Customer Reviews

The Exterminator

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Ok I thought the Anchor Bay re-release of this film a few years ago would be the LAST and final time this FANTASTIC movie would see the light of day. Then only last month I find out that TANGO? Entertainment has slated to release this film and it has been digitally REMASTERED!!!SWEET.I then read that this will ONLY be available FULLSCREEN not in Widescreen. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!! So today the disc arrives. The packaging is super cheap and nothing to it.However I NEVER judge a disc on that. So i pop the disc in...well Yeah HURRAY it is in WIDESCREEN HOWEVER THIS HAS NOT BEEN REMASTERED!!!!!!!!It is exactly the same poor print Anchor Bay was shoving in our faces. So these guys pick up ther print from Anchor Bay and slap it in a new box. Check out the Green Background scenes AND the Rooftop scenes (always a good point to see those nicks and scratches)This is pathetic. This film MORE than deserves a proper release. If you OWN the Anchor Bay cut of this then keep it and skip this. If not then pick it up. I am only giving this dvd 2 starts due to the fact that I am only pleased to see it back out and about. Even if has been done POORLY so.

The Exterminator was made before big budget movies like the The Terminator 1984 and Terminator 2 - Judgment Day (Extreme DVD) 1991, Exterminator relied on a low budget and some great acting and guts. I will say The Exterminator was, and is a blueprint for all hollywood vigilante type films after 1980, that even "Titanic 1997" director James Cameron has seen and took notice of. People have complained about a properer release of "The Exterminator". I agree, I wish this 1998 Anchor Bay release had some extra features, interviews, Director comments and of course "Exterminator" Trailers. This film is presented in its original widescreen 1:85:1. I think the film transfer of this film to dvd is excellent and again another fine Anchor Bay release. The roof scene with the pigeons you do see some dust lines, but that was because the of this films low budget. Anchor Bay did the best film tranfer of this limited film quality. Yeah!! I know this is a Death Wish ripoff,(Death Wish,Death Wish 2, but beleive me "The Exterminator" has its shining moments. The music by Joe Renzetti is very realistically inspiring and captures the mood of the film well. The most realistic part was when "The Exterminator" John Eastland picks up a prostitute and brings her to a hotel. As the prostitute removes her blouse John notices that her breasts have been burned. When John questions her about what happened to her, she is very defensive at first, than as she explains to John that she was burned with a soddering iron, Joe Renzettis somber music score plays in the background, you really feel the womans pain, This scene with the acting, along with the music score really got to my heart. "The Exterminator" gets ripped for being a cheap Death Wish knock off but to me with its brutal scenes capture the crime ridden streets of New York in 1979-1980. Director James Glickenhause saw this problem and put this into "The Exterminator". Terms like "Chicken House" were real and did exists at that time and unfortunatly still do into the 21st century. Glickenhause did not sugar coat anything and laid reality all out in "The Exterminator". Glickenhause's message was "If the authorities can't control these sadistic criminals, than maybe a vietnam veteran that is somewhat off keel, can rid the New York streets of these animals. "Exterminator John Eastland" even undermineded the Goverment and all the corrupt New York Politicians, another Glickenhause message about corrupted politicians just letting these criminals ruin and control the honest persons lifestyle. The Exterminator might be dated and considered a Death Wish ripoff, to me I think "The Exterminator" is a very realistic film that captures the seedy crime ridden streets of a 1979-1980 New York. The acting is brilliant for a film of this genre. I really began to like this guy John Eastland, and how he beleived one man can make a difference even though it was illegal. Actor Robert Ginty who plays Eastland was not a georgeous Chippendale model but an average looking joe like anybody else, I guess that is why this guy Eastland appealed to me. James Glickenhause clearly researched this film as far as criminal activity in the streets of New York at this time. "The Exterminator" is a true all around great vigilante film, in my opinion the best of all of them, Yes! even the Death Wish Films, which I do like. People will knock "The Exterminator" believe me it is a well thought out film by director James Glickenhause. You may rip The Exterminator for being a Death Wish ripoff or its really low budget, but I will say it definintly is a blueprint for all vigilante type films after 1980. Again a nice remastered film transfer by the people at Anchor Bay...........

I was very worried about getting a lousy DVD of THE EXTERMINATOR from Tango Entertainment, but luckily my fears were unfounded. The DVD is about as spare as you can get. No trailer, no chapters (!!!), nothing but a menu whose only option is "Play Movie." But the image is clean and clear, in the proper aspect ratio, and is the uncut version with the full beheading and meat grinder scenes. Which is literally all I wanted from it. By industry standards its a piece of junk (not enhanced, not remastered, no extras), but if all you have access to is an old VHS rental (like I did), this is a big step up. I only paid $9 and I am very happy with it.

Having still in my posession an original vhs of the movie,totally uncut,and worn out I might add,it was with much anticipation that I opened my recently released Directors Cut of The Exterminator dvd here in Australia, expecting to see once again,those intermittent, believably, gory scenes, albeit mixed in with a sometimes slow plot and totally unneccessary love affair between Christopher George and Samantha Eggar,in a new digital masterpiece.But..scenes were cut out,none others added, as stated on the cover,the print was 1980's poor ( by today's standards),and the sound was low quality. Lets get this movie digitally re-edited and remastered properly, by somebody who knows how,and let The Exterminator live on in style.

The 2005 video release of The "Exterminator" the Digitally Remastered Director's Cut from Tango Entertainment is probably the best this film will ever look unless a major studio re-release's it. The print from Tango is decent but still contains debris, scratches and other imperfections despite other reviewers claiming its near perfect. They could have done a little more with the sound levels because the sound does fluctuate up and down throughout the movie.

This version is a bare bones release from Tango Entertainment. There aren't any bonus features, commentaries or extras at all. Overall this film is four star entertainment for fans of the genre and hopefully one of the big studios will give this film the DVD release it truly deserves. I'd love to see a two disc 30th Anniversary release filled with tons of extras. Having said that, I haven't seen the "Exterminator" since I was a teenager and somehow the opening scene has stuck with me for 28 years.

The "Exterminator" is a low budget action film filled with scenes of pure brutality and violence. Fans of this 1980 classic revenge film will be sad to learn that the Director's Cut DVD is the rated (R) version and not the uncensored version with all the blood and violence that made this film so memorable. Former Vietnam vet John Eastland played by (Robert Ginty) is driven to revenge when his best friend and Vietnam buddy is brutally beaten by a New York street gang and left to die. After seeing his friend lying helpless in the hospital Eastland declares war on the gang who savagely beat his friend and any other lowlife street punk or criminal he can get his hands on. Soon the revenge and killing become so easy for John Eastland he realizes that the Gangs of New York, its Police force as well as the C.I.A are all out to get him.

Can John Eastland continue to carry out his one man brand of justice or will the Exterminator's flame finally be snuffed out? You'll have to buy you're own copy to see how it ends. All we need now is a DVD release of the "Exterminator 2" and John Eastland's Flamethrowing vigilante justice will finally be complete.

It has a low budget and a cast of actors that anyone outside of the B Movie fan circles is unfamiliar with but that doesn't stop it from being one of the better revenge movies from the 80's. It's outlined by a simple plotline about a vietnam vet, played by Robert Ginty (the Paperchase guy), whose friend is paralyzed by wild gang members in the New York City wildlands. Fed up with the justice system, he takes matters into his own hands.

The biggest appeal of this movie is the minimalist style of the scenery. It's very gritty and grimy and has all the earmarks of a great grindhouse movie. The violence, which is unfortunately spaced too far apart to be consistent, is unbelievably brutal for an American made movie with an R rating. Also, most of the press from the time pushed the imagery of the flame thrower. While it's an essential element of the sequel, which badly needs a quality DVD release, it only makes an appearance once in this offering.

If you're a fan of cheesy movies and exploitation, don't pass this one up.

Great film for the low budget i am sure they had to work with,and pretty decent acting all around especially steve james who is only in about the first quarter of the film.Worth renting for slow evening.

This goes down the same mean streets as the Death Wish movies but with a less stellar cast and a lower budget .The Bronson role is in the capable hands of Robert Ginty whose campaign against the street scum is triggered by the brutal beating dished out to a fellow Vietnam veteran buddy .Having begun by exacting revenge on those responsible he carries on his campaign and targets bigger ,more vicious types ,including child pornography purveyors .
The look of the movie is suitably tough and gritty and Ginty is fine in the title role .Sadly ,the movie is saddled with two of the dullest performers ever to get regular movie work -Christopher George ,who plays the cop on the case and Samantha Eggar as the cop's girlfriend -and proceedings drag when they occupy centre screen
The movie may be in some ways a copy of another work -namely Death Wish -but in another way it anticipates later trenda ,in making the hero an ex Vietnam veteran .This anticipates First Blood by two years
The narrative is somewhat episodic and lacks real drive but the action sequences are punched over with force and power and render it still worth watching ,even if it does look slightly dated by now

The Exterminator was one of my favourite 80s revenge films. Violent & gritty, a no holds barred hedonistic delight. The DVD release, however, sucks. There were some pretty realistic effects for its day, but these have been heavily edited and it shows. I wish I'd know this before I wasted my money on an inferior DVD release. Don't make the same mistake!

I saw this film many years ago and it left an impression in my mind ever since. I saw this release and took a chance and I was pleasantly surprised. This Tango release presents the film in widescreen despite what they have listed on the site. The DVD transfer looks very good considering this is a..."low budget" film.

I say low budget with hesitation because this is one of the most impressive exploitation films I've ever seen! The gore FX are bloody good, the action stunt sequences are convincing, the acting is way above par and the direction and editing are quick paced and well thought out. This is a brutal film with some truly nasty and deserving scum bags getting "theirs" courtesy of The Exterminator! I don't want to give too much away, but if you like low budget films with an edge and gore, this little film should be right up your alley!

Christopher George and Robert Ginty give it their all in this Death Wish/Taxi Driver "wanna be" that's heads above most films of this nature especially with this kind of budget. This DVD release is the director's cut, but I couldn't tell if there was anything added, maybe some extension to the graphic violence? Unfortunately there are no extras, but the film is well worth seeing.

I know...I know 5 stars????! well......for this type of film, they don't get much better than this!