When I think back to perusing the action section of the local video store as a youngster, one of the more bad-ass images adorning a VHS box is that of a dude in a motorcycle helmet firing a blowtorch at the camera. This simple yet effective poster art hooked me and as soon as I was old enough, I checked this out as I wanted to see this guy in action. The Exterminator is a great example of the vigilante subgenre that emerged in the years following Death Wish. These tales depicted the dangerous streets of big US cities (mainly New York) and how citizens sometimes had to take the law into their own hands when police weren't capable of protecting them anymore. Now, we all know that vigilantism is not a great form of justice in the real world but it sure as hell makes for a great action movie premise and exploitation filmmakers capitalized on this.

Robert Ginty stars as John Eastland, a Vietnam vet who is pushed over the edge when a street gang called The Ghetto Ghouls beats up his war buddy/best friend Michael (Steve James - American Ninja) and break Michael's neck resulting in paralysis. John snaps and quickly exacts his revenge by hunting down the gang and killing them without batting an eye. He then takes his form of street justice further by targeting a mob boss so that he can get money to take care of Michael's family. These actions start to get some press and detective James Dalton (Christopher George) is put on the case to put a stop to John's reign of terror as The Exterminator. After taking care of Michael's family, John continues his efforts to clean up the streets by targeting chickenhawks and muggers with Dalton on his trail.

Director James Glickenhaus does not have a huge filmography as a director but all of his movies are violent and gritty with The Exterminator and Shakedown being the work his is mostly associated with. The New York that we see in this movie is that of the tough pre-Giuliani era where you can imagine The Warriors wandering the streets and Popeye Doyle taking care of business without much regard for the rules. This is the New York on film that I love and the opening aerial shots showing such iconic sights such as the World Trade Center is like a time capsule. Time and culture have changed the inner city and this is a movie that could not be made today so I always look on pictures like this with a nostalgic eye. There are some moments in this flick that will stick with you such as a giant meat grinder, soldering iron torture, an extended Vietnam flashback (featuring effects by Stan Winston), and the flamethrower from the cover which makes an appearance. The unique editing of this film is a bit jarring at times as we are dropped into the middle of situations at a few points.

Ginty was a character actor who enjoyed a long career in movies and TV and this is the role he is best known for in cult movie circles. The character of John takes a cool and methodical approach to his work and unfortunately Ginty is not given much to do as far as the emotional impact of the actions on the character. We are left wondering what his endgame is as he does not seem to be getting much satisfaction from what he is doing. Maybe he has just gone nuts but it is unclear and ultimately leaves us unable to really root for him. I found myself more interested in George's character trying to track John down and when he casually cooks a hot dog using standard household wiring, I was on team Dalton. Cult cinema fans know George from such classics as Pieces, Grizzly, and City of the Living Dead. The great song over the end credits is by Chip Taylor. Joseph Bottoms (Pizer from The Black Hole) was originally cast as John before Ginty took over. (Josh Pasnak, 12/20/15)

Directed By: James Glickenhaus.
Written By: James Glickenhaus.

Starring: Robert Ginty, Christopher George, Samantha Eggar, Steve James.