I went into this expecting some cheesy Maniac Cop knockoff. But Joe Vickers (played by Bobby Ray Shafer) and Matt Cordell (played by the late Robert Z'Dar) are two very different animals. Cordell was an undead cop out for vengeance. Vickers is a devil worshiping cop who's out for blood. Cordell committed his killings with not a word spoken. Vickers has a cheesy one-liner (or two, or three) for every occasion.
Psycho Cop was also a bit more formulaic. The typical 80's horror movies, as a general rule, included a bunch of horny young people at a camp site or a house, always out in the woods. Easy targets for a killer.
Some of the more annoying parts of this flick are the overuse of the word paranoid (in all its forms), the many references to the caretaker (Vickers' first victim), and the highly unlikely way Vickers met his demise.
On the whole, I found the movie quite enjoyable in a "so bad it's good" kind of way. But, if I had to choose between Joe Vickers and Matt Cordell, I choose Cordell hands down.
Psycho Cop was also a bit more formulaic. The typical 80's horror movies, as a general rule, included a bunch of horny young people at a camp site or a house, always out in the woods. Easy targets for a killer.
Some of the more annoying parts of this flick are the overuse of the word paranoid (in all its forms), the many references to the caretaker (Vickers' first victim), and the highly unlikely way Vickers met his demise.
On the whole, I found the movie quite enjoyable in a "so bad it's good" kind of way. But, if I had to choose between Joe Vickers and Matt Cordell, I choose Cordell hands down.