The concept of a serial rapist being the only one who can identify a serial bomber is what drives this exploitation shocker towards B movie greatness. Neville Brand, despicable as he is, assaulting and killing to satisfy his twisted sexual fantasies, is easily eclipsed by Chuck Conners as the mad bomber, on a crusade to avenge his daughter's death. These two great evil performances are the core of this film. What prevents "The Police Connection" from being a flat out classic is head police investigator Vince Edwards, who sleep walks through the entire movie, providing zero charisma. He most definitely is no "Dirty Harry". If you can find an unedited version, get it. You will be amazed. - MERK

***SPOILERS*** I actually think the film has a good story to it, but it doesn't stand out to be the best action film ever or something. It stars Chuck Connors, Vince Edwards, and Neville Brand.It's about a mad bomber(Chuck Connors) who bombs buildings and areas for revenge, the death of his daughter from drugs, and some other reasons. Since the police are looking for the bomber, the rapist(Neville Brand) seen one look at the bomber's face and was gone.So a hard-nosed cop is looking for both of them. So he comes and arrests the rapist one night, and is asking him what the bomber looked like. So he then tells him, and they search him down. The bomber then drives a red van with explosives while the cop follows him to a trap and the bomber blows himself up.So for me, I think the film is okay. It also has some good music in the film. The bomber listens to a tape that his daughter made for him, and it has some funky 70's cop music in some parts. So if you like what you read and you're interested, then I suppose check it out if it's at a fair price.

I don't know why I resisted seeing this movie for so long. I think it's because I thought that the plot description was too dull and pedantic for a great Bert I. Gordon experience. I thought that it sounded like a routine police actioner that Mr. BIG must have directed when he needed to make a car payment. Well, I was completely wrong. Maybe not about the car payment, but certainly about the movie. Gordon has delivered one of the most depraved, callous, stupefying images of Los Angeles ever committed to celluloid. And boy is it hilarious.It pre-figures "Falling Down" and is a thousand times more satisfying. An almost unrecognizable Chuck Connors plays the most angry, righteous, and hateful in LA. His daughter has died of a drug overdose, and like most Angelenos, he chooses to blame the town for his bad luck. This performance is so brave, so unaffected and balls out, that I suspect Chuck Connors may be one of the most unappreciated actors of the 70s. That, or he was completely whacked out of his head during filming. This guy runs through Los Angeles looking exactly like the kind of guy who would plot the doom of society. Hell, his eyebrows look like they could jump off his head and eat a person. This is one intense looking dude.Connors has been planting bombs around the city and at one target he's seen by a virulent rapist whose just trying to grab another victim. What Bert I. Gordon does with this outline is unexpected and wonderful. He shows the daily existence of these cretins. Connors goes around with a chip on his shoulder bigger than his actual shoulder. Only in a Mr. B.I.G. movie would you see a rampaging lunatic shop for his food before he flips out on a cashier at a Ralph's grocery store for not providing proper service. The rapist is also shown in his private places. Like when he masturbates to soft-core porn of his wife! And it's not like she's gone or dead or anything. This middle-aged, puffy housefrau just likes to keep her lovin' hubby happy.Despite working with a restrictive budget, Gordon manages some oddly contrived but surprisingly effective explosion scenes. Especially wonderful is the first one at a high school with plenty of young victims. There's a hilarious scene where Connors infiltrates a meeting of feminists only to plant a bomb underneath the chicken they've ordered for the snack. As with most movies directed by the incomparable Gordon, this film lays on the sleaze in dollops not veneer. Vince Edwards, the cop pursuing Connors, finds his investigation leading to a strip club. As he interviews one stripper backstage, the one on stage is in the frame behind Edwards. Only Bert I. Gordon would remember to put the girl in that shot! To make clear his commitment to the case, Edwards says one of the most memorable lines in the movie. "Let me blanket the city with policewomen just begging to be raped!" If that makes you laugh, run to find the uncut version of this masterpiece. If such dialog has you wondering whatever happened to Paddy Chayefsky, then go nowhere near this or any other Bert I. Gordon work.

One of the more solid selections from the Bert I. Gordon roster, "The Mad Bomber" is the heartwarming tale of a man spiraling into insanity who decides that the sinful world needs to be punished through serial bombings. Chuck Connors plays this part well, but it's Neville Brand's show all the way as a pathetic scumbag rapist who holds the key to stopping the T.N.T maniac. Fairly terse low-budgeter is quite grueling at times, and deserves more substantial notoriety. A flick likely to turn up on a local TV "Late, Late, Late Show", though possibly missing some of the more graphic moments. Still, worth a look and recommended.5.5/10