Cop

If you are a big fan of James Wood's work than please go to your video store right now and rent this gem. You see I'm more into the performance side of a film, not the writing or story (even though it does help). Trust me, you've seen it all before. An over-the-top detective (Woods) gets caught up in a murder case which takes over his professional and private life. With the clues stacking up, Woods begins to believe that he is not only dealing with a murderer but a serial killer as well, who preys on females. This opinion on the matter doesn't sit well with his captain or coworkers, except one, a long time friend named Dutch. As the film moves along you begin to notice that Woods is a womanizer who usually ends up in bed with the witnesses. Everything Woods did made me laugh. I know this probably isn't "right" of me but he is just so FUNNY!! Even in a serious murder mystery such as this, I still can't help it. This film also contains one of the quickest endings I've seen in a long time. It's great!! Trust me though, I won't give it away. Thanks for reading.

Extremely entertaining film about a cop (Woods) who tries to hunt down a criminal who is murdering women downtown in an apparently random order. I saw this on AMC one Friday night, very late, and I was blown away. Great acting, particularly by James Woods, and just a very fine film with a good fade-to-black ending.

It's sort of dumb and predictable sometimes, but it's one of the best endings I can remember in recent years.

4/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

James Woods is our hardboiled detective as he navigates the dark web of a mass murderer. Woods' wife and child have recently left him, and he is under investigation at the police department. He is unwilling to give up the case, and no one is going to stop him.

"Cop" displays Film Noir disillusionment and it's bleakest and the dark ending (not going to be spoil it) only adds to the Noir-iness. In the 1980's Film Noirs started to come out again, beginning with remakes like "D.O.A.", and new originals like "To Live and Die in LA." In this revival, "Cop" is a crown jewel, a wonderfully mysterious tale of man willing to risk and loose everything to find a killer.

As a Noir enthusiast, I highly recommend this film. It may be overacted at times, and the detective may seem a little to gung ho to be believable. But, Woods'es excellent performance is able to hold the film together. It is a thriller from start to end, and overall a very enjoyable film. Watch it, trust me.

If you want to watch a cool movie, I suggest you see it. James Woods did a great job as a hard egotistical cop out to solve a serial killing. Maybe it is like other cop thrillers, but this was made a while back before a lot of others. So, if you're not a 'critic' I'd say it's nothing short of intriguing. I came away saying "it was a good movie," a couple of times.

Sometime ago a sadistically violent novel written by James Ellroy was published under the title 'Blood on The Moon.' Having read the book, I was most surprised to see the story up on the silver screen under the marquee of " Cop." The tragic tale was so woefully violent, I wondered how it's stark terror and black suspense would transferred to the Big Screen. However, I was pleased when I saw that James Wood would be the hero and it would be directed by James B. Harris. Woods plays detective Sgt. Lloyd Hopkins a hard-as-nails police officer seemly obsessed with solving an unsolved series of murders dating back years. Seemingly at a dead-end, he is frustrated and on the verge of giving it up, when a ray of hope inspires him to continue. As he does, he enlist the aid of Kathleen McCarthy (Lesley Ann Warren) a Feminist poet and his police mentor Dutch Peltz (Charles Durning) who is in line to become a police Captain. Despite his unorthodox methods, Hopkins gets results even if it means stepping on toes and challenging his superiors. The movie is powerfully dark, suspenseful and dotted with terrifying scenes which are not for the faint of heart. Still any Woods' fan is sure to enjoy the power and skill with the main actor and I for one look forward to this film becoming a milestone for Woods. Excellent rendition of the book and if one wants to peek under the ambulance sheet, I suggest you read the novel. ****