Tubi is a streaming service that is free for Playstation and X-Box One customers to use over their consoles. I also believe if you have a computer or phone you can download the app as well free to watch as well. The service is 2nd only to netflix in amount of content streaming its claimed and has support from A&E and other film companies that supply programming as well. To make a profit Tubi runs ads during the TV and films. (Like a Pluto TV).
But what sells Tubi is , the streaming site is basically a GRADE A+ horror film mecca it appears. There are tons of classic low budget horror films modern day audiences have forgotten. From Motel Hell to Attack of Killer Tomatoes ...it seems like Tubi has it. This thread will look at some of the fun horror films and give a brief review of it. The 1st film I started to watch for this review is....
Starring : Bruce Campbell , Michael Lerner , Claudia Christian , Robert Z'Dar and Clarence Williams III .
Released in 1990 this is the follow up to the classic 1988 film that started the Maniac Cop series. Officer Matthew Cordell (Robert Z'Dar) was a good innocent cop who wrongfully was convicted and soon murdered by a corrupt police force in jail. His soul could not rest and he came back for vengeance to kill and hunt down the very police who did this.
The film quickly does a couple unique things for a sequel then in 1990. They show you the final part of the ending of the 1st film where Officer Jack W. Forrest, Jr. (Bruce Campbell) and Officer Theresa Mallory (Laurene London) manage to somehow beat the Maniac Cop (Cordell) on the pier. People believe this would be killer drowned but Mallory does not believe this to be true.
The next unique thing for this sequel is the film starts right off from the last one. There is no break ; its hours later and Maniac Cop returns and starts working his path through New York. Along the way Cordell murders a number of police officers and more on his mission to kill those corrupt responsible. A new Detective starts on the case like Sean McKinney (Robert Davi) and Officer Susan Riley (Claudia Christian).
The final unique thing is the stars of the 1st film Bruce Campbell and Laurene London are killed off near the start of this film by Cordell. In fact its a 1st where the horror film quickly takes a departure and establishes 2 new stars to take on this Maniac Cop. McKinney soon realizes just who exactly he's facing during the film and that its a cop back from the dead for revenge.
Why Is It Special ? : The film directed by William Lustig (who did all 3) is his favorite in the series. The one he believes is the best in the series and remarked everyone was firing on all cylinders. A classic B-Grade horror film with lots of shocking murders and explosions.
The film is unique that it starred a number of stars who would go onto long careers in Hollywood. Claudia Christian in this appears as she would go onto Babylon 5 as a series and still do TV and films. Danny Trejo would appear in a cameo non-speaking role and would later become the star of numerous films today.
As a whole the film does this weird 180 and has an insane serial killing hobo type who stalks strippers to kill and becomes a sort of weird ally for Cordell during the film. This character called Turkill (played by character actor Leo Rossi) is one of the silliest roles. Yet somehow he forms this weird brief bond with the Maniac Cop during the film.
Also after playing a bad guy mobster in numerous films and TV shows like The Goonies ; Robert Davi gets to play a good cop who pushes a corrupt police Commissioner to admit his hand in corruption that took Cordell's life. It was refreshing to see that.
The film itself ends with a great teaser that perhaps Cordell would not be resting yet in peace after he's buried with honors.
Why Is It Bad ? : From the start the film swerves you in believing that Campbell and London's characters are the key ones to face this Maniac Cop. Yet in the end they both end up dying fairly quick in order. Both are taken out so quick its with a shock. Perhaps this was to show us that no one is really safe against Cordell. Either way you do kinda wish Campbell got a better death than the quick one he got here.
OVERALL : Maniac Cop 2 is a pretty terrific sequel on a film. Its swerve as I posted and its ability to build to a huge conclusion is pretty epic in scope for a B-Grade horror film. The finish is the perfect ending to see play out and had a decent way to end this movie franchise....for now.