanted to go the supernatural route, they should have made it clear how this happened and perhaps give him more abilities. If they wanted the story based in reality, just say he had a bullet-proof vest on or something to that effect. The character is stuck somewhere in the middle and just left me confused. I will say that the movie did a great job of hiding the killer's face for almost the entire movie. It allowed the audience to portray whatever image they wanted onto the killer, similar to what John Carpenter did with Michael Myers in Halloween. When they finally showed Cordell's face, it was nothing scary or shocking. They clearly didn't have Tom Savini doing makeup.

There is a decent amount of violence in Maniac Cop with some fun and creative kills. There is some blood, but not much in the way of gore or extreme violence. The problem is that they kind of forget about the slashing in the middle of the film. The movie focuses way too much on the actual investigation instead of the horror. In the beginning we have a few kills and at the end we have a lot. What about the middle? Instead, we get a rather bland and typical cop drama. Tom Atkins is the quintessential police officer, playing one in multiple movies. Bruce Campbell is good in his role, but doesn't get to flash any of his trademark charm and wit. The rest of the cast is fine, but the problem lies with the story, not the production. Nothing unexpected happens and the story runs it's course exactly as how you would expect. 

"Boomstick says what?"

Maniac Cop is a decent slasher in the beginning and end, but is lost in a mediocre mystery for most of the time. The villain had a lot of potential, but the movie doesn't deliver. It's never clear how he is so strong or why bullets don't hurt him. I really would have liked Bruce Campbell in the role because the added personality would have made the movie far more interesting. There are some good scenes of violence, but they're mostly lumped together, leaving long stretches free of killing. Maniac Cop had a lot of potential, but missed too many opportunities. It's still watchable and has a few good moments, but it's nothing special.

6/10

Day 236: Bubba Ho-Tep

Bubba Ho-Tep

Don't be cruel

Bruce Campbell is best known for his role as Ash from the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness movies. His role in the USA Network television show Burn Notice has brought Bruce Campbell's brand of wackiness to a wider audience. With a wide array of movies and television appearances, Bruce Campbell has always essentially played “Bruce Campbell” similar to how Tom Cruise always plays “Tom Cruise” in a movie. The situations may change, but you're pretty much getting the same guy in just about every movie. That's OK because Bruce Campbell is so entertaining. Sometimes you forget how good of an actor he actually can be. Today's review is a special request for my dad. If you would like to request a movie for me to review, please leave me a comment or send a tweet to @365DaysofHorror.

Bubba Ho-Tep is a 2002 horror comedy, based on the story by Joe Lansdale, starring Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, My Name Is Bruce) as Elvis Presley. In the 1970's, Elvis became disillusioned with his fame and wanted a way out. He went down to Texas and met Sebastian Haff, an Elvis impersonator. They agreed to switch places, leaving the real Elvis just enough money to get buy and a contract to switch back if he ever wanted. A barbecue accident led to Elvis's trailer exploding, burning up the contract and any proof that he is the real Elvis Presley. Flash forward to present day, an elderly Elvis is living in an old-age home in eastern Texas. No one believes that he is the real Elvis, save for John F. “Jack” Kennedy (Ossie Davis, Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing) an African-American man who believes that he is the former President. Elvis has very little hope and even less meaning since his ex-wife and daughter don't even know he is there. Residents of the retirement home start to die and one night, Elvis is attacked by a giant scarab. He stabs it with a fork and burns it on an electric heater. The next night, Jack is attacked by a mummy who tries to suck his soul out of his body. Elvis eventually sees the mummy, dubbed Bubba Ho-Tep, and has a strange psychological vision of the mummy's past. All of this mystery and intrigue renews Elvis's interest in life so he and Jack begin investigating. During a museum tour of an Egyptian mummy, thieves stole the bus carrying the artifacts, but crashed it in the river outside the retirement home during a storm. With no one believing who they are or what is going on, it's up to Elvis and Jack to stop Bubba Ho-Tep. Will they be able to survive this soul-sucking monster?

Hell, I'd vote for them

Offbeat and original is probably the best way to describe Bubba Ho-Tep. It is an interesting choice to have an elderly Elvis and an African-American play President Kennedy. By doing so, this allowed the movie to take on a comedic air without resorting to jokes or slapstick. As you can tell, this isn't your typical horror or comedy movie. The horror doesn't pick up until about half-way through the movie, with the first part relying more in introspection and good old-fashioned character development. This extended character development is poignant and quite sad for a horror/comedy movie. The movie does border on depressing at certain points, far more than your average scary movie. The story is balanced by a good amount of comedy, most of which is generally funny. There were a few scenes with workers carrying out dead bodies which were supposed to be funny, but just didn't elicit any laughs. In terms of horror, there are a few flashes of fear, but nothing is particularly scary. If anything, the prospect of dying alone and forgotten in an old-age home is far scarier than any monster. I suppose that's the underlying message of the entire movie, but we could have used some more scares.

