punishmentpark The Zebra Killer is fast paced, violent (though without much on screen killing or gore), foul mouthed and overall a must-see cult flick.The provocative serial killer that taunts black detective Frank Savage is quite a looney tune, and he has an agenda that reminded me of a film like Seven, although that's about all there is to compare.The vibe is in my opinion quite different from other exploitation flicks; it's more directed at the hardship of a black cop in an overall white police force and in that sense has a strong feel of drama to it. Though the 'exploitation'-label is not at all unjust.Concerning the logics of the story: Savage does not come across as a clever cop that sticks to the case like cheese to macaroni, but it all just seems to unfold at its own pace. And when he finally does use his brain to make a connection, it's all done in a matter of seconds... And the identity of the killer not being black, is quite already obvious when he appears at the second hit (the bombing). These are minuses, but don't spoil the whole film though. Not at all.A great plus is the great music in it: a funky, strutting series of tracks, of which some are a little too uplifting for what is shown, to my taste (the fight between the killer and savage, and the opening scene), but one with the guitar noise at the end is just about perfect - some sort of funkrocknoise avant la lettre.I'd say a big seven, which is so big I'm making it an eight...

lazarillo Although this is classified as a "blaxploitation" film, it manages to be much more race-baiting than usual by having a white sniper (obviously modeled after Scorpio from "Dirty Harry" and thus indirectly modeled after the real-life Zodiac Killer)who disguises himself in black-face as he commits incendiary crimes against middle-class whites (which his why he is called "the zebra killer"--not because he kills any zebras). The good guy cop meanwhile is a black guy, thus giving the title its blaxploitation credentials. Still the plot was apparently pretty controversial which is no doubt why this film is pretty hard to find today even though it is probably cult director William "Grizzly" Girdler's best film.It is obviously the kind of film that couldn't be made today, and that alone in my book makes it worth a look. Unfortunately, the version I saw looked awful suffering from both bad original film elements and tracking problems from one of the few remaining videotapes that is still circulating around. I'd like to see this film resurrected on DVD. Fat chance though probably since many of Girdler's early films (like the vastly inferior, but much less controversial "Three on a Meathook")have yet to see the light of a DVD player. Still they released the even more racially-insensitive "Fight for Your Live" (although that film had the advantage of actually having been banned in Britain)so maybe there is hope.

kool-j I was pleasantly surprised by the pacing and overall flow of this enjoyable blaxploitation flick by William Girdler. For the sake of argument, I would compare it to Marks' Detroit 9000 - though, lacking in budget (well...) and complexity, it is markedly (no pun intended) better. The highlight of the film is the maniacal baddie, again with the comparisons, who makes Dirty Harry's nemesis (name?) a gentleman in light of this deranged killer. The main character, Frank Savage, is also delightfully played with charisma and wit. Girdler's story is also interesting with generous amounts of dry humor. Contrary to what I had heard, there are no (hard) twists in the film, but there are some disturbing moments. While the murders are not particularly gruesome or graphic, the killer is just such a freak that it gives ya goosebumps - or maybe I am just a chicken. The supposed "rape" scene is somewhat implied, i.e. not-graphic, and lends itself to some interpretation on behalf of the killer's mental state (that is, did it actually happen?).There were some things that bothered me. As another reviewer here notes, Savage eats some fried chicken while investigating (the murderers and his girl's subsequent disappearance). I dont think the fried chicken was intended as a slur, BUT it becomes quite frustrating that Savage cant put together the clues (despite some given by mr.bad-guy himself) and furthermore, doesn't seem altogether too bothered by the situation at hand. Also, the brief appearance of D'urville Martin doesnt really fit into the story either. Perhaps it was meant to build the relationship between Savage and his partner, but I found it unecessary. The lack of any perceivable tension shown by the public (Kentucky seems pretty deserted, too!) doesnt really relay the (alternate) title "Panic City". AKA's aside, there's no real sense of urgency or panic demonstrated in anyone's (but the killer, really) actions. Perhaps a budget constraint??...Anyway, these are ONLY minor gripes. As a blax era film, I would go with a high score, an 8 or 9 (outta 10). As an ordinary film, perhaps a 7.Its only marginally what I would consider a blax flick - not just because it was good, which seems to not be a word in the blax reviewer's vocabulary - its more of "race film".The score, by Jerry Styner, is a hot blax score. There's also a balld sung by Richard Williams (of TV fame?) 'You My Lady'.

abbygird There's a lot of misinformation regarding this film floating around. Zebra Killer (aka Panic City, Combat Cops) stars Austin Stoker and Hugh Smith as police officers on the trail of a serial killer in Louisville, KY. The murderer goes on to kidnap and rape Stoker's lady, which drives Austin to heavy drinking and chicken eating. James Pickett offers a truly stellar performance, and D'Urville Martin makes a guest appearance in his trademark pimpsuit.Zebra Killer was originally rated PG but it received an R-rating upon release.SOURCE: williamgirdler.com