Samurai Cop

1991
Unrated
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

4.5/10

10K

YOUR RATING

Robert Z'Dar, Mark Frazer, Mathew Karedas, Melissa Moore, Gerald Okamura, Cameron, and Cranston Komuro in Samurai Cop (1991)

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B-Action Dark Comedy Samurai Action Crime Thriller

Joe Marshall and Frank Washington are two tenacious police detectives who seek at all costs to stop the Katana, a renegade Yakuza gang composed of violent and sadistic killers who want to le... Read allJoe Marshall and Frank Washington are two tenacious police detectives who seek at all costs to stop the Katana, a renegade Yakuza gang composed of violent and sadistic killers who want to lead the drug trade in Los Angeles.Joe Marshall and Frank Washington are two tenacious police detectives who seek at all costs to stop the Katana, a renegade Yakuza gang composed of violent and sadistic killers who want to lead the drug trade in Los Angeles.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

4.5/10

10K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Joe Marshall
(as Matt Hannon)

Janis Farley

Jennifer
(as Jannis Farley)

Mark Frazer

Frank Washington

Melissa Moore

Peggy Lee Thomas
(as Melisa Moore)

Cameron

Female Henchwoman
(as Cameron)

Gerald Okamura

Okamura

Dale Cummings

Capt. Rohmer

Cranston Komuro

Fujiyama

Joselito Rescober

Costa Rican Waiter
(as Joselito C. Rescober)

Jerry Black

Film Lab Henchman #2

Orlando Quijano

Burning Van Driver
(as Ali Teymury)

James Waltz

Tony the Lawyer

Reginald Williams

Tom Gleason

Arm-Losing Henchman

Robert Moore

Fred Floyd

Expendable Black Henchman

John Godfrey

Director
- Amir Shervan
Writer
- Amir Shervan
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Lead actor Mathew Karedas (credited as Matt Hannon) cut his long hair very short seven months after filming wrapped. While he was looking for more acting work, director and screenwriter Amir Shervan called him back for some re-shoots. Shervan was furious that Karedas had cut his hair and immediately went out to look for a wig. Unfortunately, Shervan was only able to find a woman's wig that looked nothing like Karedas's long hair. Karedas agreed to wear it, assuming Shervan was going to do some long-shots and pick-ups. Shervan still had half of the movie to shoot, completely out of chronological order. As a result, Karedas' character's hair alternates between his natural long hair and an obvious wig. The wig even comes off a few times, revealing Karedas's real short hair.

Goofs
The car chase scene features shots from all across LA stitched together in an impossible and ludicrous sequence.

Quotes
Joe Marshall, the samurai cop: Now I'm telling these son-of-a-bitches that we respect the Japanese of this country, who are honest businessmen. And yeah, this is the land of opportunity for legitimate business, not for death merchants who distribute drugs to our children through schools and on the streets. Now I'm telling these motherfuckers that if they continue killing our children to make their precious millions that they deposit in their secret Swiss bank accounts, counselor, before your last suit even gets off the court clerk's desk, I'll have their stinking bodies in garbage bags and ship them back to Japan for fertilizer. Got it?

Alternate versions
Released in three versions in Germany. An unrated yet uncut (via SPIO/JK approval) version released on DVD, a cut FSK-18 rated version on VHS by Scala Video which was edited by 5 minutes (yet still BPjM indexed from 1992 up until its deletion in 2017), and a further cut FSK-16 rated version which has all violent scenes shortened or removed entirely. Only in 2024 starting with the upcoming German Blu-ray release by Vision Video was the uncut version granted a FSK-18 rating.

Connections
Featured in Half in the Bag: Your Highness and Samurai Cop (2011)

Soundtracks
Happy Birthday
(uncredited)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill

User reviews81

Review

Featured review

10/10

Greatest Terrible movie EVER!!!

Writing this comment is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The magnitude of this movie cannot be defined. It has it all: Japanese/Mexican Crime Lord with Mullet? Check. Guy who dies 4 different times because they didn't know enough people who wanted to be in this movie? Check. Random nurse scene with even more random clips of black partner's facial responses to nurse's comments about size of samurai cop's "sword"? Yes, that too is in it. Basically, if you ever saw a terrifically bad movie, and liked it, you will bow down to the awesome power of Amir Shervan's cinematic genius.

Smaurai Cop spares no expense. It gives you what you really want: Boobs, Racial Comments, Excessive Groping of Handgun by a Lacky, Fight scene with obvious continuity issues, Pimp Van in fast motion chase scene, Disturbingly Effeminate Waiter, 4 different samurai wigs, Matt Hannon acting, and too many other priceless moments to recount.

I am not sure how Amir got Robert Z'Dar and Gerald Okamura on this film (considering their "star power"), but thank God he did. This movie does not get the credit it deserves. It is one of cinema's greatest gems and should be recognized as such. Please, if you have watched this movie, and loved it, comment now!