Many of us have trouble with authority figures--especially cops, right? Right. So it's no wonder that while we think heroic cop movies are kind of okay, what we really like is for our cinematic cops to be rotten to the core. And we're not talking about exhibiting the occasional act of questionable behavior either! We're talking about downright dirty stinkers who lustfully break the law to benefit their own evil needs. In fact, these cops are sooooo evil, they're practically irredeemable. For example...
• The Big Easy (1987)--In this tidy little thriller, uptight and sexy lawyer Ellen Barkin travels to New Orleans to expose police corruption, and ends up exposing her sexual organs to corrupt and sexy cop Dennis Quaid. In between investigating Quaid for graft, and luring him into the sack, Barkin eventually discovers she's got much bigger fish to fry--in the form of a police department heroin ring!
• Training Day (2001)--Denzel Washington plays his dickiest role to date as super-corrupt narcotics cop who's "training" his new protegee, the surprisingly unembarrassing Ethan Hawke. Denzel leads a mostly unwilling Ethan ever deeper into an urban pit of decay, until the rookie discovers that maybe the job description doesn't necessarily have to include killing suspects, stealing drug money, and smoking PCP. While the script has some unbelievable aspects, the snappy writing and cameos from Snoop Dogg and Macy Gray add flair galore.
• Bad Lieutenant (1992)--What can I say? This is the pinnacle of "corrupt cop" movies. Harvey Keitel is at his nasty, lewd best as a "bad" lieutenant investigating the rape of a nun. Though he's definitely conflicted by his Catholic upbringing, it doesn't stop Keitel from charging around town hopped up on drugs, firing his gun without reason, and breaking every commandment in the book (including pulling over two teenage girls and making them... uggghhh!! You'll just have to watch it.) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY