''Retribution'' is a 1987 American

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

directed by

Guy Magar Guy Magar is an American director and screenwriter, born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1948. He directed television series before he transitioned to feature films, such as ''Our Family Honor'' and ''Riptide''. An independent director, he is best known for ...

, written by Magar and Lee Wasserman, and starring

Dennis Lipscomb Dennis Lipscomb (March 1, 1942 – July 30, 2014) was an American actor. Lipscomb's first feature film was '' Union City'' (1980). From the early 1980s to the 1990s, Lipscomb appeared in key roles in various motion pictures including '' Love Ch ...

as a suicidal man who is possessed by a vengeful spirit.

Plot

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

, two men both suffer horrific injuries at the same time: George Miller is hospitalised after he attempts suicide by jumping from a hotel roof, and Vito Minelli dies after being shot multiple times and then set on fire when he angers the mob by being unable to pay off his gambling debts. When George is revived and nursed back to health, he begins to have nightmares about Vito's life. His psychiatrist, Dr. Curtis, thinks that he's mentally ill, but Lt. Ashley believes that he's responsible for a series of brutal murders. George eventually discovers that he's been possessed by Vito, who has been killing the gangsters responsible for his own death.

Cast

as George Miller *

Leslie Wing Leslie Wing Pomeroy (born September 16, 1963), also known as Leslie Wing, is an American actress and small business owner. Career Wing played the role of Lucille Bolton, mother of Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) in the ''High School Musical'' trilogy. ...

as Dr. Jennifer Curtis *

Suzanne Snyder Suzanne Snyder (born October 22, 1962) is an American former actress. Career Snyder played Debbie Stone in the movie ''Killer Klowns from Outer Space'' and Beth McMillan in the ''Silver Spoons'' episodes "Daddy Rick" and "Baby Blues". She also h ...

as Angel * Jeff Pomerantz as Dr. Alan Falconer * George Murdock as Dr. John Talbot * Pamela Dunlap as Sally Benson *

Susan Peretz Susan Peretz (March 2, 1940 – August 27, 2004) was an American actress who performed in television and film. She starred for one season in the television series '' Babes'' and appeared in an episode each of TV's Barney Miller and Married. ...

as Mrs. Stoller * Clare Peck as Carla Minelli * Chris Caputo as Dylan *

Hoyt Axton Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voic ...

as Lt. Ashley * Ralph Manza as Amos *

Mario Roccuzzo Mario Roccuzzo (November 9, 1940 – October 9, 2021) was an American actor, most commonly known for his episodic roles on television police dramas, although he played various parts on significant sitcoms and in films. His appearances include ''H ...

as Johnny Blake * Harry Caesar as Charlie * Jeffrey Josephson as Joe Martinez * Tony Cox as Hotel Resident

Production

Guy Magar said it took three years before he found an investor for the film. A wealthy businessman finally put up the entire $1.2 million budget. Filming began in January 1986 and lasted five weeks.

Release

''Retribution'' screened at the AFI Film Festival of Los Angeles in March 1987. The film was originally planned for theatrical release in October 1986, but it was delayed. It had a limited release in June 1987, missed a wide release in October 1987, and was finally scheduled for an October 1988 wide release.

Reception

Chris Willman of the '' Los Angeles Times'' called it "stingy on scares" and poorly plotted. Daryl Loomis of

DVD Verdict DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose reviews ...

wrote, "''Retribution'' is overlong and kind of silly, but offers some imaginative kills; cult horror fans should get a kick out of it. I recommend it mildly to them, but to nobody else." '' Empire'' rated it 3/5 stars and called it "a fun trash movie". ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...

'' called it "often scary" but too focused on the human interest elements.

References

External links

* 1987 films 1987 horror films 1987 independent films 1980s American films 1980s English-language films 1980s supernatural horror films American independent films American supernatural horror films Films directed by Guy Magar Films scored by Alan Howarth (composer) {{1980s-horror-film-stub