Review #204: 'The Exterminator' (1980)

New York in the late 1970's was a grim and dangerous city to dwell. The city was bankrupt, both financially and morally. At one point in 1978, New York's electricity was shut down, causing incredible amounts of looting and other forms of violence (greater than the London riots of this year). So, inevitably, New York folk (if they weren't the pimps, drug pushers, and other assortment of criminals) were pissed off. Which brings us to The Exterminator.

John Easton (Robert Ginty) is a Vietnam veteran, back in his home town - a city so derelict, he probably wonders what has happened to his beloved country during his time "defending" it. His best friend is attacked by street thugs - a claw-trowel is gauged into his spine - and ends up in hospital. This obviously angers Easton who, seeing the lack of progress by New York's finest, takes it into his own hands to hunt and kill the attackers. With a pseudo-serial killer on the loose on the streets, it is down to detective James Dalton (Christopher George) to discover his identity.

The pissed off Vietnam vet film was relatively prevalent around this time - from Taxi Driver's (1976) Travis Bickle to First Blood's (1982) John Rambo, - the war veteran was understandably angry at the America they came back to. Whilst Eastman's character is essentially good (he seems very pleasant when not murdering the murderers), he does carry the angry-young-man ethics of a Bickle or Rambo. They are collectively fighting the injustices they see on their countries streets.

This film however, is not on a par with even First Blood, but it does have that late-70's and early 80's New York grime that I personally love. It's certainly not as charming as Basket Case (1982) - a very different "animal", and does not have the exuberant gravitas of Scorsese's Taxi Driver, but I enjoy the New York movie of these years. I do love a good bit of urban disintegration, decay, and the inhabitants of these kinds of environments. I just wish I could have been in that city at that time - the rise of American punk, the dirty cinema of transgression that made it's mark (quietly), with the films of Richard Kern, Nick Zedd, Lindia Lunch et al. I also probably would have had a shorter life, as I would have more than likely been shot or stabbed. But hey, it would be worth it to have those brutal nights in on 42nd street and the lines of grindhouse cinemas that adorned that street, where I could have watched those exploitation films that we here at 'The Wrath of Blog' just adore.


Directed by: James Glickenhaus
Starring: Christopher George, Samantha Eggar, Robert Ginty
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Marc Ivamy