Dick Johnson & Tommygun vs. The Cannibal Cop: Based on a True Story (2018) – A Fitz of Horror Review

Bob Coldicott (Gothic Bob) April 16, 2019

Synopsis- Two mismatched homicide detectives are forced to team up and stop a killer from reaching his dark twisted goals. There is one small problem; the cannibalistic killer is a crooked cop who could be closer than they think! As the body count grows and the bullets fly three cops and a rat put their lives on the line to stop a mad man and his crazed cult from killing and devouring 100 women. Can Dick and Jeff figure out a way to stop the killing without killing each other?

I’m guilty. I like buddy cop movies. Hell, I like comedic buddy movies in general, doesn’t even have to be about cops. It doesn’t matter if it’s Blue Streak, The Other Guys or Lethal Weapon. I like good & terrible buddy cop movies. Are any of them good, really, in the grand scheme of film? If it entertains, it entertains…that’s what counts. Take 1 part buddy cop, 1 part comedy, and 1 part horror and you get movies like Dead Heat (remember that gem in the 80’s with Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo?) … or this incredibly & ridiculously long-named movie: Dick Johnson & Tommy Gun vs. The Cannibal Cop. For the sake of this review, I’m going to refer to it as “Cannibal Cop”.

Enter the world of Tommygun, played by an interesting creature named John Renna (Vault of Terror, Johnny Gruesome). I say “interesting creature” because the theme and surrounding universe of the movie is so natural to our unlikely hero, Tommygun, that one can’t help but wonder what goes on in Renna’s world everyday. Keep in mind that he also wrote and directed this production. The movie starts out not unlike any guy’s shit, shower & shave morning routine…but Tommygun asks “why bother with all that hygienic stuff?” Well, he does shower but he’s a multitasking/kill two birds with one stone type of guy. It’s within these first few moments that my wife kindly turned to me and said “Ugh…we’re not gonna watch this, are we?” It was then that I realized we might have a winner. Anyway, we see the contrasting yet mirroring & lonely, lifestyles of our two gigolo flat foots. They almost have a Bert & Ernie vibe, leaving me to wonder when will these two quit fooling each other and shack up together, already. Murders start happening (pretty much victimized women) and Tommygun & Dick Johnson (played by Sam Qualiana) start investigating, all while getting into a bunch of shenanigans. The Cannibal Cop (James Williams) plays them like a deck of cards while they fight, argue and bust balls with each other and everyone else. Although the backstories are thin (and rightfully so) they’re mostly comical and the ‘The Cannibal Cop’ episode (I have to assume there may be more down the line) is anything but thin. Much of the movie has our two guys narrowing down clues via a fleshy manifesto and the Cannibal Cop’s insatiable desire to mess with them. It’s a wildly outrageous story were even mobsters and cultists get mixed into the equation. Some of my favorite scenes involve Renna, whether it be poking fun at his own physique/stamina or cleverly getting the upper hand on a bad guy (and said baddie getting taken out hilariously) thanks to his partner. 

This seems like a lower budget indie film but Dick Johnson and Tommygun vs. The Cannibal Cop is one of the most unique, interesting and entertaining films I’ve seen. It also has a really great indie cast. The film features actors like Debbie Rochon (Model Hunger), Dan Hicks (Darkman), Timothy Patrick Quill (The Blood Hunter) and, as mentioned before, Sam Qualiana (Snow Shark, Post Apocalyptic Commando Shark) as Dick Johnson. The style is still something I can’t get over. It’s like a Seth MacFarlane meets National Lampoons kind of humor/universe where you get your fill of puke, fart, excrement and boobs moments all wrapped into a bizarre plot that makes you giggle like you did when you were an adolescent boy. This movie isn’t for younger kids, though. There are good, hearty laughs and action sequences but also some bits that will make you roll your eyes (not in a painful manner). I’m not sure what Renna has planned for DJ & T, but this seems like something that could easily have many more adventures and I honestly would like to see where he could go with these characters next!

Check out Cannibal Cop and JFR Productions on Facebook and purchase the DVD at Alternative Cinema

Erika Frase, as Tara Loaf, getting sprayed down with blood on the set of ‘The Cannibal Cop’