Dirty Cop No Donut (1999) Film Review – ACAB

Posted on by Jim Cox

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Dirty Cop No Donut is a 1999 faux-shockumentary, written and directed by Tim Ritter. Mostly known for creating low-budget gore films, Tim is mostly known as the writer and director of such titles as Truth or Dare (1986), Realms of Blood (2004), and Sharks of the Corn (2021) to name a few.

Officer Friendly is a psychotic cop ready to take a bite out of crime. Along with an accompanying cameraman, the pair descend into a rampage of drugs, sex, and violence in an attempt to clean the streets of degeneracy.

 

A straightforward yet effective premise, Dirty Cop No Donut is a raw and unbridled look into the dark side of law enforcement and those tasked with protecting and serving. Beginning with the forced overdose of a drug dealer and the “repossession” of their product, the film certainly sets up the rest of its narrative, delivering a candid representation of corruption and harassment at the hands of a man long past breaking point. While the perps being persecuted are technically breaking the law in some respects, the hostility and violence dished out by Officer Friendly are far beyond that of a standard interaction between an officer of the law and petty criminals. Threatening behavoiur, property damage, kidnapping, theft, and the like are all in a day’s work when it comes to taking back control from the criminal scum.

Consisting of a single perspective from a VHS camera, Dirty Cop No Donut produces an unequivocal legitimacy that is difficult to replicate. When twinned with the gritty VHS aesthetics, the raw, unadulterated nature of long, single-shot takes delivers an incredibly realistic portrayal that many found footage films wish they could accomplish but mostly fail to achieve. However, due to the improvisatory nature of the tracking shots, scenes can sometimes feel too drawn out—lingering far too long on certain scenes and diminishing their overall impact. On the other hand, these scenes certainly add to the overall believability of the film.

 

Dirty Cop No Donut 1999

Being carried by a single actor for the majority, Joel D. Wynkoop’s portrayal of Officer Friendly, aka Gus Kimball is an exceedingly animated performance throughout. Taking palpable revelry in screaming “I AM THE LAW, BOY!” at every available opportunity, Joel undoubtedly embodies the inflated ego of an untouchable crooked cop wholeheartedly. Furthermore, Joel’s portrayal of a mentally disturbed psychopath is unnerving as our protagonist descends deeper into his world of black-and-white law enforcement at all costs. The juxtaposition between his more lucid moments and the extreme depravity delivered in the name of the law can be uncanny at times, seamlessly swapping between the two at the drop of a hat.

A captivating blend of the TV show Cops and the August Underground series, Dirty Cop No Donut is a dynamic shockumentary that only seems more relevant as time progresses. With its unique yet relative premise, great performances, and pragmatic cinematography, the film is a riveting descent into madness and a must-watch for found footage enthusiasts.

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