Continuing on with the horror trilogies for 2023, here is part two. Here there are more cult classics, modern gems and even an action horror franchise. Hope you enjoy.

Now excuse me, I have to go outside and investigate a noise alone in the dark. I’ll be right back.

Urban Legend (1998)

Urban Legend is a mystery slasher film from director Jamie Blanks and writer Silvio Horta, and is one of the post Scream successes that deserves more attention. This 25-year-old film has a truly great central premise and talent in front and behind the camera to make it work . The film takes place at Pendleton University and centres around student Natalie Simon (Alicia Witt, in a rare lead role) as she is tormented by a serial killer who is killing people connected to her, using urban legends as inspiration for the deaths. Natalie’s small group of friends include best friend Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart), student journalist Paul (Jared Leto), womaniser prankster Damon (Joshua Jackson), party dude and occasional sceptical asshat Parker (Michael Rosenbaum), and campus radio DJ Sasha (Tara Reid).

As her friends, teachers and other unfortunate victims start dying, Natalie and Paul start investigating with the clues to find the person responsible. Which sees a past school tragedy unearthed and a personal connection to the killer revealed. And the reveal of the killer, I did not guess on first viewing, their performance is one of the reasons I kept coming back to this flick.

Backing up the main stars are Natasha Gregson Wagner’s Michelle, whose death starts the film, and she shares the screen with legend Brad Dourif in an uncredited role. Loretta Devine’s campus cop Reese, the film’s breakout character, is a treat. We also have John Neville as the Dean, Julian Richlings and the mysterious janitor, Danielle Harris as Natalie’s goth, drugged up and sex obsessed roommate Tosh, and horror legend Robert Englund as Professor Wexler, a lecturer who teaches a class on urban legends.

Serious props to director Blanks, who knows how to stage a scene, and seemed to be able to get believable performances out of his stars, even Reid. With James Chressanthis’ cinematography, Jay Cassidy’s editing and the amazing score by Chrsitopher Young, they crafted a thrilling film full of suspense and tension, great visuals that serve and not distract from the story, stitched together with music that supports it all. My favourite kill is the opening with Wagner and Dourif. A great little short film in and of itself. Pure gold.

Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)

Urban Legends: Final Cut is a mystery slasher film from director John Ottman and writers Paul Harris Boardman & Scott Derrickson. This is not a direct sequel to the 1998 film, but a different tale taking place in the same cinematic universe.

The film centres around film student Amy Mayfield (Jennifer Morrison), a sweet creative in a sea of massive egos, at the prestigious Alpine University who is lost for a subject for her thesis film. After talking with the campus security guard Reese (Loretta Devine) about a string of murders that happened at her previous job, Amy gets the idea for a horror film about a serial killer murdering people using urban legends. She takes the idea to her lecturer Professor Solomon (Hart Bochner), who, thinking the idea has legs, signs off on the project.

Amy talks to her friend Travis (Matthew Davis) who organises for the cameraman Simon (Marco Hofschneider) to be her DP. Travis is later found dead, an apparent suicide. Soon after, people in the school start dying using urban legends featured in Amy’s film. First are Lisa (Jacinda Barrett) and Amy’s friend Sandra (Jessica Cauffiel). Amy discovers that the person lurking around is Trevor, Travis’ brother (also played by Davis) who enlists Amy’s help to find out who is responsible for the deaths. They uncover that the victims are all connected to Travis thesis film, the prestigious Hitchcock Award, and a campus secret. The two, along with Reese, set out to stop the killer.

My fav of the series, and not just because of the filmmaking references. The filmmakers, instead of rehashing the first film with the same characters, they came up with a unique story. Ottman does a great job directing in his only feature film, being known mostly as a composer. Devine’s Reese is a bigger treat than previously. I’d love a film all about her. Morrison carries the film well, and she is aided by the likes of Joey Lawrence, Eva Mendes, Michael Bacall, Anthony Anderson, and Anson Mount. The final scene over the credits, put to The Alfred Hitchcock Presents theme, with a great cameo, one of the best things I’ve ever seen. And could have rolled into an amazing third entry.

Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005)

This direct-to-video slasher film, and third entry in the Urban Legend franchise, is directed by Pet Sematary and Pet Sematary Too legend Mary Lambert, and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. Here, the story doesn’t tackle the effect of urban legends on a serial killer narrative, but instead focuses on one urban legend, that of Blood Mary, in a supernatural ghost revenge story.

In 1969 at the Worthington High Homecoming Dance, shy good girl and academic overachiever Mary Banner (Lillith Fields), is the victim of a mean prank by the jocks and their popular girlfriends. She is chased and is accidently killed. Mary is stuffed into a trunk in the school’s attic and she ‘officially’ disappears. Mary transforms into the Bloody Mary legend, appearing to those who chant her name repeatedly.

Cut to 2005. Samantha “Sam” Owens (Kate Mara) and her friends, at a sleepover, accidently conjure Bloody Mary. They go missing that same night, only to turn up the next day with no memory of what happened to them. They are pranked by the jocks because of an article Sam wrote in the school newspaper. They were drugged and left in a field. Mary doesn’t like this. The killing starts.

At first Sam, and her brother David (Robert Vito) think the deaths are simple misadventures. Soon they realise there is a force behind these deaths. The mysterious murders are all connected to the people responsible for Mary’s death in 1969. With the help of Mary’s friend and survivor Grace (Tina Lifford), the siblings attempt to stop Mary by finding out who killed her.

This film has elements of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Final Destination weaved into the narrative, as well as a lot of Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987). Lambert, while admitting this wasn’t her best work, does a good job here with a very small budget. Not bad, not great. Perfectly acceptable, with some good imagery and surprising performances from a cast of mostly then unknowns. CGI sequences did not age well, but that is just a nitpick. Would have liked to have seen more smaller entries like this.

Candyman (1992)

Candyman is a gothic supernatural horror film from writer-director Bernard Rose, based on the short story, “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker.

Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) is a semiotics student studying at the University of Illinois Chicago, who is married to university lecturer, Trevor (Xander Berkeley). While researching urban legends, Helen learns of the Candyman, a spirit who kills anyone who speaks his name into the mirror five times. She also learns that recent murders in the Cabrini-Green housing project, and two dozen others, have been attributed to the Candyman by the locals. Helen and her friend Bernadette (Kasi Lemmons), research Candyman interviewing Cabrini-Green residents like Anne-Marie McCoy (Vanessa E. Williams) and expert Purcell (Michael Culkin). They discover that Candyman was Daniel Robitaille (Tony Todd) an African American son of a slave in the late 1800s who grew up to be a well-known painter. But because he fell in love with a wealthy white woman, her father and an angry mod tortured and killed him. He returned as the vengeful Candyman with a hook for a hand.

Helen hears a smooth, deep voice say her name. Candyman who reveals himself to Her. He is a hypnotising and romantic figure, who says he must spill innocent blood to perpetuate his legend, which she is discrediting. People start dying around Helen and her research. Helen, being the prime suspect, is arrested, and later committed. Helen must avoid the police, a cheating husband and an angry mob in order to return to Cabrini-Green and save a child. But to stop Candyman, there must be sacrifice.

This film is an amazing cinematic experience. I love it. Rose’s direction, Madsen’s lead performance, Philip Glass’ haunting and tense score, and Anthony B Richmond’s cinematography, its gothic poetry and a dark fairytale. The film ultimately belongs to Tony Todd, the titular character. Todd plays the romantic and tragic character to perfection. Similar to Frank Langella and Gary Oldman’s portrayals of Dracula. And many have said that Candyman is a black Dracula. There is a fluidity and beauty to his performance, that is dripping with dangerous intent. The character has become one of the most iconic horror movie villains, and this film a modern horror classic.

Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)

Directed by Bill Condon and written by Rand Ravich & Mark Kruger, this supernatural slasher film is a sequel to the 1992 original. This time taking place in New Orleans with a new take on the tale and the return of Tony Todd as Daniel Robitaille/The Candyman.

