The Exterminator

Last updated
The Exterminator
Exterminator ver1.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by James Glickenhaus
Written byJames Glickenhaus
Produced by Mark Buntzman
Starring Robert Ginty
Samantha Eggar
Christopher George
Steve James
CinematographyRobert M. Baldwin
Edited byCorky O'Hara
Music by Joe Renzetti
Production
company
Interstar Pictures
Distributed byAmsell Entertainment
AVCO Embassy Pictures
Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment
Release date
  • September 10, 1980 (1980-09-10)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2 million [1]
Box office$5 million [2]

The Exterminator is a 1980 American vigilante action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus. It stars Robert Ginty as Vietnam War veteran John Eastland, also known as "The Exterminator". When a group of thugs paralyze his friend, Eastland becomes a vigilante, embarking on a mission to cleanse New York of organized crime. [1] The film also stars Samantha Eggar, Christopher George and Steve James. It has gained a cult following since its release.

Contents

Plot

During a firefight in Vietnam, U.S. soldiers John Eastland and his best friend, Michael Jefferson, are captured by the Viet Cong. They are tied to wooden stakes with several other men, and tortured for information. When Eastland refuses to answer, the VC commander decapitates the soldier beside him with a machete. Jefferson escapes moments later, kills the remaining VC soldiers, and unties Eastland, who then kills the commander.

The film then shifts to New York, where Eastland and Jefferson work in a warehouse. One day, Eastland catches a group of thugs, called the Ghetto Ghouls, trying to steal beer. He is attacked, but Jefferson comes to his aid. They defeat them, but the gang return to cripple Jefferson, gouging his spine with a meat hook. Eastland, after this incident, captures and interrogates one of the gang members with a flamethrower. He then attacks the gang's base of operations with his rifle, shooting one gang member and leaving two others tied up in a basement (also shooting one of them afterwards), which is full of hungry rats.

Eastland's justice doesn't end there. The warehouse where he works has been forced into paying protection money. Gino Pontivini, the mob boss behind the scheme, has even taxed the workers' paychecks. Eastland kidnaps Pontivini, and chains him above an industrial meat grinder. Eastland then demands information to get to Pontivini's safe, which Pontivini reluctantly gives. Eastland barely survives an attack by Pontivini's Dobermann, so upon returning, he lowers Pontivini into the grinder for lying about the dog. Jefferson and his family are given Pontivini's money to help pay their bills.

Detective James Dalton begins investigating the attacks, while the press dub Eastland the "Exterminator". Meanwhile, Eastland kills the ring leader of a child prostitution ring, as well as a state senator from New Jersey who sexually abuses children. He also kills three more members of the Ghetto Ghouls (one of which being the gang member he interrogated earlier), after witnessing them rob an elderly woman. Meanwhile, the CIA has heard of the Exterminator and reaches an odd conclusion. Based on the current administration's promise to cut down crime rates, they believe the Exterminator is either an opposition party's stunt, or a foreign power's ruse to humiliate the current administration; by exposing their inability to handle the city's crime problem.

They monitor Dalton's investigation of the Exterminator. Dalton, working from a bootprint found at Pontivini's home, discovers the Exterminator wears hunting boots manufactured by a mail order firm in Maine. Asking them for a list of clients in New York, and following the hunch that the Exterminator may be a Vietnam War veteran; since he killed the Ghetto Ghouls with an M16 rifle, Dalton has narrowed his suspects accordingly. Eastland visits Jefferson in the hospital, and because he will never be able to walk again, Jefferson asks Eastland to kill him.

Eastland does, but coincidentally, Dalton is visiting the hospital at the same time. When he learns about Jefferson's death, Dalton surmises that one of Jefferson's friends was the Exterminator, and learns that one of his suspects, Eastland, was Jefferson's closest friend. Eastland is aware that Dalton is staking out his apartment, so he arranges a private meeting with him, where he hopes to explain why he became a vigilante. However, the CIA are aware of the rendezvous after bugging Eastland's phone. They ambush him at his meeting with Dalton, which results in Dalton being killed while helping Eastland escape.

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson appears in an uncredited role as a movie extra. [3] [4]

Production

For the scene of beheading, a dummy was used that was made by Stan Winston. Director James Glickenhaus believes the dummy was used in all shots, because it was so realistic. [5]

Some scenes were shot at an illegal prostitution house on 42nd Street that had just been closed down by the police. Glickenhaus got permission to shoot there. [5]

Release

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 38%, based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10. [6] The websites Letterboxd, Yardbarker, The Grindhouse Database and The Spinning Image list this movie as belonging to the vetsploitation subgenre. [7] [8] [9] [10]

"James Glickenhaus commits the major sin of shooting an action film with little action. [Instead, his] contrived script opts for grotesque violence in a series of glum, distasteful scenes".

