Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Psycho Cop Returns Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 16, 2017

Full disclosure: I’ve never seen 1989’s “Psycho Cop.” I’ve never even heard of it, making the prospect of reviewing its 1993 sequel, “Psycho Cop Returns,” daunting. Genre fans are a passionate bunch, and they want their film writers prepared and informed, but here’s a unique situation where the follow-up doesn’t really need an initial chapter to make sense, as the tone it’s pursuing is so broad, so cartoonish, that there’s only one thing to know before a viewing: There’s a cop, and he’s a psycho. My apologies to those looking for a direct comparison between the pictures, but I’m guessing most who come to “Psycho Cop Returns” are probably new to the brand name as well, playing an easy game of catch-up with an endeavor that’s not about adding to the ongoing saga of a vicious, Satan-worshiping police imposter, but offering a smorgasbord of wild comedy, squealing characters, gore, nudity, and mayhem throughout a single setting. It’s not franchise algebra, but a funky, cartwheeling B-movie from director Adam Rifkin (billed here as “Rif Coogan”), who’s obsessed with creating as much chaos a low budget endeavor can support.

Office mates looking to celebrate the impending marriage of their pal, Gary (Dave Bean), Larry (Rod Sweitzer), Brian (Mile Dougal), and Mike (Nick Vallelonga) decide to host a bachelor party in their office complex after hours, waiting until their stern boss leaves for the day before bringing in strippers (including Julie Strain and Melanie Good) to truly engage in some mischief. Unfortunately, Officer Joe (Robert R. Shafer), a monstrous lunatic with a badge, has overheard plans for the evening, making it his duty to infiltrate the building and slaughter everyone inside. While the celebration begins for the goofball guys and their private dancers, not everyone has cleared out of the building, finding lovers Tony (Justin Carroll) and Chloe (Kimberly Spies, aka porn star Carol Cummings), and executive Sharon (Barbara Niven), caught up in the massacre, fighting for their lives as Officer Joe hunts them down one-by-one, implementing his own satanic brand of justice.

Think of “Psycho Cop Returns” as Troma’s version of “Die Hard,” presenting a collection of easily overwhelmed characters fighting for their lives inside an L.A. high-rise, using all corners of the building to evade capture by Officer Joe. Screenwriter Dan Povenmire wisely considers financial limitations when dreaming up things for the movie to do, rarely stepping outside beyond some introductory business between Larry, a habitual smart-aleck, and Brian, who’s prone to paranoia, horrified when his pal mentions a bag of weed he’s carrying in his briefcase inside a busy diner, which initially triggers interest from Officer Joe. A few gulps of fresh air are soon traded for “Office Space”-lite interactions, with the staff caring little about the job at hand, instead spending their afternoon planning the party, while Tony and Chloe seal themselves in the copy room, beginning a rather long preamble to sex that’s interrupted by photocopy business.

“Psycho Cop Returns” doesn’t waste much time getting Officer Joe into the building, with Lucifer’s soldier (whose car is littered with body parts, making driving more difficult than it needs to be) soon taking command of the hallways, targeting anyone he can find. The titular threat isn’t one to waste a possible murder tool, dispatching victims with a pencil, ax, and a faulty elevator, taking advantage of the panic that ensues once his presence is revealed. However, before the carnage begins, Rifkin serves up plenty of bare skin and intimate moments, teasing soft-core interests as Tony and Chloe are finally allowed some privacy to complete their mission, while the bachelor party is permitted ample screen time to marinate, including a full set from each of the dancers while 8mm porn (in 1993?) plays in the background. Rifkin knows what’s expected of him, and he delivers the goods, adding unexpectedly stylish cinematography from Adam Kane that helps the picture seem classier than it really is. There’s also pronounced comedy scattered all over the effort, with Rifkin diluting the possible intensity of “Psycho Cop Returns” with wacky performances that often favor bulging reactions to evildoing. The endeavor isn’t especially funny but it’s determined in ways few B-movies are, pulling out whatever tricks it can to be entertaining and possibly titillating, allowing it to compete in the video store gold rush of the late 1980s and early ‘90s.

Psycho Cop Returns Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a very clean look at "Psycho Cop Returns," but it remains quite filmic, helping to separate the viewing experience from its previous VHS and DVD options. While cinematographic limitations are present throughout the feature, detail is exceptional, handling focus issues to the best of its ability, while sharper shots really show off skin particulars with stripping and sex scenes, and gore zone visits are vivid, providing textured wounds. Set decoration is open for study, and costuming is fibrous. Colors are refreshed to satisfaction, making period hues on business attire pop, while bloodshed sustains its richness, and skintones are accurate. Delineation is communicative, making sense of limited lighting. Source is in good shape, without overt displays of damage.

Psycho Cop Returns Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

A busy track, the 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix reaches as far as it can go, dealing with a production that experienced some technical issues during principal photography. Dialogue exchanges are clear, but offer sharper highs. Comedic intent is secured, along with horror extremes. Soundtrack cuts are more loud than defined, but set the mood accordingly, providing some oomph for stripping scenes. Scoring is inherently thin, but appreciable. Sound effects are blunt, with body blows and gunshots registering as intended.

Psycho Cop Returns Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Adam Rifkin.

• "Habeas Corpus" (42:46, HD) is the official making-of for "Psycho Cop Returns," offering interviews with Rifkin, editor Peter Schink, screenwriter Dan Povenmire, and actors Robert R. Shafer, Barbara Niven, Melanie Good, Nick Vallelonga, Rod Sweitzer, and Miles Dougal. With the film nearly 25 years old, the creative participants are refreshingly honest about their time with "Psycho Cop Returns," with everyone sharing their amazement and recalling their fatigue with a production that only took 8 days to shoot. Casting journeys are recounted, with Shafer especially excited to reprise the titular role, signing a deal for multiple sequels, promising a future as the next Movie Maniac, joining Freddy and Jason at the top of the monster heap. The origin story behind "Rif Coogan" is shared, along with editing choices, while anecdotes from the cast and crew pepper the featurette, keeping it a lively, informative sit.

• "The Victims of Vickers" (9:32, HD) is a conversation with SFX artist Mike Tristano, who talks about the prioritization of special effects due to the project's limited budget and schedule. Tristano highlights favorite scenes and offers a look at a key prop from the movie. There's also a brief mention of the hasty reedit completed to whittle "Psycho Cop Returns" down to an R-rated feature for the home video market, effectively erasing all the gore Tristano worked on.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Psycho Cop Returns Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Outside of Officer Joe's backstory, there's no connective tissue to the original "Psycho Cop," with Rifkin telling a brand new tale of office disaster that features the continued rampage of the law-perverting madman. The production is doing its own thing here, trying to work up a suitable lather for exploitation admirers, while Rifkin also has fun with office politics, fax-based communication, and an ending that satirizes the Rodney King beating, graduating "Psycho Cop Returns" to a full-out farce. Perhaps those already familiar with the series will have the viewing advantage, understanding what makes Officer Joe tick, but it doesn't take a doctorate in bottom shelf cinema to appreciate Rifkin's commitment to the essentials in crude entertainment, keeping breasts bare and bodies bloodied as he cracks wise as much as possible.