After the death of Professor Philip Purcell (Michael Culkin) in New Orleans at the hands of the Candyman, the police consider Ethan Tarrant (William O’Leary) their chief suspect because he had a confrontation with Purcell. Ethan’s Mother Octavia (Veronica Cartwright) and his younger sister, art teacher Annie (Kelly Rowan) defend him. Later, one of her students claims to have seen Candyman, and to discredit this, Annie says his name in the mirror. Candyman stalks Annie, slowly revealing his presence until he kills Annie’s husband Paul (Timothy Carhart). And like the first film, Candyman wants Annie to be his victim, but she is pregnant with Paul’s daughter. That seems to be a hiccup to smooth talking slasher’s plans.

A nice little twist on the mythology and the motivations of the killer, the Tarrant family are direct descendants of Daneil Robitaille and the wealthy daughter of a plantation owner he had an affair with. They are all part of the Candyman curse, as is a cursed mirror that could be the answer to his downfall. This might sound a little silly, but this is a worthy sequel. It has a great visual style, uneasy atmosphere, characters you care about & feel for, and Philip Glass returns with a masterful score. The effects are, like the first film, creepy, gross and inventive. And so many bees. It is cast well, especially Cartwright as the old school waspy rich southern bell who knows the family secret. There are even nice little parts for character actors Matt Clark and Bill Nunn. But this is Tony Todd’s show. His portrayal of the tragic and charismatic killer is the best reason to come back for the sequels. The only downside about this film is all the damn jump scares. It seriously damages the effectiveness of a horror film if they are constant without a narrative or thematic point. Still awesome, just doesn’t shine as bright as the original.

Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999)

In 1999, writer director Kuri Meyer, writer Al Septien, unleashed the third Candyman film. This supernatural slasher film did not enjoy a theatrical release, instead hitting the direct-to-video market, and was the last film in the series until the legacy sequel in 2021.

While released in 1999, the film’s story takes place in Los Angeles 2020 and follows Caroline McKeever (Donna D’Errico) the now grown daughter of Annie Tarrant and Paul McKeever from the previous sequel. The main plot starts as Caroline attends a Candyman themed gallery event by artist Miguel Velasco (Mark Adair-Rios). Caroline says Candyman’s name in a mirror there and Miguel and his lover are first to die by the hook.

The police investigate the killing, and the two seasoned detectives are the evil and vile racist/sexists caricatures that you would like to believe are over the top. But sadly, they are not. Detectives Kraft and Sacco (Wade Williams & Robert O’Reilly) spare no time pinning the murder of David de la Paz (Jsu Garcia), a friend of Miguel’s that Caroline is acquainted with. After she sees Candyman, first in dreams then in person, she tells David and the two set out to stop Candyman and clear David’s name.

Cast is full of recognisable faces: D’Errico was on Baywatch, Garcia, as ‘Nick Corri’ was in the first Elm Street film, and O’Reilly played Gowron on various Star Trek shows. There are some nice supporting roles for Alexia Robinson as Tamara, Rene Riffel and Lina, and Mike Moroff as Tino. But the performances are either two dimensional or stuff we have seen before, much like the story itself. I don’t want to say bland and cliché, but it’s not far off. Tony Todd as Candyman is the only reason to watch this disappointing sequel, because regardless of the film’s quality, Todd still brings his A game.

In my opinion, only for the curious and the horror hound completionists. While I have fond memories of all the Tood Candyman films, you can avoid this and not miss anything important.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Ginger Snaps is a Canadian supernatural horror, with a healthy dose of body horror and a creature feature, from director John Fawcett and writer Karen Walton. It tells the story of the Fitzgerald sisters, Ginger and the smarter and younger Brigitte (Katherine Isabelle and Emily Perkins), two death obsessed teenage girls who create death inspired art. Their schoolmates call them freaks and teachers don’t understand them.  In their town of Bailey Downs, a rash of brutal dog killings are keeping everyone on edge. When the girls head out at night to prank the school bully Trina Sinclair (Danielle Hampton) by making her believe her dog has been attacked, Ginger gets her first period and is then attacked by a werewolf. They manage to get away when the werewolf is hit and killed by a van driven by Sam (Kris Lemche).

