The Mad Bomber (1973)

The Police Connection (1973) *** (out of 4)A Los Angeles cop (Vince Edwards) is trying to track down a mad bomber (Chuck Connors) but he hasn't any witness or evidence. This all changes when the bomber attacks a hospital at the same time a rapist (Neville Brand) attacks a woman. The cop figures if he can catch the rapist he can then find out who the bomber is.Bert I. Gordon will always be remembered for his "big" movies like THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS and THE CYCLOPS but this film here is very far from them. In fact, I must say that this here is the best movie I've seen from Gordon and it's a real shame that he didn't continue making movies like this. If you know the director then you know he followed this up returning to his "big" roots with THE FOOD OF THE GODS and EMPIRE OF THE ANTS.I was really shocked at how entertaining this film was and especially in its uncut form. Gordon made a career out of "safe" movies but that's certainly not the case here as it earns its R-rating. The violence is quite graphic at times but what really stands out is the sleaze factor. You've got all sorts of full frontal nudity as well as some kinky moments dealing with a subplot of the rapist. Not only do you have some great explosions that shows off the action but the rape scenes are also filmed quite well for this period.The performances here are another major plus. Edwards is extremely good and believable as the cop who will stop at nothing to bring down the bomber. Brand gets the sleazy role as the rapist and he does an extremely effective job with it. His character is certainly lower than dirt and Brand's performance just makes you feel how dirty this guy is. I was also very impressed with Connors who was flawless in the role as the bomber. This guy has several mental issues and I thought the actor perfectly captured all of this.The film, also known as THE MAD BOMBER, was apparently really cut down for its television and video release so you certainly want to make sure that you're watching the uncut version. The sleaze and action factor are quite high and that makes this Gordon's best picture.

"The Mad Bomber" is a very adult suspense film....so adult I am surprised it didn't earn an X rating back when it debuted. After all, "Midnight Cowboy" was rated X and only had a tiny bit of nudity...and that came out only four years before this film. Yet, in "The Mad Bomber" you have some graphic rape scenes, tons of violence as well as full frontal nudity...all which shocked me as the film progressed. Even today I think you'd have a hard time getting an R for this one because of the rapes....something that did NOT need to be this graphic. So, please, please, please...be careful with this one. It's not for kids and perhaps you might wanna be sure you are looking at one of the edited versions (and they are apparently quite common).The film is about a psychopath (Chuck Connors) who has a variety of gripes about the world. Tons of things tick him off and now he's going to show the world by planting a string of bombs as retribution. At the same time, a rapist is running amok...and the two might have seen each other. So, if you catch one, you might just be able to catch the other. Lt. Minneli (Vince Edwards) is the cop investigating these cases.So is this any good? "The Detective" is a super-gritty X rated cop film...and I loved it...so there is a place for tough crime films. The film is very exciting and in some ways well made. However, one portion of the film made zero sense. The rapist (Neville Brand) is eventually caught in the act of raping a woman and later the Lieutenant's boss tells him to release the suspect...no charges...nothing!! On what planet would this make sense?! The Lieutenant later trumps up a traffic charge in order to bring him in for questioning. Shouldn't the fact that he gagged a woman and ripped her clothing off be enough to merit bringing him back in for questioning?!?! Another dopey moment was late in the film when the bomber was driving about on a motorcycle. He COULD he have possibly escaped?! Odd that the film was so sloppy here and there when it was otherwise exciting (though quite sleazy!). By the way, I noticed that one reviewer seemed surprised that director Bert I. Gordon would make a 'sick' film like this. Considering he made the god-awful "Food of the Gods", "Empire of the Ants" and "How to Succeed With Sex", I certainly am not surprised by this movie! It seems pretty much in keeping with his output at that time, though the quality is a tad better than usual.

This is one of the most disturbing and haunting films i have ever seen!!!! Seriously go and watch it,you can get it for five bucks on DVD. It's about a bloke who goes around bombing schools,hospitals etc,etc.There's also a rapist on the loose who is the only one who knows what the mad bomber looks like as he was raping a mute chick in the hospital just before hand,there's also a tough as nails cop on the trail of them both.This film is WAY MORE than just typical sleazy exploitation,the scene where the mute girl uses sign language to describe how ashamed she feels and wants to die is harrowing,as is the mad bombers photographic flashbacks of his daughters death by over dosing(this scene uses really beautiful music,which also plays over the end credits) There's no happy ending in this film for anyone(except for the rest of the people in LA who don't die)One of the best movies i have ever seen EVER,if you like flicks like Henry:portrait of a serial killer then watch The Mad Bomber. I GAURANTEE YOU WONT BE Disappointed :!: :!: :!:

This is probably the only decent film that Bert I. Gordon ever did in his career. The story film is full of tension as we see the protagonist, Geronimo Minelli, not only hunting down the bomber, but he must also try to save the life of the creepy rapist who witnessed his second bombing. Vince Edwards does a pretty good job playing Minelli and Chuck Connors is good as Dorn, the title bomber. Connors really shows how much he really wants to get back at the people he feels has wronged him, and goes about his "work" with such cold, unemotional efficiency. However, Neville Brand steals the film as the rapist. Brand showed why he was one of the more popular villains in film with his disturbing performance. Its a shame that this picture isn't shown on television anymore.