The Exterminator (1980)

Directed by

James Glickenhaus

Genre

drama film, action film, crime film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 39m

Rated

R

Rating

5.5 of 10 from 151 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A Vietnam veteran becomes a vigilante after his friend is paralyzed by a street gang. He uses brutal methods to punish criminals while a detective tries to catch him.

grittybrutalgrimtensevengefulretroexploitative

What happens

The Exterminator is a 1980 American vigilante action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus and starring Christopher George, Samantha Eggar, and Robert Ginty. Ginty plays John Eastland, a Vietnam veteran who turns vigilante when his employer gets shaken down by the Mafia and his best friend, a fellow veteran who once saved his life in combat, is left paralyzed by a street gang. George plays a detective who is actively pursuing Eastland. The film, particularly the grisly methods employed by Eastland to coerce criminals, drew outrage from critics. However, it was an independent hit, generating $30 to $35 million in total revenue. It gave Ginty, until then best known as a supporting player in mainstream fare, a second career as an exploitation leading man, and marked the breakthrough of African-American actor Steve James. It is also considered an early example of the vetsploitation subgenre. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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