Imagine a low-budget version of Lethal Weapon where Mel Gibson spends most of his time being racist to the Japanese, attempts to sleep with anything that moves and walks around in his pants a lot. That’s Samurai Cop, but it really is so much more than that…

Described as “both the best and the worst action film ever”, Samurai Cop is an unintentionally hilarious action film that sees San Diego cop Joe ‘Samurai’ Marshall dispatched to stop the drug-trafficking Yakuza cartel – The Katana Gang.

Why is he called ‘Samurai’? Apparently it’s because he trained with the Japanese masters and is an expert at martial arts, but once you see the action scenes you’ll find that hard to believe. Partnered up with Frank Washington, a black cop who specialises in weird comebacks and reaction shots, Marshall sets out to destroy the gang, seduce any and all ladies, and escape the wrath of the irate police chief.

So far, so generically 80s/90s action, right? Wrong.

Samurai Cop is a perfect storm of over-the-top dialogue, weird editing, goofy fight scenes (that seem to constantly switch location) and a soundtrack that sounds like it belongs in a 90s SEGA MasterSystem game. Plus, while it has the requisite gratuitous sex scenes and boob shots one expects from an 80s action film, it also opts to put all of its male cast members into scenarios where they all end up in their underwear. And we think it’s the same pair of black pants throughout…

It’s just bizarre to behold and in some cases, truly terrifying. And I haven’t even mentioned the fact that the lead actor seems to go from having long hair in one scene to wearing a lady’s wig in another…

The film screening will be held down in the basement of The Old Police Station, right next to the cells. 

When: 8.00pm, 18th September 2013

Location: The Island (formerly The Old Police Station), Nelson Street, Bristol, BS1 2LE

Tickets: £6 on the door (All profits will be going to the Whiteladies Picture House campaign)

A cabal of Japanese mobsters known as the Katana Gang is taking over the streets of Los Angeles. With the regular police unable to stop them, it’s up to maverick cop Joe “the Samurai” Marshal to use his sword and martial arts expertise to bring the crooks down. Brutal actioner stars Robert Z’Dar, Matt Hannon

“The party aspect in this movie is spectacular. From the sheer cheese of the main character’s behaviour to the gratuitous amounts of nudity, everyone is guaranteed to get a laugh, or at least an awkward boner…” BetterWithPopcorn.com

“Amazingly hamfisted ineptitude… perhaps the most god-awful example of bungled, inept action movie filmmaking of the 1980s”  Brian Lindsey, Eccentric Cinema

“Defies all logic. It’s both the best and worst action movie ever” Andrew Martin, Facebook.com/AmirShervan