Maniac Cop on Blu-ray

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Arrow's putting it out. Specs from the Cult Labs forum:

Notorious video nasty creator William Lustig and B-Movie legend Larry Cohen return to the dirty streets for a unique high speed collision of the slasher movie and police thriller in Maniac Cop, a blood splattered tale of brutal cop vengeance from beyond the grave.

When reports come in of a man in a police uniform committing gore drenched bloody murder on the city streets, officer Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) stands accused. Now, with few friends, powerful enemies and a psychopathic slayer still at large, it's up to Jack to prove he's not guilty and bring down the killer.

Now, Arrow video brings the Maniac Cop back from the 80s video vault to stalk the night time streets once more, looking for fresh victims...

Specifications preview!
- Includes collector's booklet by Troy Howarth, plus new video interviews with stars Tom Atkins, Laurene Landon and writer Larry Cohen!

Stay tuned to the official Arrow Forum as there's more to be revealed...

Original Artwork by Rick Melton

DVD RRP £19.99, Region 0 PAL, DVD9
Blu-ray RRP £27.99, Region ABC, BD50



I love this movie more than I should (just rewatched it last week) and am the proud owner of a mint one sheet. I was hoping Synapse would get to it.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Maniac Cop...I was hoping Synapse would get to it.

The last I read, Don was still releasing it. And I'm sure that Don's idea of a HD telecine, and Arrow's, will greatly differ.

I wonder how Mr. May feels about an all-region BD of one of his titles being made available (for import) like this, in direct competition to his own up-coming release? Due to the licensors of so many of these titles having already sold territory rights in various regions, I am surprised that they weren't instructed to region-code this one (or indeed, a lot of their titles; of course, Toei kicked their arses over the All-Region Battle Royale BD...which would NEVER have been part of Toei's contract)? Unless, of course, they just up and licenced from whoever holds the territory rights in the UK... :think:

Btw, Ian...how's that revised Beyond BD coming along for an update on your review (that saved Arrow's arses from a sound kicking, as no-one else picked up the prologue gaffe)?

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Without an updated disc, there won't be an updated review.

In regards to licensing, I've no idea whether they licesned it just for RB land or not. I'd assume not. And I think Syanpse's DVD was NTSC R0? Maybe the rights holders aren't so picky about region coding on this particular movie for whatever reason.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

...I think Syanpse's DVD was NTSC R0? Maybe the rights holders aren't so picky about region coding on this particular movie for whatever reason.

You're probably right on the Synapse disc -- I was just making an assumption based on the fact that the majority of Don's disc are R1-encoded and that they can't sell outside of the US direct from their site (that I know of). And Don's always cited licensing and contracts as being the cause for such things. So, the US Maniac Cop is probably region-free...

Apologies if I just can't get excited for Arrow's product, or always seem a bit cynical towards them. It's just that: they continually release flawed product; they actively support a plagiarist who stole from YOU and many, many others; they sub-contract an individual who has made a name for himself off the hard work others have done for him, once he's sang out for help on things he knows FA about, and then taken all the credit for the finished item; they stifle free speech and criticism of their product on their forums; they have not supplied the single most important person (You) who broke the news of a MAJOR snafu with a release a revised product, even after email correspondence; and, they expect the entire genre community to overlook these facts and continue to actively support and promote their product.

In the old days that was called biting the hand that feeds you -- these days anyone (ie: me, and MANY others) calling this behaviour out is labelled a "troublemaker" and/or "whinger".

NB: I know people like getting freebies, and thereby are always supportive of screeners etc, but if TBE ever got "big" and attracted a major following, and Arrow asked me to review their product for my site...I'd tell them all to go and get fucked, based on their track record so far. But that's just me; I'm hard like that. You don't fuck me and my friends over, and then turn around and expect me to kiss your arse. ;)

[Mark Tolch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark Tolch]

I'm pretty turned off of Arrow, not just because of the Bryce/Waddell thing, but because they've dropped the ball on the releases that I would've been interested in (though they did more or less "fix" the sepia thing. I just don' t understand how a company specializing in genre releases, and classic genre releases at that, could seem to care so little about their fans. The Beyond screwup was the first thing....then a shoddy transfer of Deep Red, though they did step it up on the extras. I'm a fan of Maniac Cop...I'll wait and see what Synapse is doing with it.

BTW, that cover art is fucking TERRIBLE.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Ha! Didn't have to wait long! Synapse put up "coming soon" notices for Maniac Cop, Frankenhooker and The Exterminator on their site...

http://synapse-films.com/coming-soon/

...and as they've all been announced as All Region releases, I shall undoubtedly be buying all of these on release (don't take the release date on the site as gospel, being that there's so much "TBA" on each entry). Once again, Arrow trumped by a company with better quality control and a stronger reputation! ;)

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

W00t! Don just confirmed that they all (The Exterminator, Frankenhooker and Maniac Cop) will defo be region-free Blu-rays! And...I've just creamed my pants. Squirt!

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

The Exterminator on BD will be awesome. Frankenhooker too.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Speaking of the Devil, check out this post concerning the new Arrow BD of Tenebrae...

Tenebrae overview @ Kenati's Films

...and tell me that those screenshots don't look the worst the film could in HD. Certainly puts in a good case for getting the Wildside BD! ;)

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

BTW, that cover art is fucking TERRIBLE.

Funny you should mention that. I read somewhere recently that if Rick Melton doesn't have tits and arse in his paintings...Arrow largely don't use his designs. Guess they've got to appeal to that Sun Page 3* mentality to help shift units in Old Blighty! ;)

* that link's NSFW, btw...

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I think the UK's love of boobs is one of their culture's most endearing traits.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

TBH, I certainly don't have issue wth boobs, or the UK's love them. When I was a lad I used to buy of mags out of the Paul Raymond stable (Club, Knave etc). But as George Romero once wisely noted: the majority of hardcore horror fans/gorehounds are extremely asexual when it comes to their horror. Almost like they have a pathologic aversion to the opposite sex, nudity, or any other normal human sexual interaction...if it's going to get in the way of them salivating over their blood and gore. Strange, but true.

From what I see on message forums and the internet in general, I'd say a lot of that has to do with a disconnection from reality and either awkwardness or inexperience with normal human relationships (straight, gay or otherwise). The comments I see and read regularly about the 'net, particularly from genre kids, indicate that a lot of them live in their own little bubbles.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

I have just discovered something very interesting: Arrow have just had the film (Maniac Cop) passed uncut with an 18 at 84m54s. However, back in '05 Optimum had an extended version of the film passed at a duration of 90m44s! I didn't know there were two versions of the film?

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

There were six scenes shot for a Japanese TV release, maybe those were included in the Optimum version? They're included as extras on the Synapse DVD (and I think the Elite one too).

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

OIC! There you go -- I have learnt something new, yet again. Very cool. I think the Optimum DVD is OOP (or at least, it probably will be with a new edition coming out soon in the UK).