Ginger’s body and personality begins to change, due to the werewolf bites. The girls try to find a cure, with Brigitte desperate to save her sister, and hiding what is going on from her parents, especially her mother Pamela (Mimi Rogers). When people start dying because of Ginger, it becomes harder to do. Brigitte enlists the help of Sam, who is a bit of a horticulturist apart from the local drug dealer, to find a cure. They make one with Monkshood. But things don’t go to plan. Before they can inject Ginger, she heads to a Halloween party and this sexy hormone filled teenager turning into a werewolf has fun. That is before the final transformation takes place. One sister must save the other, if she can.

This movie is fantastic. Filled with wicked humour, impressive practical make-up and creature effects, a cool score by Mike Shields, and impressive looking shots thanks to the director and DP Thom Best, this film rocks. The film uses the werewolf transformation, used more like an infection, to comment on gender, female puberty and adolescence, drug addiction, mental health, and sexually transmitted diseases. This last one is rammed home by the syringe filled with the cure and the unprotected sex Ginger has with Jason (Jesse Moss) who slowly starts to turn into a werewolf himself. There is just too much to talk about. GO WATCH THE FILM!!!

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)

This 2004 Canadian horror film directed by Brett Sullivan and written by Megan Martin and follows on from the events of the original cult classic. Brigitte Fitzgerald (Emily Perkins) was infected by her late sister Ginger’s (Katherine Isabelle) blood at the end of the first. As a result, she suffers from the same lycanthropy curse. She lives a nomadic existence, researching werewolf lore and medical texts in libraries hoping to find a cure. She also injects Monkshood (aka Nightshade) as a way to slow the transformation.

After one large injection, Brigitte begins to go into toxic shock from the purple poison, and she senses a male werewolf stalking her. When she tries to flee the motel room, she runs into a kind library worker named Jeremy (Brendan Fletcher). He tries to take her to a hospital, but he is attacked and killed by the male werewolf. Brigitte passes out.

When Brigiette wakes up, she is in a rehab wing of a care facility. Fearing what will happen without the monkshood to slow the whole becoming a werewolf thing, she pleads with the director, Alice (Janet Kidders), to be released. But her behaviour is just seen as a symptom of withdrawal. Brigitte, begrudgingly befriends a young girl nicknamed Ghost (Tatiana Maslany), an overly friendly soul who lives at the facility. Ghost quickly figures out what Brigitte is and she is fascinated. When the male werewolf finds Brigitte again, Ghost helps Brigitte escape the facility. They get to Ghost’s grandmother’s house and prepare for the coming of the werewolf, and try to stop Brigittes transformation. But Ghost has a secret that could change everything.

This film is an example of doing a sequel right. They don’t rehash the first, they head in a different direction and actually try to say something important. The rehab and drug angle was a nice addition, adding tension to the ‘Ticking Clock’ to Brigitte’s eventual transformation. While Isabelle returns as Ginger in apparition/hallucination form, and then newcomer Maslany is hypnotic as Ghost, this is Perkin’s show. Her performance as the strong but tragic Brigitte is both exciting and heartbreaking. On one could ever do better in this role. A howling great flick.

Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)

The third instalment of the franchise, entitled Ginger Snaps Back, was also released in 2004 and comes to us from director Grant Harver and writers Stephen Massicatte and Christina Ray. And like the previous film, the filmmakers took this film in a different direction entirely. This is a prequel film with its own unique style. Set in 1815, Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald (Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle), the ancestors of the characters from the first two films, are lost in the forest as they head east. They are tracked and stalked by unseen creatures. When the creatures make their presence known, their spooked horses flee, leaving the sisters at the mercy of the beasts. They are saved by a Cree man known only as The Hunter (Nathaniel Arcand) and led to the safety of Fort Bailey.

The creatures, werewolves, have besieged Fort Bailey for some time. The sister’s arrival is seen with suspicion. But they are now trapped in the fort’s other residents. Ginger is bitten by a deformed boy locked in an isolated room, before he escapes. The sisters flee the fort and come across the Hunter and an old Cree seer, who tells the girls of a prophecy and the future legacy of the werewolf line. Back at the fort, the military and religious leaders want to burn the sisters. But then, the werewolves. And my god, what a spectacular climax.