— Variety magazine, December 31, 1979. [11]

At an advance screening, six months before the film's release, Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times , criticized The Exterminator for being a "sick example of the almost unbelievable descent" that American movies had taken "into gruesome savagery". He called the film a "direct rip-off" of Death Wish (1974). [12] After researching the Death Wish franchise, author Paul Talbot concluded that Death Wish "inspired" a number of "sadistic vigilante-themed movies"; The Exterminator being one of them. [13] The New York Times , on the other hand, praised the acting, but felt the film was let down by the "screenplay and direction" of "beginner" James Glickenhaus; and by "lighting, camera work and sound that would rate an 'F' at film school". [14]

Contemporary critics have been more appreciative. Eoin Friel, of the Action Elite, awarded three and a half stars out of five. Even though he found the opening scene quite "shocking", the acting a bit "ropey", and the effects "dated", he admitted the film "grabs you from the start". [15] Den of Geek's Phil Beresford gave a mixed review. He stated that while Ginty is "not the greatest or most charismatic" of actors, "his essential ordinariness really works within the confines" of the film. [16]

Controversy

Owing to its graphic violence, The Exterminator has been a controversial subject since its release. Dr. Sharon Packer and Jody Pennington spoke of this controversy and the film's "extreme justice" in their book A History of Evil in Popular Culture. They claimed the violence was a contributing factor to the film's "success", as the "audience loved it". [17]

In an interview from 2012, writer-director James Glickenhaus explained his reasons for the graphic violence in the movie: "It was a time in which violence was on everybody’s mind, because of the war in Vietnam. And television and film had sanitized violence for a long time. Someone points a gun, it goes bang and on the other side of the street some guy goes ‘Aaaaah’ and falls down. But violence is really pretty unpleasant and I thought I had an obligation to portray it that way". [5]

Sequel

A sequel, Exterminator 2 , was released in 1984. Ginty and producer Mark Buntzman returned, with Buntzman serving as director as well. Glickenhaus explained his reasons for not doing the sequel in an interview: "I thought THE EXTERMINATOR told the story of the Exterminator. I didn’t see where you could go from there, other than make a sequel in which he goes around killing more bad guys". [5]

The sequel was less successful. It grossed $3.7 million at the domestic box office, [18] while its predecessor grossed $5 million in the same region.

A short movie called The Exterminator: Retribution by Rui Constantino was released in 2022. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exploitation film</span> Informal film genre

An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become historically important, and even gain a cult following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Ginty</span> American actor

Robert Winthrop Ginty was an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ginty took interest in the arts at a young age and went on to study acting at Yale University. Ginty worked in theatre until he moved to Hollywood in the mid-1970s. He started to play supporting roles on television and films, most notably a recurring role on the series The Paper Chase and two Hal Ashby films: Bound for Glory (1976) and Coming Home (1978). Ginty became an action film lead with his breakthrough role in James Glickenhaus's vigilante film The Exterminator (1980), which became a box-office success.

<i>Billy Jack</i> 1971 film directed by Tom Laughlin

Billy Jack is a 1971 American action drama independent film, the second of four films centering on a character of the same name which began with the movie The Born Losers (1967), played by Tom Laughlin, who directed and co-wrote the script. Filming began in Prescott, Arizona, in the fall of 1969, but the movie was not completed until 1971. American International Pictures pulled out, halting filming. 20th Century Fox came forward and filming eventually resumed but when that studio refused to distribute the film, Warner Bros. stepped forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve James (actor)</span> American actor (1952–1993)

Steve James was an American actor, stunt performer and martial artist. He starred mostly in action films such as the American Ninja series, The Delta Force (1986), The Exterminator (1980), and Avenging Force (1986). James also portrayed Kung Fu Joe in the 1988 comedy/spoof film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, and its 1990 television pilot spinoff Hammer, Slammer, & Slade.

<i>Rolling Thunder</i> (film) 1977 film directed by John Flynn

Rolling Thunder is a 1977 American psychological revenge thriller film directed by John Flynn, from a screenplay by Paul Schrader and Heywood Gould, based on a story by Schrader. The film stars William Devane alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes, James Best, Dabney Coleman, and Luke Askew in supporting roles. Devane portrays a United States Air Force officer and former prisoner-of-war who struggles to adjust to life back home. After his family is killed and he is maimed by a group of criminals, he sets out on a mission of vengeance.

