563 Maniac Cop (1988 )

 This  Larry Cohen film  lacks  much of  a  satirical element and, for  better or worse, Michael Moriarty instead  relying on bludgeoning  violence  to  entertain  and  largely  failing. Halloween III's  Tom Atkin plays a  morose  detective  on  the  hunt  for  a  homicidal maniac dressed as a cop and  killing  people indiscriminately. He  identifies  him  but  stopping him is another  matter.  The  film  really  fails  when  it  kills  off  the  only  sympathetic protagonist  too  early  and  we're supposed to  care what  happens to  a  cheating  husband  and  his  girlfriend  instead,

Laurene Landon ( as Theresa )

Sex : Theresa sleeps with a  married fellow officer

Death : Survives

Laurene  was  born  in  Canada  but  later moved  to  California  where she started  police training. She abandoned that  to work as a model and film extra, first appearing in 1979's Bitter Heritage. She soon moved to more  substantial roles  requiring  physical action and  this  was  her  fourth appearance in a Larry Cohen film. She  took a  long  sabbatical after 1991  but  returned  to  acting in 2006 and has been busy  ever since.

Nina  Arvesen ( as Regina )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Nina  was the daughter of  a  Norwegian  diplomat  and  had  a  successful TV career in Norway before relocating to the  US in  the  mid-eighties. This  was her  third and  final film but  she  had  more  success on TV with long  runs in  The  Young And The Restless and Santa Barbara.

Victoria Catlin ( as Ellen )

Sex : No

Death : Killed by  the  maniac offscreen

Victoria  was born in Illinois but  travelled  widely in Latin America  as  a  youth.  Her  acting  career was  relatively  brief , the  highlight  being  appearing in seven episodes of Twin Peaks. She  went  behind  the  scenes  as  a  photo  editor  and  script  conultant. She  died  in 2024.

Jill  Gatsby ( as Cassie )

Sex : No

Death : Throttled by the maniac

Jill  was  Larry  Cohen's  daughter and  her  film  career  was  largely  confined  to his  films.  She  is  also  a  singer-songwriter and acting  coach.