While this is not my favourite of the series, it’s stylish, inventive, and it leaves an impression. And it contains a story I don’t want to spoil. It’s a nice ending to the series and connects it to the first two. The film has a similar settling and feel to Antonia Bird’s Ravenous (1999), and has some creepy and scary moments and some great set pieces. Many other filmmakers have tried to blend the western/frontier setting with the horror genre, but few have done the combination justice. But this film, Like Bone Tomahawk and Near Dark, does it damn near flawlessly. Perkins and Isabelle are one of the best double acts in horror. You believe the familiar bounds as characters with difficult choices to make and the weight of the future on their shoulders. Stunning film.

Blade (1998)

In 1998, Marvel had their first cinematic success with the release of the film Blade. This supernatural Action Horror film was directed by Stephen Norrington and written by David S. Goyer, based on the Marvel Comics character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan.

Blade (Wesley Snipes) is a supernatural infused character, as his mother was bitten by a vampire while she was pregnant with him. As a result, Blade has all of the vampire’s strengths and none of their weaknesses, like being able to go out in the daylight. This earns him the moniker of Day Walker from the vampires he hunts. He is aided in his quest to rid the world of the undead blood suckers in the form of father figure and Q-like equipment specialist Whistler (Kris Kristofferson).

Their main target is the vampire Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), a leader of a younger band of vampires which also include sadistic jokester Quinn (Donal Logue) and twisted femme fatale Mercury (Arly Jover). They want to start a war with the humans and to do it they have to perform a ritual using Blade’s blood to resurrect a long dead vampire god.

Blade and Whistler are aided in their fight by haematologist Dr Karen Jenson (N’Bushe Wright), who was bitten by a vamp at the hospital she works at. She helps Whistler find a cure for vampirism and a stronger serum for Blade to suppress his vampiric blood lust. It all culminates in an all-out action fest full of martial arts, gun-fu, CGI spectacle, and a final boss fight between Blade and Frost. With a little tragedy along the way.

This film is well written, shot, choreographed, and acted. Snipes is iconic here. And there are some recognisable faces in the cast that include Tim Guinee, Traci Lords, Judson Scott and the great Udo Kier.  The CGI, which was better received 25 years ago, has not aged well, but the make-up effects make up for that, which are top notch. Norrington does a decent job behind the camera in his first Hollywood feature, but doesn’t quite nail it as he did with his debut Death Machine. This is where it all started for Marvel. Fun flick and very rewatchable, despite plot holes.

Blade II (2002)

With every success comes a sequel, and in 2002 we got the far superior Blade II, directed by Guillermo del Toro, and once again written by David S. Goyer. This supernatural action horror film also adds sci-fi elements and some cool ‘men and a mission’ cliches. The movie opens in Prague, as Blade (Wesley Snipes) rescues the thought dead Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) from his undead captures. He had been turned into a vampire following the events of the third film, but never fear, Blade has the cure. With Whistler back on the team, he is instantly at odds with the new guy, Scud (Norman Reedus), who took his place in his absence.

Elsewhere, a pandemic is turning vampires into Reapers, vicious mutant-like creatures that feed on humans and vampires alike. The Vampire overlord Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann), send Asad and his daughter Nyssa (Danny John-Jules & Leonor Varela) to Blade and his team to strike a truce and form a temporary alliance to stop the Reapers and the infections patient zero, Nomak (Luke Goss). To this end, Blade teams up with a group of vampires called the Bloodpack, who were put together to fight Blade, to stop the Reapers. The team consists of Asad, Nyssa, Reinhardt (Ron Perlman), Chupa (Matthew Schulze), Snowman (the great Donnie Yen), Priest (Tony Curran), Verlaine (Marit Velle Kile) and Lighthammer (Daz Crawford). And this mismatched and uneasy team hunt down and kill the Reapers, until Blade uncovers the revelation that Damaskinos created Nomak and the infection that endangers them all as a way to kill him. And Nomak is out for revenge against the vampire overload and his kin. Along the way there are further revelations, betrayals, and surprising heartfelt moments, leading up to a kick-ass climax.

This is my favourite of the Blade films. It has the same intense choreographed fight sequences enhanced with some CGI as the first, but it’s Guillermo del Toro’s visual style and shot composition that set him apart from other entries. You can tell he has an affinity with the monsters, both good and bad. And the excellent cast, which includes del Torro good luck charm Pearlman, reinforced that. The make-up effects, creature design, and Marco Beltrami’s score enriches everything.

Blade Trinity (2004)

In 2004 we got the third Blade film, entitled Blade Trinity. With Guillermo del Toro declining to return to make Hellboy (a good choice in retrospect), directing duties were taken by the writer of the series, including this one, David S. Goyer.

In this film, the war between humans and vampires continues to escalate. A highly funded band of vampires, led by brother and sister sociopaths Danica and Asher Talos (Parker Posey & Callum Keith Rennie) and their meathead henchmen Jarko (Triple H), head to Syria and uncover the tomb of “Drake”, believe to be the first vampire, to help them crush the humans. But Drake goes by another name, Dracula (played by Dominic Purcell). To keep Blade out of the way, they frame him for the death of one of the vampire’s familiars. The FBI track Blade to his hideout where he is taken into custody and Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) is killed. Blade is rescued from lock up by a group of hunters that Whistler put together called the Nightstalkers, led by Hannibal King and Whistler’s daughter Abigail (Ryan Reynolds & Jessica Biel). Blade and the Nightstalkers team to investigate the vampire organisation, and track down Dracula, who in turn is stalking them. And because he can shapeshift, he has an easier time of it.

The team finds “blood farms”, highly prominent vampire familiars, and vampire dogs. With the cops chasing them and the vampires hunting them, there is tragedy along the way. But this fuels their determination to kick undead ass.

I wanted to like this film, because there are elements that are damn good. But there seem to be too many of them, and none are executed all that well. The Resurrection of Dracula, the vampire plot, or the Blade frame job and being hunted by FBI and vamps all could have been a great film. But loading them all together, I think, was disastrous. There is an inconsistency in tone and structure throughout, especially when our lead seems to get sidelined for the newbies. And the Nightstalkers seem like a very Scooby Gang. Apart from the bad CGI, the film does look good. Muddled, the only bright spot is Ryan Reynolds. Bless you, you Canadian God.

Maniac Cop (1988)

Maniac Cop is an action mystery slasher film directed by William Lustig and written by Larry Cohen, and with a pedigree like that, you just know it’s a hell of a film. In New York City, innocent citizens are being brutally killed by a mysterious 6-foot 5 patrol police officer. The media nickname him, the Maniac Cop, and as a result innocent cops are killed by panicked people. Grizzled detective Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins) is put on the case. He is instantly at odds with Commissioner Riley (Richard Roundtree) and Captain Smith (William Smith), who believe it is a ‘psycho’ out to discredit the police, while McCrae believes it to be a cop or ex-cop doing the killing with someone on the inside feeding them information.

Across town, Ellen Forrest suspects her husband, Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) of being the maniac cop as he has become distant and works extra shifts. He follows him one night only to find he is having an affair with fellow cop Teresa Mallory (Laurene Landon). Ellen runs from the hotel room he found them in, and is killed by the maniac cop. Later, when her body is found in the very same hotel room, Jack is suspect number one. With Jack in custody, McCrae and Theresa work the case to find the killer and free Jack. They discover that the maniac cop is actually Matt Cordell (Robert Z’Dar) , a cop that was framed by city hall and sent to prison where he was thought to be killed by inmates. He suffered serious brain damage and was snuck out of the prison in a coffin and back on the streets with revenge on his mind. Our heroes must stop Cordell and avoid the cops and the Maniac Cop himself.

With a great cast of character actors, led by Campbell and Atkins, a really great story, solid direction and a wonderful score by Jay Chattaway, this was always destined to be a cult classic. Gore and make-up effects are pretty good too. Z’Dar’s Cordell/Maniac Cop should be in the same discussion with movie monster villains of the era like Michael Myers and Jason. He is that effective. The action and chase sequences are also damn impressive. Great flick with something to say.