<i>Missing in Action</i> (film) 1984 film by Joseph Zito

Missing in Action is a 1984 American action film directed by Joseph Zito and starring Chuck Norris. It is set in the context of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. Colonel Braddock, who escaped a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp ten years earlier, returns to Vietnam to find American soldiers listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War. The film was followed by a prequel, Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985), and a sequel, Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988). The first two Missing in Action installments had been filmed back-to-back with the intent to have the first film involve the POW years of Braddock be the first film. However, it was determined that the commercial prospects were stronger with the film directed by Zito involving the POW rescue. As such, Hool's film was turned into Missing in Action 2 and labeled as a prequel that detailed events before those in Missing in Action.

<i>McBain</i> (film) 1991 film directed by James Glickenhaus

McBain is a 1991 American action war film written and directed by James Glickenhaus, and starring Christopher Walken as the title character, alongside Michael Ironside and María Conchita Alonso.

<i>The Born Losers</i> 1967 film by Tom Laughlin

The Born Losers is a 1967 American outlaw biker film. The film introduced Tom Laughlin as the half-Indian Green Beret Vietnam veteran Billy Jack. Since 1954, Laughlin had been trying to produce his Billy Jack script about discrimination toward American Indians. In the 1960s he decided to introduce the character of Billy Jack in a quickly written script designed to capitalize on the then-popular trend in motorcycle gang movies. The story was based on a real incident from 1964 where members of the Hells Angels were arrested for raping two teenage girls in Monterey, California. The movie was followed by Billy Jack (1971), which saw AIP pull out of production midway through before others stepped in.

<i>Exterminator 2</i> 1984 American film

Exterminator 2 is a 1984 American vigilante action film written and directed by Mark Buntzman, starring Robert Ginty, Mario Van Peebles, and Deborah Geffner, with cameos by Arye Gross in his debut role, and John Turturro in his second role. It is the sequel to the 1980 film The Exterminator.

<i>Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except</i> 1985 American film

Thou Shalt Not Kill ... Except, also known as Stryker's War, is a 1985 American action horror film directed by Josh Becker and starring Robert Rickman, John Manfredi, Tim Quill, Cheryl Hausen, Perry Mallette and Sam Raimi. It was written by Becker and Scott Spiegel from a story by Becker, actor Bruce Campbell, and Sheldon Lettich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Glickenhaus</span> American film producer

James Glickenhaus is an American film producer, financier, director and automotive entrepreneur.

<i>Motorpsycho</i> (film) 1965 film directed by Russ Meyer

Motorpsycho or Motor Psycho is a 1965 film by Russ Meyer. Produced just before Meyer's better-known Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), the film explores similar themes of sex and violence but focuses on a male motorcycle gang rather than the female gang of go-go dancers featured in the later film. Motorpsycho also contains one of the first portrayals of a disturbed Vietnam veteran character in film.

<i>Vigilante Force</i> 1976 film by George Armitage

Vigilante Force is a 1976 American action film directed by George Armitage and starring Kris Kristofferson and Jan-Michael Vincent. The plot concerns a Vietnam War veteran and his buddies, who are hired by his brother and others in a small California town for protection from rowdy oil-field workers.

<i>Cannibal Apocalypse</i> 1980 film

Cannibal Apocalypse is a 1980 action horror film directed by Antonio Margheriti and starring John Saxon, Elizabeth Turner, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Cinzia De Carolis, Tony King and Ramiro Oliveros. The film combines the cannibal film genre with a forerunner of Margheriti's Vietnam War films.

<i>Born for Hell</i> 1976 horror film directed by Denis Héroux

Born for Hell is a 1976 horror film directed by Denis Héroux, and starring Mathieu Carrière, Debra Berger, and Christine Boisson. Its plot follows a disturbed American Vietnam War veteran who, after arriving in Belfast, terrorizes a house full of international female nursing students. The film is set against the historical backdrops of the Northern Ireland conflict and the December Raids in North Vietnam. The screenplay is loosely based on the crimes of serial killer Richard Speck, who murdered eight nursing students in Chicago, Illinois in 1966. The websites Letterboxd and The Grindhouse Database list this movie as belonging to the vetsploitation subgenre.

<i>The Zebra Force</i> 1976 film directed by Joe Tornatore

The Zebra Force is a 1976 American film directed by Joe Tornatore. The film is about a group of Vietnam War veterans who declare war on Los Angeles drug dealers and the Mafia. The film is also known as Code Name: Zebra (US) and Commando Zebra (Italy). A sequel by Joe Tornatore with Mike Lane, also named Code Name: Zebra followed in 1987. The websites Letterboxd and The Grindhouse Database list this movie as belonging to the vetsploitation subgenre.

