''The Exterminator'' is a 1980 American

vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

written and directed by

James Glickenhaus James Glickenhaus (born July 24, 1950) is an American filmmaker, financier, and automotive entrepreneur. He directed, wrote, and produced a number of action films during the 1980s and 1990s, including ''The Exterminator'' (1980), ''The Soldier (19 ...

. It stars

Robert Ginty Robert Winthrop Ginty (November 14, 1948 – September 21, 2009) was an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ginty took interest in the arts at a young age and went on to study acting at Yale Universi ...

as Vietnam War veteran John Eastland, also known as "The Exterminator". When a group of thugs paralyze his friend, Eastland becomes a vigilante, embarking on a mission to cleanse New York of organized crime. The film also stars

Samantha Eggar Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar (born 5 March 1939) is a retired English actress. After beginning her career in Shakespearean theatre she rose to fame for her performance in William Wyler's thriller ''The Collector'' (196 ...

Christopher George Christopher John George (February 25, 1931 – November 28, 1983) was an American television and film actor who starred in the 1960s television series '' The Rat Patrol''. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1967 as Best TV Star for his ...

and Steve James. It has gained a

cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...

since its release.

Plot

During a firefight in

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, U.S. soldiers John Eastland and his best friend, Michael Jefferson, are captured by the

Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...

. They are tied to wooden stakes with several other men, and tortured for information. When Eastland refuses to answer, the VC commander decapitates the soldier beside him with a machete. Jefferson escapes moments later, kills the remaining VC soldiers, and unties Eastland, who then kills the commander. The film then shifts to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, where Eastland and Jefferson work in a warehouse. One day, Eastland catches a group of thugs, called the Ghetto Ghouls, trying to steal beer. He is attacked, but Jefferson comes to his aid. They defeat them, but the gang return to cripple Jefferson, gouging his spine with a

meat hook A meat hook is any hook normally used in butcheries to hang meat. This form of hook is a variation on the classic S hook. Types *An S-shaped hook or jointed hook is used to hang up meat or the carcasses of animals such as pigs and cattle ...

. Eastland, after this incident, captures and interrogates one of the gang members with a

flamethrower A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World W ...

. He then attacks the gang's base of operations with his rifle, shooting one gang member and leaving two others tied up in a basement (also shooting one of them afterwards), which is full of hungry rats. Eastland's justice doesn't end there. The warehouse where he works has been forced into paying

protection money A protection racket is a type of racket and a scheme of organized crime perpetrated by a potentially hazardous organized crime group that generally guarantees protection outside the sanction of the law to another entity or individual from viol ...

. Gino Pontivini, the mob boss behind the scheme, has even taxed the workers' paychecks. Eastland kidnaps Pontivini, and chains him above an industrial meat grinder. Eastland then demands information to get to Pontivini's safe, which Pontivini reluctantly gives. Eastland barely survives an attack by Pontivini's

Dobermann The Dobermann is a German list of dog breeds, breed of medium-large working dog of pinscher type. It was originally bred in Thuringia in about 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, Louis Dobermann, a tax collector.child prostitution Child prostitution is prostitution involving a child, and it is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person under the legal age of consent. In most jurisdictions, child ...

ring, as well as a state senator from New Jersey who sexually abuses children. He also kills three more members of the Ghetto Ghouls (one of which being the gang member he interrogated earlier), after witnessing them rob an elderly woman. Meanwhile, the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

has heard of the Exterminator and reaches an odd conclusion. Based on the current administration's promise to cut down crime rates, they believe the Exterminator is either an opposition party's stunt, or a foreign power's ruse to humiliate the current administration; by exposing their inability to handle the city's crime problem. They monitor Dalton's investigation of the Exterminator. Dalton, working from a bootprint found at Pontivini's home, discovers the Exterminator wears hunting boots manufactured by a mail order firm in

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. Asking them for a list of clients in New York, and following the hunch that the Exterminator may be a Vietnam War veteran; since he killed the Ghetto Ghouls with an

M16 rifle The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...

, Dalton has narrowed his suspects accordingly. Eastland visits Jefferson in the hospital, and because he will never be able to walk again, Jefferson asks Eastland to kill him. Eastland does, but coincidentally, Dalton is visiting the hospital at the same time. When he learns about Jefferson's death, Dalton surmises that one of Jefferson's friends was the Exterminator, and learns that one of his suspects, Eastland, was Jefferson's closest friend. Eastland is aware that Dalton is staking out his apartment, so he arranges a private meeting with him, where he hopes to explain why he became a vigilante. However, the CIA are aware of the rendezvous after

bugging A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, or wiretapping is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and ...

Eastland's phone. They ambush him at his meeting with Dalton, which results in Dalton being killed while helping Eastland escape.

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson appears in an uncredited role as a

movie extra A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera, or ballet production who appears in a nonspeaking or nonsinging (silent) capacity, usually in the background (for example, in an audience or busy street ...

.Cross, Kathleen
"Samuel L. Jackson Highest Paid Actor Ever; You’re Not Going to Believe How Much He’s Earned"
''www.rollingout.com'', published 10-27-2011. Retrieved 11-11-2015. Jackson, Samuel L.br>"Filmography of Samuel L. Jackson"
''www.samuelljackson.com'' (official website). Retrieved 11-11-2015.

Production

For the scene of beheading, a dummy was used that was made by

Stan Winston Stanley Winston (April 7, 1946 – June 15, 2008) was an American television and film special make-up effects artist, best known for his work in the ''Terminator'' series, the first three '' Jurassic Park'' films, '' Aliens'', '' The Thing'', ...

