Exterminator-New DVD Review

Following the enormous success of my number one favorite movie "Taxi Driver", there came a few exploitation revenge thrillers that hit the mark, with the former Viet Nam Vet theme. The first one that got my attention was Paul Schrader's script for the ultra violent "Rolling Thunder (1977)" with William Devane. In that fairly sadistic movie, Devane is an honored Viet Nam Vet who's family is murdered by a gang of thugs searching for money he received as a hero. It had one scene that made many people leave the theaters, when his hand is forced down a garbage disposal with Devane still refusing to give in. He is then shot, but lives to take his ruthless revenge on the killers, with Tommy Lee Jones joining in to help him. Gruesome thriller, but this only set the stage for what was to come, which is "The Exterminator".

When I saw "The Exterminator" in the theaters in 1980, the movie was already denounced as a sleazy over-the-top crude exploitive graphic and gory worthless piece of crap. So right off, I knew this was MY kind of movie. And it was, the opening scenes of "The Exterminator" are impossible to forget, as three Ranger soldiers in Viet Nam are tied to stakes with the enemy trying to get them to talk by torture. When they don't, one of movies all time great special effects takes place, compliments of Stan Winston and Tom Burman. Almost in slow motion, a Viet Cong soldier takes a machete and decapitates one of the soldiers in the single best decapitation scene I have ever seen period. It is so realistic, and catches you off guard, that it etches in your mind the horror of it all. And in this new director's (James Glickenhaus) version DVD, nothing is spared, the scene is much longer and more graphic, and the other Viet Nam scenes are also much longer, as the other two Rangers make their escape. One of the two is John Eastland, portrayed by Robert Ginty in his best role ever. That's not saying much, because he never did anything close to this role. The story moves to modern times, and he's working with his Viet Nam buddy on the docks in New York. After his buddy is paralyzed by a band of thugs over some beer being stolen, Eastland goes on a rampage to exterminate the gang. He does in rather extrodinary means, and then goes after a big time gang boss in one of the more memorable scenes. He kidnaps the boss, takes him to a warehouse, and chains him up over a giant meat grinding machine. Eastland's idea is to take all the bosses money and give it to his buddy's family. When the boss withholds some information about a viscious dog in his home when Eastland goes to get the money, Eastland comes back to make "Jenifer" meat out of the boss. That's after he dispatches the dog with an electric knife in a bloody fight. After that, Eastland turns into "The Exterminator" and notifys City Hall, he is taking on the bad guys, because the police are not doing their job. This puts Christopher George, as Detective James Dalton, on the trail of Eastland. It seems the CIA has gotten interested in this too, and wants Eastland found because it makes the current administration in Washington look bad too.

In the meantime, Eastland comes across a young prostitute that has been brutally burned by a sadistic pervert in a chicken dive. (a place for perverts to have sex and torture young boys called chickens). After that, Eastland has a "Taxi Driver" scene, as he files down his 44 magnum cartridges, filling the tips with mercury, and soldering them back. After that, he visits the chicken dive, sets the sleezy owner on fire, and kills the pervert while freeing his chicken boy. There's a couple more such scenes as he comes to the rescue of an old lady mugged in the park, and then Detective Dalton starts to move in on him. The ending is not expected at all, but it does leave the door open for the expected sequel "The Exterminator 2", which is not anywhere near as good. It's a pretty shoddy sequel, mainly featuring Eastland with a flame thrower all through the movie. This movie is a classic to me, and a lot of other gorehounds, and even though it's very low budget, it delivers the goods in every respect.

Now as far as the new DVD released by a company called "Tango" it is bare bones, except for one excellent feature. The menu which has only one option, PLAY, it continually plays the best action scenes from the movie. This is pretty cool, I wish more dvds would do that. There is no audio selection, just straight digital stereo, and the audio is the only minor problem. There are a few dropouts in the audio, but nothing to discourage anybody from getting it, IMO. The video is excellent (OAR) and completely uncut, and that's the only thing I was interested in. A nice bright transfer, with scenes included that I have never seen before in this movie, mostly from the opening Viet Nam segment, but a couple other graphically violent scenes too. Yes, this is a very sadistic nasty movie, but our anti-hero is always going after the bad guys, usually very bad guys, and makes them pay dearly. People that I knew back in those days, that I went to with most of these types of movies loved "The Exterminator", and it stands well today as one of the best and most gruesome. It makes the "Death Wish" movies look like kiddie stories, and takes a movie like "Rolling Thunder" to a new level of violence and sadism. For you twisted minds out there, and I know you're reading this, this is one you want for your collection.