The best part about the movie is Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. If you didn't know Bruce Campbell was in this movie, you might actually not know he is playing Elvis. The makeup is good and Bruce is incredibly convincing in his role. After all these years of “Bruce being Bruce,” it's refreshing to see him in an iconic, if unexpected, role. Ossie Davis is great as well, pulling off a good comedic foil to Campbell's Elvis. The action is decent, with the final 15 minutes serving as the main apex. The mummy itself looks good and I actually would have liked to see more of it. Director Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, The Beastmaster) does a good job of capturing Joe Lansdale's story while being able to put it in a believable perspective. Coscarelli captures Elvis's despair very well and even if a soul-sucking mummy wasn't involved, this still would have been a compelling watch. My one complaint with the movie is certain scenes are chopped and sped up. Visually, it's just not pleasing.

Thank you. Thank you, very much.

Bubba Ho-Tep is a fun movie for horror and non-horror fans alike. More emphasis is put on acting and storytelling than action and violence. If you need lots of scares and blood, this movie isn't for you. If you like to think and feel, you'll get a lot of out Bubba Ho-Tep. Bruce Campbell is excellent as Elvis Presley, to the point where you may not even realize it's Bruce Campbell behind the makeup and hair. Ossie Davis is quite good as well, capping off a movie with a sly sense of humor. The horror portion of the movie is decent, but it's not the real focus. Bubba Ho-Tep is a good movie through and through.

8.5/10

Day 192: Evil Dead 2

Evil Dead 2

Never lose your smile, kid

Horror has come a long way in the past 30 or so years. What was once relegated to the corners of local video stores and only talked about amongst your two or three friends has become a global cash cow. There are now film festivals, video games, clothing, and action figures dedicated solely to horror. These are all great things, but horror's rise in popularity also brings about the rise in elitists. Thanks to internet anonymity, every website has it's share of elitists, trolls, and trouble makers who feel the need to ruin everyone's fun. I always have a fear when doing a review that some mega-nerd will unleash their nerd wrath upon me. I can practically hear their chubby, Cheetos-encrusted fingers angrily typing away that I forgot to mention a crucial part in a movie or that I wrote an incorrect date. This goes double for reviewing a classic horror movie, but I won't let some mouth breathers keep me from doing what I like to do.

Evil Dead 2 is a 1987 horror comedy directed by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Spider-Man) and starring Bruce Campbell (Bubba Ho-Tep, The Evil Dead) as Ash Williams. Ash and his girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) take a vacation to a supposedly abandoned cabin in the woods. Ash plays a recording from a Professor Knowby that recites passages from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, The Book Of The Dead. The incantation unleashes an evil force that possesses Linda and turns her into a murderous zombie. Ash decapitates her and buries her body in the woods. He is briefly possessed, but the morning sun returns him to normal. He tries to make a run for it, but the bridge that leads to the main road has been demolished. When he returns to the cabin, his hand becomes possessed and tries to kill him. He cuts off the possessed hand and tries to deal with a cabin possessed by evil spirits. At the same time, Professor Knowby's daughter Annie (Sarah Berry) arrives at the cabin, along with her boyfriend Professor Ed Getley and two locals, Jake and Bobby Joe. Annie has brought along missing pages from the Necronomicon in hopes of translating them. They mistake Ash for a criminal and throw him into the cellar. Annie listens to more of the recording which explains that her mother Henrietta had become possessed, forcing her father killed her and buried her in the basement. A demonic Henrietta rises from the cellar and attacks Ash. He is able to escape the cellar and the group traps Henrietta. Members of the group soon become possessed or killed by various spirits, leaving Ash and Annie. To battle the spirits, Ash grabs a shotgun and attaches a chainsaw to his stump. That's right, a chainsaw. How will they be able to stop the evil spirits from coming into this world and how will they survive?

Groovy, indeed

While technically a sequel to The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 incorporates many scenes and the same basic story as the original Evil Dead. Whereas the first movie focused more on horror, Evil Dead 2 goes off in a slightly different direction, focusing more on comedy and special effects. That's not to say there aren't some scary moments, because there certainly are, but you can tell that they wanted more jokes. If you know that going in, you'll enjoy it far more than expecting to see a straight-forward sequel. The story moves fast, almost too fast in parts. Within the first 10 minutes or so, Linda has already been possessed and killed and the bridge is out. It takes horror movies a good half hour to get to that point. Because of this speed, it may be difficult for people to follow, especially if they haven't seen the first Evil Dead.

Bruce Campbell is wonderfully over-the-top and a bit hammy, which helps play up the humor aspect of the movie. This movie is really where Bruce Campbell became “Bruce Campbell”. The supporting cast does well in their roles, but the true support comes from the special effects. Evil Dead 2 employs a vast array of filming tricks and movie magic. Sam Raimi uses various creative camera angles and shots that keep the movie interesting without overdoing it. The special effects range from traditional makeup and prosthetics to animation and blue screen technology. The effects are so numerous that at times it feels like Sam Raimi was saying “What else can I do?” The monsters have lots of detail and are pretty terrifying. The movie has a lot of action and a good amount of blood. If you've seen the first movie, you'll catch plenty of references and similar scenes that will make you smile knowingly.

Donal Trump looks terrible

Some may call Evil Dead 2 a satire of earlier horror movies, but if anything it's a loving tribute that is both scary and fun. Whether it's a sequel or a remake, the movie does justice for the original Evil Dead. If you haven't seen the first movie, it may be a little difficult to follow the movie at first due to it's fast pace, but don't let that discourage you. Evil Dead 2 is a great example of creative film making and horror movie magic. The special effects and makeup are great and Bruce Campbell's performance is just plain fun. The movie has a lot of comedy, which I wasn't expecting. I would have been happy with a straightforward horror movie, but I still enjoyed it. Hopefully this review will not garner the rage of a thousand sweaty neckbeards. After all, it's just one man's opinion.

8.5/10

Day 150: My Name Is Bruce

My Name Is Bruce

Gimme some sugar

Everyone loves Bruce Campbell. The start of the Evil Dead series and countless B-movies, Bruce Campbell has amassed a huge and loyal fanbase just based on his awesomeness. Even non-horror fans know him now, thanks to a successful role on the television show, Burn Notice. Since this is my 150^th review (!!!), I thought I'd treat myself to the awesomness with a movie starring Bruce Campbell where he places...Bruce Campbell.

My Name Is Bruce is a 2007 horror comedy starring (duh) Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Maniac Cop) an amped up, over-the-top version of himself. In the small town of Goldlick, a mall goth teenager named Jeff (Taylor Sharpe) and some friends mess around in the graveyard of Chinese mine workers who died in a collapse. Jeff removes a medallion off a mausoleum, accidentally unleashing an ancient Chinese god of the dead and bean curd named Guan-Di. Jeff escapes and finds the only man who can help defeat Guan-Di: Bruce Campbell. Bruce is a disheveled raging alcoholic looking to get back on top, but is mired in awful horror movies. His agent, Mills Todner (Ted Raimi, Spider-Man, The Grudge) tries to find him work and promises him a special birthday surprise. When Jeff asks Bruce for help, he initially blows him off. Jeff knocks him out and kidnaps him, bringing him to Goldlick. When he is told by the townspeople that they want him to fight Guan-Di, Bruce thinks this is all a movie and goes along with the premise. Bruce tries to woo Jeff's mother, Kelly (Grace Thorsen) and after some initial repulsion, warms up to Bruce's charm. Joined by the townspeople, Bruce goes off to “fight” Guan-Di and runs away when he finds out that Guan-Di is, in fact, real. He returns to town when Jeff tells him that he is going to fight Guan-Di alone. Joined by Kelly, Bruce heads back to fight. How will they be able to defeat a god?

We're gonna need a bigger gun

As you can tell, this movie is just pure fun. There are plenty of genuinely funny moments from start to finish. The movie has a nice mixture of smart writing and physical comedy. The story itself is pretty basic and is really just a vehicle to give us a massive dose of the lead actor/character. It's nice to see the inclusion of a villain from a different culture not normally touched upon by a lot of horror. Unfortunately, this leads to a touch of racism in the movie. Ted Raimi also plays an old descendent of the Chinese miners named Wing, essentially being in “yellow face.” They couldn't have just hired a Chinese actor instead? You would want him painting his face black, calling himself Sambo, and doing a little soft-shoe, would you?

The script breaks the fourth wall a few times, giving the audience a weak and a nod, letting them in on the weird meta joke of Bruce Campbell playing Bruce Campbell, colossal B-movie dick. Bruce is wonderfully over-the-top and yet convincing at the same time. There is a decent amount of violence in the movie and there may in fact be more be-headings in My Name Is Bruce than some Friday The 13^th movies. It has a decent amount of blood and rolling heads, but nothing particularly amazing. There's nothing particularly scary, so non-horror fans can still watch it. 

You just heard a thousand nerds simultaneously orgasm

My Name Is Bruce is a pretty good comedy and a decent horror movie. There are some legitimately laugh out loud moments and a few good kills. Bruce Campbell is wonderful and he gets help from a good supporting cast. Despite a lot of laughs, some jokes fall flat and a few are regrettable. If you're looking for some laughs or just want to bask in Bruce Campbell's glowing awesometicity, My Name Is Bruce is for you.

7.5/10