A New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad after his wife is murdered by street punks in which he randomly goes out and kills would-be muggers on the mean streets after dark.
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Title: Death Wish (1974)
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1 win & 1 nomination.
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Death Wish II
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Stars:
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(1987)
Action
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Stars:
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Crime
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Drama
Director:
Allan A. Goldstein
Stars:
Charles Bronson,
Lesley-Anne Down,
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(1972)
Action
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Crime
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Thriller
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Michael Winner
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Charles Bronson,
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Keenan Wynn
Mr. Majestyk
(1974)
Action
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Crime
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Drama
Director:
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Stars:
Charles Bronson,
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10 to Midnight
(1983)
Crime
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Drama
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Thriller
Director:
J. Lee Thompson
Stars:
Charles Bronson,
Lisa Eilbacher,
Andrew Stevens
Murphy's Law
(1986)
Action
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Crime
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Drama
Director:
J. Lee Thompson
Stars:
Charles Bronson,
Kathleen Wilhoite,
Carrie Snodgress
Hard Times
(1975)
Crime
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Drama
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Sport
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Charles Bronson,
James Coburn,
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Death Hunt
(1981)
Action
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Adventure
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Crime
Director:
Peter R. Hunt
Stars:
Charles Bronson,
Lee Marvin,
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The Dirty Dozen
(1967)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Comedy
Director:
Robert Aldrich
Stars:
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Magnum Force
(1973)
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Charles Bronson | ... | ||
| Hope Lange | ... | ||
| Vincent Gardenia | ... | ||
 |
Steven Keats | ... | |
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William Redfield | ... | |
| Stuart Margolin | ... | ||
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Stephen Elliott | ... | |
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Kathleen Tolan | ... | |
| Jack Wallace | ... | ||
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Fred J. Scollay | ... |
District Attorney
(as Fred Scollay)
|
|
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Chris Gampel | ... | |
| Robert Kya-Hill | ... | ||
|
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Edward Grover | ... |
Lt. Briggs
(as Ed Grover)
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| Jeff Goldblum | ... |
Freak #1
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Christopher Logan | ... |
Freak #2
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Open-minded architect Paul Kersey returns to New York City from vacationing with his wife, feeling on top of the world. At the office, his cynical coworker gives him the welcome-back with a warning on the rising crime rate. But Paul, a bleeding-heart liberal, thinks of crime as being caused by poverty. However his coworker's ranting proves to be more than true when Paul's wife is killed and his daughter is raped in his own apartment. The police have no reliable leads and his overly sensitive son-in-law only exacerbates Paul's feeling of hopelessness. He is now facing the reality that the police can't be everywhere at once. Out of sympathy his boss gives him an assignment in sunny Arizona where Paul gets a taste of the Old West ideals. He returns to New York with a compromised view on muggers... Written by Don Hoffman
Taglines:
AN EXPLOSIVE STORY OF URBAN VIOLENCE AND REVENGE See more »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
24 July 1974 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Sidewalk Vigilante See more »Box Office
Budget:
$3,000,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
I guess by now you could call this movie a "classic." It would meet most definitions. It was so popular that it spawned a number of sequels, but they just got dumb and dumber. This is one of the most famous "revenge" movies ever made and still stands up today.
This was a very, very simple story and it panders to our base instincts which is probably why it was so successful. Most people want justice, and they want it now....which is what this movie preaches. At the time, the movie was shocking. If it came out today, it wouldn't have nearly the impact. However, the early scene of the mother and daughter raped and killed is still horrifying. That will never change.
The story then slows down as we see the transformation of the husband, from conscientious objector to vigilante. When Charles Bronson hits the streets, the film picks up big-time. The movie also ends on a very satisfying note.