10/02/07: VIGILANTE
VIGILANTE (Lustig 1983)
I guess this is some kind of classic, if Lustig is to be believed. Although there is something a bit suspect about a director pimping his old movies as "special editions" through his own damn video label. Still, the film retains a great deal of sleazy power, and more than compensates for several leaps of logic with heaping helpings of grim nihilism.
Basically, this is a knockoff of DEATH WISH. Robert Forster's family gets attacked, leaving his wife traumatized and young son six feet under (and likely buried in a Ziploc baggie judging by the mess the killers make). Outraged at a crooked judge who gives the crook a suspended sentence, Forster throws a fit in court and gets sent to jail for contempt. It seems a bit severe to send a guy to the pen for being upset over his son's murder, but here we are anyway. Forster serves his time and avoids a few toughs who want to "build a deck in his back yard," and Woody Strode gives him a hand. Meanwhile the amazing Fred Williamson is leading a gang of vigilantes who kick six shades of shit out of all the purse snatchers in the hood, and when Forster hits the streets again, he joins up with them.
Interestingly, Forster turns out to be even more hard-nosed than the other vigilantes, and when faced with one of the hoods that hurt his wife, he just up and shoots him in the chest, as his compatriots dazedly look on (probably muttering in their heads "fucking hardcore, man"). Forster proceeds to wipe out the rest of the gang and winds up in a great extended car chase with the dude who shot his kid, who he chases up a water tower and then coldly tosses to his death below. The final and most amazing scene has Forster blowing up the crooked judge in a parking lot and then just driving away --- THE END. Wow.
Allegedly Lustig was forced to add an ending crawl to this scene in order to get the movie released in some countries; it had to state that Forster turned himself in out of guilt and is now in jail. LAME.
Highlights include Forster and Williamson's bang-up performances, the Strode cameo, and an appearance by Joe Spinell as a bent lawyer on the take who pays off the judge. Music by Jay Chattaway, and kudos to him for making it sound like some kind of wild spaghetti western half the time.
I guess this is some kind of classic, if Lustig is to be believed. Although there is something a bit suspect about a director pimping his old movies as "special editions" through his own damn video label. Still, the film retains a great deal of sleazy power, and more than compensates for several leaps of logic with heaping helpings of grim nihilism.
Basically, this is a knockoff of DEATH WISH. Robert Forster's family gets attacked, leaving his wife traumatized and young son six feet under (and likely buried in a Ziploc baggie judging by the mess the killers make). Outraged at a crooked judge who gives the crook a suspended sentence, Forster throws a fit in court and gets sent to jail for contempt. It seems a bit severe to send a guy to the pen for being upset over his son's murder, but here we are anyway. Forster serves his time and avoids a few toughs who want to "build a deck in his back yard," and Woody Strode gives him a hand. Meanwhile the amazing Fred Williamson is leading a gang of vigilantes who kick six shades of shit out of all the purse snatchers in the hood, and when Forster hits the streets again, he joins up with them.
Interestingly, Forster turns out to be even more hard-nosed than the other vigilantes, and when faced with one of the hoods that hurt his wife, he just up and shoots him in the chest, as his compatriots dazedly look on (probably muttering in their heads "fucking hardcore, man"). Forster proceeds to wipe out the rest of the gang and winds up in a great extended car chase with the dude who shot his kid, who he chases up a water tower and then coldly tosses to his death below. The final and most amazing scene has Forster blowing up the crooked judge in a parking lot and then just driving away --- THE END. Wow.
Allegedly Lustig was forced to add an ending crawl to this scene in order to get the movie released in some countries; it had to state that Forster turned himself in out of guilt and is now in jail. LAME.
Highlights include Forster and Williamson's bang-up performances, the Strode cameo, and an appearance by Joe Spinell as a bent lawyer on the take who pays off the judge. Music by Jay Chattaway, and kudos to him for making it sound like some kind of wild spaghetti western half the time.
posted by figurebuilder at 1:26 PM
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