Film, Go To

GO TO: Samurai Cop (1991) dir. Amir Shervan

SCREENS 9/27 @ COOLIDGE

by

Samurai Cop is a hilarious, so-bad-it’s-good ’90s action flick that stands as disastrously tall as Tommy Wiseau’s The Room. After a sect of the Yakuza takes control of the Los Angeles cocaine trade, the LA police force transfers supposed “samurai cop” Joe Marshall (Matt Hannon) to their district. Pairing him with half-aloof, half-suave partner Frank Washington (Mark Frazer), the pair get tasked with taking down the Yakuza and the cocaine trade with it. Using nothing but their (nonexistent) wit, (flat) charm, (unearned) courage, and (laughably disingenuous) thrill-seeking natures, they have to kill the bad guys, get any girls in or on the way, and save the day.

You’re not off if you feel you’ve just read a description of the basis of action-parody mockery. This movie is the epitome of mediocrity in almost every way and is the quintessential form of overly serious silliness. Noticeably sloppy editing, poorly choreographed action, one-dimensional characters, static-y sound, impoverished actors, bloated scripts, and little to no toying with more prominent themes make Samurai Cop a mindless squandering of time––and it’s incredibly funny. People are cheesy, scenes and sounds jump, the plot doesn’t come together, and lines are delivered overconfidently to nothing other than sheer laughter. Even the sex scenes are weird, as supposedly experienced Joe Marshall runs his hands over various naked female bodies like a virgin high schooler for minutes at a time. Samurai Cop is one of those cornier-than-corny, gawkishly amateurish, and idiotic movies you can only enjoy if you like bad movies. Because Samurai Cop swings as if with a large club instead of a fine blade other than a good side actor, the occasional visual metaphor, and a quaint ’90s retro aesthetic, one can either laugh at this failed passion project or wallow in its enormous hollowness. Neither lead is particularly likable or convincing––Hannon is flat-faced and barely emotive, and Frazer is little more than a cartoonish sidekick––but watching them desperately try to sell that they’re real cops in real LA busting an actual drug operation when nothing else makes sense either makes for bombastic entertainment. Cinema gone wrong can go so right, and Samurai Cop demonstrates that through every wig change, random jump cut, and canned monologue.

Samurai Cop
1991
dir. Amir Shervan
96 min.

Screens Friday, 9/27, 11:59 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
Part of the ongoing repertory series: Best Worst Movies and After Midnite

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