Vigilante [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]

Overview

The excessive violence in this action thriller makes New York City look like the site of a civil war -- or rather, a nauseatingly uncivil war fought between factory workers allied with neighborhood citizens against their enemies: drug pushers and other low-lifes. At first the worker Eddie Merino (Robert Forster) refuses to join a vigilante movement, but when his wife is stabbed and his son killed by a Puerto Rican gang, Eddie eventually opts for his own right to kill. His decision is not allowed to come quickly, he is made to agonize a bit longer. When the gang leader (singer Willie Colón) who killed Eddie's son is caught and brought up for trial, he gets off with a suspended sentence because of a corrupt defense lawyer and an inept judge. Eddie attacks the judge in court and is sent to jail for contempt. When he gets out of jail, he becomes a vigilante, out to kill the guilty or those he sees as protecting the guilty in the death of his son. From then on, a non-stop bloodbath takes over as the star of the film.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/15/2020
UPC:	0827058802796
Original Release:	1983
Source:	BLUE UNDE
Language:	English
Time:	1:29:00
Format:	Blu-ray
Sales rank:	10,229

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Robert Forster	Eddie Marino
Fred Williamson	Nick
Richard Bright	Burke
Rutanya Alda	Vickie Marino
Don Blakely	Prago
Joseph Carberry	Ramon
Willie Colon	Rico
Joe Spinell	Eisenberg
Carol Lynley	DA Fletcher
Woody Strode	Rake
Vincent Beck	Judge Sinclair
Bo Rucker	Horace
Peter Savage	Mr. "T"
Frank Pesce	Blueboy
Randy Jurgensen	Det. Russo
Henry Baker	Quinn
Michael Miller	Dr. Fallon
Vincent Russo	Rubin
Frank Gio	Ptl. Shore
Ray Serra	Court Officer
Sal Carollo	Mr. Nulty
Sandy Alexander	Prisoner
Kim Delgado	Leon
James Brewster	Bobby
Alex Stevens	Alex
Nick Barbaro	Prison Guard
Ralph Monaco	Jake
Harry Madsen	Bodyguard
Joseph Winogradoff	Policeman #2
Gino Lucci	Limo Driver

Technical Credits

Richard Vetere

William Lustig	Director,Producer
Richard Vetere	Screenwriter
Andrew Garroni	Producer
Jerry Masucci	Executive Producer
John Packard	Executive Producer
Kenneth Pavia	Executive Producer
Gary Zeller	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

After testing the gag reflex of horror fans with the sleazy, gore-drenched excess of Maniac, notorious genre specialist William Lustig turned his attentions from serial killers to vigilantes for this tale of an honest blue-collar worker whose well-grounded principals are violently uprooted by one sickening act of annihilation. Lustig isn't the kind of filmmaker whose frequently sited for his restraint, and the shotgun splatter on display in this tale of inner-city warfare is s prime example of inner-city exploitation at it's most watchable. Having honed his skill for staging sloppy shotgun deaths (with a little help from special make-up effects maestro Tom Savini of course) in the aforementioned schizoid shocker, Lustic here ups the ante by not only placing a pre-adolescent in the line of fire, but refusing to flinch when the child's violently dislodged viscera is sent splattering through a third-story window as well. It's not a pretty site, and though it could be argued that witnessing the child's violent demise may cause the viewer to take greater emotional stake in the father's quest for revenge most viewers will reflexively (and perhaps, rightfully) object to the director's audacious lack of tact. For those willing to buckle themselves in and go along for the ride, on the other hand, it's precisely these kind of shocks that keep the viewer glued to the screen as to not miss a minute of the morbid spectacle - after all, if Lustig's willing to callously smoke a small fry in the opening reels, who knows how far hell go to wrap this whole mess up? Thankfully Lustic has a team of skilled actors to back up his bleak vision, with Robert Forster's damaged stoicism, Fred Williamson's fervent lawlessness, and Willie Colon's cocksure street thug serving well to keep the grim endeavor on the right track. Energetic supporting performances by Joe Spinell as the corrupt defense lawyer and western legend Woody Strode as rock-solid inmate Rake ensure that Vigilante never gets boring, even during the occasional lull in action. It's lean, it's mean, and for fans of revenge flicks, Vigilante delivers a devastating setup and a cathartic release on par with such celebrated retribution classics as Death Wish and Rolling Thunder.

All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan