Le détraqué

I've just seen on Google Video what-according to the other comments I've read-was the edited version of The Mad Bomber. Chuck Connors plays the title character who's trying to avenge his daughter's death from a drug overdose on the city of Los Angeles. Vince Edwards is the cop trying to stop him. And Neville Brand is the rapist who witnesses Connors at the mental hospital he sneaks into. Supposedly there were actual scenes of nudity, graphic rape, even more intense explosions. What I saw seemed sufficient. While there are some slow spots such as Brand's having to identify Connors through various face recreations with Edwards in the police headquarters, there is enough tension to keep things going. Writer, producer, director Bert I. Gordon does seem a bit heavy-handed in his approach and many of the minor characters are mostly stick figures for plot contrivances. Still, fairly good performances by Connors, Edwards, and Brand. Update:6/23/13-I just watched on YouTube one of the cut scenes from this movie, a scene when the Brand character is watching film of a nude woman doing flirty poses that he gets off on. The rating stays.

I don't know why I resisted seeing this movie for so long. I think it's because I thought that the plot description was too dull and pedantic for a great Bert I. Gordon experience. I thought that it sounded like a routine police actioner that Mr. BIG must have directed when he needed to make a car payment. Well, I was completely wrong. Maybe not about the car payment, but certainly about the movie. Gordon has delivered one of the most depraved, callous, stupefying images of Los Angeles ever committed to celluloid. And boy is it hilarious.

It pre-figures "Falling Down" and is a thousand times more satisfying. An almost unrecognizable Chuck Connors plays the most angry, righteous, and hateful in LA. His daughter has died of a drug overdose, and like most Angelenos, he chooses to blame the town for his bad luck. This performance is so brave, so unaffected and balls out, that I suspect Chuck Connors may be one of the most unappreciated actors of the 70s. That, or he was completely whacked out of his head during filming. This guy runs through Los Angeles looking exactly like the kind of guy who would plot the doom of society. Hell, his eyebrows look like they could jump off his head and eat a person. This is one intense looking dude.

Connors has been planting bombs around the city and at one target he's seen by a virulent rapist whose just trying to grab another victim. What Bert I. Gordon does with this outline is unexpected and wonderful. He shows the daily existence of these cretins. Connors goes around with a chip on his shoulder bigger than his actual shoulder. Only in a Mr. B.I.G. movie would you see a rampaging lunatic shop for his food before he flips out on a cashier at a Ralph's grocery store for not providing proper service. The rapist is also shown in his private places. Like when he masturbates to soft-core porn of his wife! And it's not like she's gone or dead or anything. This middle-aged, puffy housefrau just likes to keep her lovin' hubby happy.

Despite working with a restrictive budget, Gordon manages some oddly contrived but surprisingly effective explosion scenes. Especially wonderful is the first one at a high school with plenty of young victims. There's a hilarious scene where Connors infiltrates a meeting of feminists only to plant a bomb underneath the chicken they've ordered for the snack. As with most movies directed by the incomparable Gordon, this film lays on the sleaze in dollops not veneer. Vince Edwards, the cop pursuing Connors, finds his investigation leading to a strip club. As he interviews one stripper backstage, the one on stage is in the frame behind Edwards. Only Bert I. Gordon would remember to put the girl in that shot! To make clear his commitment to the case, Edwards says one of the most memorable lines in the movie. "Let me blanket the city with policewomen just begging to be raped!" If that makes you laugh, run to find the uncut version of this masterpiece. If such dialog has you wondering whatever happened to Paddy Chayefsky, then go nowhere near this or any other Bert I. Gordon work.

The Police Connection (1973)

*** (out of 4)

A Los Angeles cop (Vince Edwards) is trying to track down a mad bomber (Chuck Connors) but he hasn't any witness or evidence. This all changes when the bomber attacks a hospital at the same time a rapist (Neville Brand) attacks a woman. The cop figures if he can catch the rapist he can then find out who the bomber is.

