Runtime: 104 minutes
Directed by: James Glickenhaus
Starring: Robert Ginty, Samantha Eggar, Christopher George, Steve James, Tony DiBenedetto
From: Interstar
There is a guy who looked like a combination of Triple H and Bruce Springsteen! OK, I should actually lead off with the notice that there’s an implied dog death, as that’s a deal-breaker for some. OR, I could mention that the biggest laugh came right at the beginning when I saw that TROMA now owns the rights to the movie—and that is actually appropriate for the company. OR, that this literally starts off w/ a bang via a Vietnam flashback where explosions right by a helicopter made me panic for real… see Morrow, Vic.
In any event, despite my occasional journeys into the land of sleaze & trash, somehow last night was my first experience w/ The Exterminator. Now I can say… I did not love or even was as amused with the movie as many others apparently are. Furthermore, between this and The Soldier, director James Glickenhaus apparently isn’t for me. That doesn’t mean that one day I won’t review Jackie Chan’s The Protector, but it’s something I’m more wary of now. For those that are Prime members, this is an exclusive title on that platform.
Charisma machine-yes, this is sarcasm-Robert Ginty plays a Vietnam vet who snaps after his best friend is maimed by a gang known as the Ghetto Ghouls. As it’s hinted at he is affected w/ what is known now as PTSD, he abruptly decides to go after this gang… and also any other punks in the Scummy New York City of Old. Times Square and other trashy locations are seen throughout; in the former, the viewer not only sees a theatre marquee for 1979’s Firepower (starring James Coburn and, ahem, OJ Simpson) but also an adult stage show that presents SEXTACULAR ACTS.
In addition, Christopher George is a cop investigating these vigilante attacks, although for some reason he’s more preoccupied with romancing doctor Samantha Eggar. Not that his attraction to Eggar is unwarranted; rather, it’s the romance that’s shoehorned in and feels like something from an entirely different picture that I take objection to. Direction and editing wise, this is a bad movie; The Exterminator grinds to a halt at certain points. It wasn’t the sort of inept like Samurai Cop where I howl with laughter often at how poorly it was made; that said, some of the amusement did come from how shoddy this production was. Hell, Disco Inferno plays during one scene and it is NOT the one where Ginty uses a flamethrower.
On the other side of the coin, the movie does have OOT deaths where repugnant human beings are killed in gruesome ways. A mobster is one thing—a pedophile is a whole ‘nother level of trash. This and the dark tone does provide the trashy thrills for those w/ discerning tastes. There are other trashterpieces I prefer to this but due to its reputation, no regrets with this experience. BTW, I understand that The Exterminator 2 is best left ignored. Ultimately, this may have been better if George or co-star Steve James had been The Exterminator instead, but alas…
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