<i>Dont Answer the Phone!</i> 1980 film

Don't Answer the Phone! is a 1980 American psychological horror film co-written and directed by Robert Hammer.

<i>Vigilante</i> (1982 film) 1983 American film directed by William Lustig

Vigilante, later released on video as Street Gang, is a 1982 American vigilante film directed by William Lustig and starring Robert Forster and Fred Williamson. Lustig came upon the idea for the film through a news article about "a group of blue collar workers in southern New Jersey who had organized to fight crime in their neighborhood".

<i>The No Mercy Man</i> 1973 film

The No Mercy Man is a 1973 action film with elements of a modern-day Western starring Steve Sandor, Rockne Tarkington, Sid Haig, Ron Thompson, Mike Lane, and Richard X. Slattery. The film was co-written and directed by Daniel Vance in his first and last feature film. The film was shot in Todd-AO by Dean Cundey in his first feature film with Buddy Joe Hooker arranging the stunt work and acting as second unit director. Master Jerry Druckerman acted as the film's martial arts technical advisor.

<i>The Astrologer</i> (1975 horror film) 1975 American horror film directed by James Glickenhaus

The Astrologer is a 1975 American horror film directed by James Glickenhaus and starring Bob Byrd, Mark Buntzman, and James Glickenhaus.

References

  1. 1 2 Scullion, Chris (2013). That Was A Bit Mental: Volume 1, "The Exterminator", pages 87-88. Retrieved 11-12-2015.
  2. ↑ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 293. ISBN   9780835717762. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  3. ↑ Cross, Kathleen. "Samuel L. Jackson Highest Paid Actor Ever; You’re Not Going to Believe How Much He’s Earned", www.rollingout.com, published 10-27-2011. Retrieved 11-11-2015.
  4. ↑ Jackson, Samuel L. "Filmography of Samuel L. Jackson", www.samuelljackson.com (official website). Retrieved 11-11-2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "James Glickenhaus interview". THE FLASHBACK FILES. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  6. ↑ The Exterminator (1980), Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 02-28-2022.
  7. ↑ "Vetsploitation. List by Jarrett". Letterboxd . 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  8. ↑ Smith, Jeremy (June 10, 2020). "Vietnam War movies, ranked. 11. "Rolling Thunder"". Yardbarker . Retrieved February 29, 2024. Vetsploitation was a viable Hollywood genre in the late '70s and throughout much of the '80s. "First Blood," "The Exterminator," "Thou Shalt Not Kill… Except"… even "Taxi Driver" to a degree.
  9. ↑ "Category. Vetsploitation. From The Grindhouse Cinema Database". The Grindhouse Cinema Database. February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  10. ↑ Southworth, Wayne (2011). "Cannibal Apocalypse. Review". The Spinning Image. Retrieved February 29, 2024. Why, if it hadn't been for 'Nam then people like me would never have had the pleasure of Combat Shock, First Blood, The Exterminator or Don't Answer The Phone! (...) And Cannibal Apocalypse is almost the best vetsploitation movie ever, second only to the mighty Exterminator.
  11. ↑ Variety Staff. "Review: The Exterminator", Variety , published 12-31-1979. Retrieved 11-13-2015.
  12. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "'The Exterminator' Film Review", www.rogerebert.com, published 03-07-1980. Retrieved 11-13-2015.
  13. ↑ Talbot, Paul (2006). Bronson's Loose!: The Making of the Death Wish Films, chapter 2, page 31. Retrieved 11-13-2015.
  14. ↑ Buckley, Tom. "'The Exterminator' (1980) Film Review", The New York Times , published 09-11-1980. Retrieved 11-13-2015.
  15. ↑ Friel, Eoin. "'The Exterminator' (1980) Review", www.theactionelite.com, published 07-25-2012. Retrieved 11-15-2015.
  16. ↑ Beresford, Phil. "'The Exterminator' (1980) Review", Den of Geek, published 11-10-2011. Retrieved 11-15-2015.
  17. ↑ Packer, Sharon & Pennington, Jody (2014). A History of Evil In Popular Culture, chapter 9, pages 104-105. Retrieved 11-13-2015.
  18. ↑ "'Exterminator 2' (1984) - Box Office Information", The Numbers. Retrieved 11-11-2015.
  19. ↑ The Exterminator: Retribution (2022) - Release Info - IMDb

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.