Bert I. Gordon will always be remembered for his "big" movies like THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS and THE CYCLOPS but this film here is very far from them. In fact, I must say that this here is the best movie I've seen from Gordon and it's a real shame that he didn't continue making movies like this. If you know the director then you know he followed this up returning to his "big" roots with THE FOOD OF THE GODS and EMPIRE OF THE ANTS.

I was really shocked at how entertaining this film was and especially in its uncut form. Gordon made a career out of "safe" movies but that's certainly not the case here as it earns its R-rating. The violence is quite graphic at times but what really stands out is the sleaze factor. You've got all sorts of full frontal nudity as well as some kinky moments dealing with a subplot of the rapist. Not only do you have some great explosions that shows off the action but the rape scenes are also filmed quite well for this period.

The performances here are another major plus. Edwards is extremely good and believable as the cop who will stop at nothing to bring down the bomber. Brand gets the sleazy role as the rapist and he does an extremely effective job with it. His character is certainly lower than dirt and Brand's performance just makes you feel how dirty this guy is. I was also very impressed with Connors who was flawless in the role as the bomber. This guy has several mental issues and I thought the actor perfectly captured all of this.

The film, also known as THE MAD BOMBER, was apparently really cut down for its television and video release so you certainly want to make sure that you're watching the uncut version. The sleaze and action factor are quite high and that makes this Gordon's best picture.

The concept of a serial rapist being the only one who can identify a serial bomber is what drives this exploitation shocker towards B movie greatness. Neville Brand, despicable as he is, assaulting and killing to satisfy his twisted sexual fantasies, is easily eclipsed by Chuck Conners as the mad bomber, on a crusade to avenge his daughter's death. These two great evil performances are the core of this film. What prevents "The Police Connection" from being a flat out classic is head police investigator Vince Edwards, who sleep walks through the entire movie, providing zero charisma. He most definitely is no "Dirty Harry". If you can find an unedited version, get it. You will be amazed. - MERK

"The Mad Bomber" is a very adult suspense film....so adult I am surprised it didn't earn an X rating back when it debuted. After all, "Midnight Cowboy" was rated X and only had a tiny bit of nudity...and that came out only four years before this film. Yet, in "The Mad Bomber" you have some graphic rape scenes, tons of violence as well as full frontal nudity...all which shocked me as the film progressed. Even today I think you'd have a hard time getting an R for this one because of the rapes....something that did NOT need to be this graphic. So, please, please, please...be careful with this one. It's not for kids and perhaps you might wanna be sure you are looking at one of the edited versions (and they are apparently quite common).

The film is about a psychopath (Chuck Connors) who has a variety of gripes about the world. Tons of things tick him off and now he's going to show the world by planting a string of bombs as retribution. At the same time, a rapist is running amok...and the two might have seen each other. So, if you catch one, you might just be able to catch the other. Lt. Minneli (Vince Edwards) is the cop investigating these cases.

So is this any good? "The Detective" is a super-gritty X rated cop film...and I loved it...so there is a place for tough crime films. The film is very exciting and in some ways well made. However, one portion of the film made zero sense. The rapist (Neville Brand) is eventually caught in the act of raping a woman and later the Lieutenant's boss tells him to release the suspect...no charges...nothing!! On what planet would this make sense?! The Lieutenant later trumps up a traffic charge in order to bring him in for questioning. Shouldn't the fact that he gagged a woman and ripped her clothing off be enough to merit bringing him back in for questioning?!?! Another dopey moment was late in the film when the bomber was driving about on a motorcycle. He COULD he have possibly escaped?! Odd that the film was so sloppy here and there when it was otherwise exciting (though quite sleazy!).

By the way, I noticed that one reviewer seemed surprised that director Bert I. Gordon would make a 'sick' film like this. Considering he made the god-awful "Food of the Gods", "Empire of the Ants" and "How to Succeed With Sex", I certainly am not surprised by this movie! It seems pretty much in keeping with his output at that time, though the quality is a tad better than usual.