The Mad Bomber

William Dorn (Chuck Connors) is an angry and disturbed man. Frustrated over the drug overdose of his daughter, he decides to strike back at anyone whom he's imagined was responsible for her death. But what he really wants to do is punish society at large. He'll even leave bombs at feminist gatherings. Determined to nail this paranoid villain is grouchy, hard nosed detective Geronimo Minelli (!) (Vince Edwards), the kind of guy who does anything it takes to get his man. That includes working with the one man who can identify Dorn, and HE turns out to be a rapist! George Fromley (Neville Brand) is loathe to cooperate with Minelli until he realizes what the cop is capable of.

Producer / director / screenwriter / cinematographer Bert I. Gordon (a.k.a. Mr. B.I.G.) is better known for his "giant monster" flicks of the 1950s, but this endlessly amusing pile of garbage that he's created deserves to be just as well known. He brings the sleaze in a major way; his movie is slow at times and crude, but undeniably a real hoot. Fans of 1970s exploitation will be delighted to note the abundance of nudity (provided by Ilona Wilson as Fromley's wife) and the wonderfully graphic gore. Of course, it's the acting that really brings this one to life. Edwards is good as the unrelenting protagonist, and Brand is a very effective creep. Hank Brandt, Christina Hart, and Ted Gehring co-star, but it's Connors who will command most of your attention. With an array of truly priceless facial expressions, he's a hysterically nutty bad guy. The icing on the cake is a music score by Michel Mention that's sometimes entertaining but is also hilariously AWFUL at other times. The movie establishes Dorn in a great way right up front, as he chastises a stranger for littering on the sidewalk.

Well worth seeing if you like your cop thrillers to be on the trashy side.

Seven out of 10.