Maniac Cop 2 (1990)

1990 saw the return of the directing and writing team of William Lustig and Larry Cohen for the action slasher sequel, Maniac Cop 2. After being impaled and driving off the pier, Matt Cordell (Robert Z’Dar), is thought dead, even though his body wasn’t recovered. But everyone’s favourite Maniac Cop returns, still in uniform and restarts his killing spree. The top of his ‘hit list’ are Officers Jack Forrest and Theresa Mallory (Bruce Campbell and Laurene Landon). Our two heroes are ordered by the new Commissioner Edward Doyle (Michael Lerner) to undergo a psychiatric evaluation which is where they meet the therapist Officer Susan Riley (Claudia Christian) and it does not go well. Later, at a newsstand, Jack is fatally stabbed by Cordell. With another cover-up happening surrounding Jack’s death, Theresa decides to go on television to spill the beans with Riley’s help. But on the way, Cordell strikes. At the end of a kick ass car chase, Theresa is dead and Riley badly hurt.

Here, grizzled detective Sean McKinney (Robert Davi), steps up his investigation as too many things don’t add up. With Riley’s help, he discovers it is indeed Cordell that is killing, and moves heaven and hell to stop him, not matter the corruption he stirs up. When Cordell busts his new friendly neighbourhood serial killer BFF, Turkell (Leo Rossi) out of lock-up a la The Terminator, and Cordell, Turkell and the other criminals head to Sing Sing to release the prisoners. But when McKinney convinces the commissioner to come clean over a loudspeaker at the prison, Cordell dispatches the bad guys and dies in a spectacular explosion.

With top-notch action sequences, effective gore, and an uneasy atmosphere, this operates as an impressive action thriller as well as a slasher. This film, like the first, shows its narrative ‘brass balls’ by killing off the returning heroes from the first film early on, replacing them with equally impressive characters. It is ambiguous where Cordell is undead or just a ‘Michael-Jason’ style force of nature, despite the make-up on Cordell that is more mutilated/decayed than previously. But damn, this is a wild ride, and Jay Chattaway’s score pushes it towards epic status.

Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence (1993)

The director and writer team of William Lustig and Larry Cohen reunite again for the last film in the Maniac Cop franchise, with 1993 Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence. Like the previous film, the third instalment also went direct-to-video.

Here, our villain/anti-hero Matt Cordell (Robert Z’Dar) gets what others horror icons received, a supernatural resurrection. Only hinted at in the previous film, with Cordell’s resurrection from the dead at the hands of Voodoo priest Houngan (Julius Harris), here it is not questioned. This is a Cordell zombie.

Officer Kate “Katie” Sullivan (Gretchen Becker) is shot in the line of duty at a pharmacy robbery. She is taken to the hospital but is in a coma and later pronounced brain dead. Or is She? Throughout the film we see Kate in a dream-like world interacting with, or all people, Cordell. Kaye is like family to Detective Sean McKinney (Robert Davi), whose rage at the shooting and later treatment of his charge almost derails him. Cordell is watching over Kate and killing all those who have done or will do her wrong. McKinney is put on the case; he and Dr Susan Fowler (Caitlin Dulany) investigate the killing and their connections to Kate. Their quest leads them to Houngan and Cordell.

There is a twisted ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ element here. Cordell wants Hougan to resurrect Kate to be like him. When he can’t because Kaye’s spirit refuses, Cordell shoots the Voodoo priest. After an explosive climax, the end shots are a little heartbreaking. Lustig’s style from the previous film is still present, and with the sentimental ends, caps the series and Cordell’s story nicely. Joel Goldsmith does the music here and it’s pretty good, even if I do prefer Chattaway’s score from two. Davi and Z’Dar own the show here, but we do get some solid supporting players with Paul Gleason, Jackie Earle Haley, Grand L. Bush, Doug Savant, Ted Riami, and the great Robert Forster.

If the film had a bigger budget, it would have eclipsed the first two films. But this film was made by masters and what we got is damn good, extremely stylish and immensely satisfying. I just wanted more.

Epilogue

We have come to the end for this list of the Rule of Three for this Halloween. I must challenge myself to find another ten horror trilogies for next year, and this was wicked fun. Stay spooky, you beautiful freaks.