. Director James Glickenhaus believes the dummy was used in all shots, because it was so realistic. Some scenes were shot at an illegal prostitution house on

42nd Street 42nd Street most commonly refers to: *42nd Street (Manhattan), a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan It may also refer to: *42nd Street (film), ''42nd Street'' (film), a 1933 American Warner Bros. musical film with lyri ...

that had just been closed down by the police. Glickenhaus got permission to shoot there.

Release

Critical reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the film has an approval rating of 38%, based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10.The Exterminator (1980)

. Retrieved 02-28-2022. The websites

Letterboxd Letterboxd ( ) is an online social cataloging service for film founded (partially with investment company Tiny since 2023) and owned by Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow in 2011, and headquartered in New Zealand. Members can rate and review ...

Yardbarker Yardbarker is a digital media property focused on the publishing of sports and entertainment news and information. Founded in 2006, the property distributes content on Yardbarker.com, social media platforms and via third party syndication partn ...

, The Grindhouse Database and The Spinning Image list this movie as belonging to the vetsploitation subgenre. At an advance screening, six months before the film's release,

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

, of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'', criticized ''The Exterminator'' for being a "sick example of the almost unbelievable descent" that American movies had taken "into gruesome savagery". He called the film a "direct rip-off" of '' Death Wish'' (1974). Ebert, Roger
"'The Exterminator' Film Review"
''www.rogerebert.com'', published 03-07-1980. Retrieved 11-13-2015. After researching the ''Death Wish'' franchise, author Paul Talbot concluded that ''Death Wish'' "inspired" a number of "sadistic vigilante-themed movies"; ''The Exterminator'' being one of them.Talbot, Paul (2006). ''Bronson's Loose!: The Making of the Death Wish Films'', chapter 2, page 31. Retrieved 11-13-2015. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', on the other hand, praised the acting, but felt the film was let down by the "screenplay and direction" of "beginner" James Glickenhaus; and by "lighting, camera work and sound that would rate an 'F' at film school".Buckley, Tom. "'The Exterminator' (1980) Film Review", ''

'', published 09-11-1980. Retrieved 11-13-2015. Contemporary critics have been more appreciative. Eoin Friel, of the Action Elite, awarded three and a half stars out of five. Even though he found the opening scene quite "shocking", the acting a bit "ropey", and the effects "dated", he admitted the film "grabs you from the start".Friel, Eoin
"'The Exterminator' (1980) Review"
''www.theactionelite.com'', published 07-25-2012. Retrieved 11-15-2015.

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...

's Phil Beresford gave a mixed review. He stated that while Ginty is "not the greatest or most charismatic" of actors, "his essential ordinariness really works within the confines" of the film.Beresford, Phil
"'The Exterminator' (1980) Review"

, published 11-10-2011. Retrieved 11-15-2015.

Controversy

Owing to its graphic violence, ''The Exterminator'' has been a controversial subject since its release. Dr. Sharon Packer and Jody Pennington spoke of this controversy and the film's "extreme justice" in their book ''A History of Evil in Popular Culture''. They claimed the violence was a contributing factor to the film's "success", as the "audience loved it".Packer, Sharon & Pennington, Jody (2014). ''A History of Evil In Popular Culture'', chapter 9, pages 104-105. Retrieved 11-13-2015. In an interview from 2012, writer-director James Glickenhaus explained his reasons for the graphic violence in the movie: "It was a time in which violence was on everybody’s mind, because of the war in Vietnam. And television and film had sanitized violence for a long time. Someone points a gun, it goes bang and on the other side of the street some guy goes ‘Aaaaah’ and falls down. But violence is really pretty unpleasant and I thought I had an obligation to portray it that way".

Sequel

A sequel, '' Exterminator 2'', was released in 1984. Ginty and producer Mark Buntzman returned, with Buntzman serving as director as well. Glickenhaus explained his reasons for not doing the sequel in an interview: "I thought THE EXTERMINATOR told the story of the Exterminator. I didn’t see where you could go from there, other than make a sequel in which he goes around killing more bad guys". The sequel was less successful. It grossed $3.7 million at the domestic box office,"'Exterminator 2' (1984) - Box Office Information"
The Numbers. Retrieved 11-11-2015. while its predecessor grossed $5 million in the same region.The Exterminator: Retribution (2022) - Release Info - IMDb
/ref>

References

Bibliography

* Packer, Sharon & Pennington, Jody (2014). ''A History of Evil In Popular Culture''. United States: Praeger Publishing. . * Scullion, Chris (2013). ''That Was A Bit Mental: Volume 1''. United Kingdom: Self published (

E-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also spelled as e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in electronic form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Al ...

). ISBN N/A. * Talbot, Paul (2006). ''Bronson's Loose!: The Making of the Death Wish Films''. United States:

iUniverse iUniverse, founded in October 1999, is an American self-publishing company based in Bloomington, Indiana.Kevin Abourezk"iUniverse to move to Indiana" incoln Journal Star, January 22, 2008 It has been owned by Author Solutions since 2008 (which ...

. .

External links

*
''The Exterminator''
at The Numbers * {{DEFAULTSORT:Exterminator 1980 films 1980 controversies in the United States 1980s vigilante films 1980s action thriller films 1980 crime thriller films 1980s crime action films American crime action films American crime thriller films American films about revenge Films set in New York City American vigilante films Embassy Pictures films Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department Fictional vigilantes Films about the New York City Police Department Films about the Central Intelligence Agency Films about child prostitution Films about organized crime in the United States Films about veterans Films directed by James Glickenhaus Films scored by Joe Renzetti Films set in Manhattan Films set in New York (state) Films set in Vietnam Vietnam War films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films English-language action thriller films English-language crime action films English-language crime thriller films