Release Date: September 13, 2011
Running time: 102
Rated: NR
Directed by: James Glickenhaus
Starring: Robert Ginty, Christopher George, Samantha Eggar
Studio: Synapse Films
Movie Review
Following the success of Marty Scorcese’s Taxi Driver and the 1974 Charles Bronson revenge flick Death Wish, vigilante films became a mainstay of the B-movie circuit, with few of the knockoffs being as worthy of remembrance as The Exterminator. On its release in 1980, most critics decried it as an exercise in pure shock value. The Almighty Ebert went so far as to call it a “sick example of the almost unbelievable descent into gruesome savagery in American movies”. By today’s Saw and Final Destination warped standards, this film is not all that savage or disturbing but, at the time, this was one of the films that signalled the shift from exploitation films being a second-bill, back of the listings affair, and moving into the mainstream with increasingly gruesome fare that was more readily available in video stores, and on the big screen.
The film starts with a now-cliched scene of ‘Nam brutality, with a handful of American soldiers about to be tortured and killed by the Viet-Cong. A slo-mo decapitation is followed by numerous threats at the end of a bloody machete, as our hero, John Eastland, (the putty-faced, but undeniably badass Robert Ginty) stammers out replies with a look of bewildered terror on his face. Cue ultimate ass-kicker Steve James (American Ninja, Delta Force, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka!) who lets slip the dogs of war in the form of a hidden piano wire and a fast grab of an M-16. Much carnage ensues, with VC’s flying left and right, dudes on fire and a liberal application of the slo-mo.
Cut to NYC and Ginty and James are now dock workers (sometimes at a beer factory, sometimes at a meat packing plant?!?) They roust some unruly street toughs trying to steal brewskis, and commence to fightin’ before they chase of the gang and head for a brew of their own. After a quick establishing scene with Steve James and his kids, the punks reappear, attacking James behind a tenement building and beating the hell out of him, with lawn implements! James ends up paralysed and bandaged head-to-toe, and Ginty shows up to make a promise to avenge his fallen comrade. BAM! He immediately has Dennis Boutsikaris (Batteries Not Included, The Dream Team, beard wearer since the age of nine) tied up in a hallway and squealing like a pig at the sight of his acetylene torch rig. Dennis gives up the gang’s hideout and Ginty goes over to say “hi”.
Much gore and calamity ensue, including rats eating faces, tubby paedophiles burning prostitutes with soldering irons, people set ablaze, people mulched in sausage grinders, etc… etc… etc… Eventually a hard-nosed cop (Christopher George, looking less like a cop and more like a Mafioso, which he’d play the following year in Enter The Ninja) picks up the trail of “The Exterminator”. Then, through a series of sometimes cogent plot points, the CIA, the Mayor and the meat-packing Mafia (I know, right?) all start gunning for Ginty’s vigilante alter ego. Things get cloudy and strange and downright confusing after that, but the ass-kicking rampage only lets up long enough to throw in a little footage of Stan Getz in concert. I don’t know about you folks, but that is what I call a good fucking movie. Imagine all the best, nasty, sleaze-and-violence parts of True Romance strung together and re-shot by Cannon Films. It may not be Scorcese or even Charlie Bronson, but it sure as hell makes for an entertaining hour-and-a-half of decadent escapism and vicarious wish fulfilment for your id. Who among us has never wanted to drop our boss in the meat grinder, throttle the snot-nosed teenage punk talking on his phone at the movies, or twist a tiny bit of piano wire around our mother-in-law’s neck… just a tiny piece, barely twisted at the ends… Rage on, Exterminator! Rage on!
Crave Factor – 8
“I think you need to take a shit. It’s coming out of your mouth instead of your asshole.”
Video
This one comes “lovingly restored in high-definition from original vault materials”, which usually isn’t saying much for 80’s video hits. This one, however, looks as good as it is ever likely to. Make-up FX headed up by the master, Stan Winston, jump out of the screen and are shockingly clear and vibrant. This one is so clear and clean, I was actually able to pick Samuel L. Jackson out of the crowd where he appeared as an extra in his early days, which I could not say of my worn and fuzzy VHS. We’re talking 1080p at 1.78:1 AVC on the Blu-ray and a decent 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen on the DVD copy.
Crave Factor – 8
Tight.
Audio
DTS-HD MA English in 2.0 Stereo and 2.0 Mono on the Blu and Dolby Digital 2.0 mono or stereo on the DVD. Nothing spectacular, but it does the job. Thanks to this newly restored mix, you can not only hear the torch light up with a joyous whooosh , but you can hear the delicate tinkle of Boutsikaris dribbling his PBR down his pant leg.
Crave Factor – 7
Light em’ up!
Extras
In addition to the souped-up director’s cut of the film, we’re treated to the theatrical trailer, a handful of TV spots (in HD on the Blu-ray), and a pretty cool commentary from director James Glickenhaus, who went on to direct some of the 80’s best forgotten action gems, like Jackie Chan’s The Protector, Shakedown (which teamed mega-badass Sam Elliot with motherflippin’ ROBOCOP!) and the Christopher Walken/Michael Ironside face-off McBain. Listen up and take notes! The extras are sparse, but the movie is a 30 year-old grindhouse flick, even landing Glickenhaus for a commentary is a small miracle. APPRECIATE, or be destroyed.
Crave Factor – 6
“If you’re lying, I’ll be back.”
Menu & Packaging
This actually has a pretty cool animated menu, with the cover image of a musclebound helmeted maniac with a flame-thrower surrounded by flames and choppers (*flame-throwers, walls of flame, musclebound maniacs and swirling choppers may not appear in the context of the film*). The discs come in a standard double-disc Blu-ray case with a double sided sleeve insert that features a flaming muscle car on the back. In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I immediately switched to the flambé mobile.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
This is a great Friday night beer-and-pizza guy flick. Lots of action, snarly badass everyman hero, gruesome fx, high stereotype factor and a whole lotta awesomesauce. This is a movie Clarence Worley would have known off by heart. Pick it up and hide it from yo momma.
