After his wife and son got brutalized by a street gang, and a corrupt criminal justice system puts the perpetrators back on the street, a NYC factory worker teams up with a vigilante group to find some measure of bloody justice.
Director:
Writer:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Robert Forster | ... |
Eddie Marino
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| Fred Williamson | ... |
Nick
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| Richard Bright | ... |
Burke
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| Rutanya Alda | ... |
Vickie Marino
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| Don Blakely | ... |
Prago
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| Joseph Carberry | ... |
Ramon
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| Willie Colón | ... |
Rico
(as Willie Colon)
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| Joe Spinell | ... |
Eisenberg
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| Carol Lynley | ... |
Assistant D.A. Mary Fletcher
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| Woody Strode | ... |
Rake
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| Vincent Beck | ... |
Judge Sinclair
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Bo Rucker | ... |
Horace
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| Frank Pesce | ... |
Blueboy
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| Steve James | ... |
Ptl. Gibbons
(as Steve W. James)
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| Randy Jurgensen | ... |
Det. Russo
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| Henry Judd Baker | ... |
Quinn
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Dante Joseph | ... |
Scott Marino
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Vincent Russo | ... |
Rubin
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Donna Patti | ... |
Rape Victim
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| Peter Savage | ... |
Thomas 'Mr. T.' Stokes
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Mike Miller | ... |
Dr. Fallon
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Hyla Marrow | ... |
Rosie
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Frank Gio | ... |
Ptl. Shore
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| Raymond Serra | ... |
Court Officer
(as Ray Serra)
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Sal Carollo | ... |
Mr. Nulty
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Sandy Alexander | ... |
Prisoner
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Geri Martin | ... |
Nurse #1
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Susan Phelps | ... |
Nurse #2
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Gregg Stevens | ... |
Boy in Wheelchair
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Burt Pittari | ... |
Felix
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| Kim Delgado | ... |
Leon
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| James L. Brewster | ... |
Bobby
(as James Brewster)
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John Caparosa | ... |
Police Officer
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| Alex Stevens | ... |
Alex
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Ralph Monaco | ... |
Jake
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| Sandy Dell | ... |
Hooker #1
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Ramona Brooks | ... |
Hooker #2
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Enid Britton | ... |
Hooker #3
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Nick Barbaro | ... |
Prison Guard
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| Harry Madsen | ... |
Bodyguard
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Michael Irene | ... |
Angry Young Man
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Mark Bruno | ... |
Truck Driver #1
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Christopher Ferris | ... |
Truck Driver #2
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Jerry Preiser | ... |
Squad Commander
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Daniel Dod | ... |
Policeman #1
(as Dan Dod)
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Joseph Winogradoff | ... |
Policeman #2
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Gino Lucci | ... |
Limo Driver
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Jimmy Aurichio | ... |
Detective (uncredited)
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Keith Denning | ... |
Police Operator (uncredited)
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| William Lustig | ... |
1st Man Exiting Courtroom Elevator (uncredited)
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| Ron McLarty | ... |
Doctor (uncredited)
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| Vic Noto | ... |
Killer Joe (uncredited)
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Antone Pagán | ... |
NYC Jail Prisoner (uncredited)
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Filomena Spagnuolo | ... |
Old Lady Sitting Next to Eddie Outside Courtroom (uncredited)
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Directed by
| William Lustig | ||
Written by
| Richard Vetere | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Andrew W. Garroni | ... | producer (as Andrew Garroni) |
| Randy Jurgensen | ... | associate producer |
| William Lustig | ... | producer |
| Jerry Masucci | ... | executive producer |
| Edward L. Montoro | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| John Packard | ... | executive producer |
| Kenneth Pavia | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Jay Chattaway | ||
Cinematography by
| James Lemmo | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Larry Marinelli | ... | (as Lorenzo Marinelli) |
Editorial Department
| Noreen Evans | ... | assistant editor |
| Joanna Jimenez | ... | assistant editor (as Joann Jimenez) |
| Kirk Lavine | ... | assistant editor |
| Lawrence Mischel | ... | negative cutter |
| Michael Norris | ... | assistant editor |
| Richard J. Rossi | ... | assistant editor (as Richard Rossi) |
| John Schoos | ... | assistant editor |
| Anezka Sebek | ... | assistant editor |
| Richard Smigielski | ... | assistant editor |
| Jim Finn | ... | negative cutter (uncredited) |
Casting By
| Louis DiGiaimo | ||
Production Design by
| Mischa Petrow | ||
Makeup Department
| Cecilia Verardi | ... | hair stylist (as Cecelia Verardi) / makeup artist (as Cecelia Verardi) / special makeup effects (as Cecelia Verardi) |
Production Management
| Mary Kane | ... | unit manager |
| Randee Lois Smith | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Randy Jurgensen | ... | first assistant director |
| Hugh Rawson | ... | second second assistant director |
| Joseph Winogradoff | ... | second assistant director |
Art Department
| Jason Armstrong | ... | carpenter |
| Dan Goldman | ... | scenic artist (as Daniel Goldman) |
| William Douglas Levien | ... | construction coordinator |
| Rex Piano | ... | props |
Sound Department
| Robert Cardelli | ... | sound effects editor (as Bob Cardelli) |
| Vern Carlson | ... | sound effects editor |
| Rick Dior | ... | sound re-recording engineer: Trans/Audio, Inc. |
| Clinton C. Elliot | ... | loop dialogue editor |
| Bill Hudson | ... | sound effects editor |
| Joseph Lesko | ... | sound effects editor (as Joe Lesko) |
| George T. Norris | ... | supervising sound editor |
| David Platt | ... | boom operator |
| Gary Rich | ... | sound mixer |
| Mollie Smollett | ... | sound effects editor |
| Arthur Sokalner | ... | sound mixer |
Special Effects by
| Don Berry | ... | special effects assistant |
| Dee Debaun | ... | special effects administrator |
| Jacques Godbout | ... | special effects assistant (as Jacques Gadbout) |
| Drew Jiritano | ... | special effects assistant (as Andrew Jiritano) |
| Perry McLamb | ... | special effects assistant |
| Matt Vogel | ... | additional special effects |
| Gary Zeller | ... | special effects coordinator |
| Andrew Denning | ... | production assistant (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Daniel Dod | ... | special car stunts (as Dan Dod) |
| Jery Hewitt | ... | stunts: high fall |
| Randy Jurgensen | ... | stunts |
| Harry Madsen | ... | stunts |
| Franklin Scott | ... | stunts |
| Alex Stevens | ... | stunt coordinator |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Arthur Blum | ... | grip |
| John F. Cassidy | ... | grip (as John Cassidy) |
| Christopher Ferris | ... | grip |
| Mark Garroni | ... | assistant camera |
| Tony Giarratano | ... | dolly grip (as Anthony Giarratano) |
| Paul Gibson | ... | electric |
| Denis Hann | ... | key grip |
| Robert Herman | ... | still photographer |
| Tom Paul Hoppe | ... | additional assistant camera (as Tom Hoppe) |
| James A. Lebovitz | ... | additional assistant camera (as James Lebovitz) |
| Don Muchow | ... | best boy electric / best boy |
| Rick Owen | ... | gaffer |
| Mike Spera | ... | additional photographer (as Michael Spera) |
| Peter Spera | ... | additional assistant camera |
| John Verardi | ... | assistant camera |
| Ken Waldman | ... | additional assistant camera |
| Phil Gries | ... | director of photography: Second Unit (uncredited) |
Casting Department
| Billy Dowd | ... | assistant casting (as William Dowd) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Susan Douglas | ... | assistant wardrobe |
| Kristin McNiff | ... | wardrobe |
| Carmela Ricottone | ... | wardrobe |
| Mary Sferra | ... | assistant wardrobe |
Location Management
| Georgia Gresham | ... | location assistant |
| Steven Wren | ... | location assistant |
Music Department
| Jay Chattaway | ... | music arranger / music producer |
| Mark Colby | ... | musician: saxophone solos |
| David Michael Frank | ... | electronic music realizations (as David M. Frank) |
| Alec Head | ... | music engineer |
| Pete Levin | ... | electronic music realizations (as Peter Levin) |
| Dan Pinsky | ... | music supervisor |
| Frank Zubeck | ... | music coordinator |
Script and Continuity Department
| Alyce Conrad | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| James Fanning | ... | driver |
| Dennis Salomone Sr. | ... | driver (as Dennis Salomone) |
| Ben Salomone | ... | transportation captain |
Additional Crew
| Annie Allman | ... | production assistant (as Ann Allman) |
| Dan Burkarth | ... | production assistant |
| Nicholas Demetroules | ... | production consultant |
| Michael Irene | ... | production assistant |
| Jason Lustig | ... | production assistant |
| Scott MacQueen | ... | utility man |
| Aggie Mondorf | ... | production assistant |
| Dale Oprandy | ... | production assistant |
| David Sardi | ... | production assistant |
| Eric P. Steckler | ... | production assistant (as Eric Steckler) |
| Jay Tobias | ... | production assistant |
| Edward Tomaselli | ... | production assistant |
| Ian Woolf | ... | production assistant (as Ian Foster Woolf) |
Thanks
| Peter Savage | ... | dedicatee: with love and respect to the memory of |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Artists Releasing Corporation (ARC) (1983) (United States) (theatrical)
- Film Ventures International (FVI) (1982) (United States) (theatrical)
- Alpha Films (1983) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Vestron Video (1983) (United States) (VHS)
- Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (1983) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1983) (Canada) (VHS)
- Ciné Paris Distribution (1983) (France) (theatrical)
- Film 2 (1983) (Italy) (theatrical)
- HH Kosova (1983) (Yugoslavia) (theatrical)
- Breien Film (1987) (Norway) (VHS)
- CIC Victor Video (1987) (Japan) (VHS)
- Home Box Office (HBO) (1984) (United States) (tv) (pay television)
- Nacional Vídeo (1984) (Brazil) (VHS)
- VCL (1984) (Australia) (VHS)
- Video Screen (1984) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- Titanus Filmes (1985) (Brazil) (theatrical)
- Titanus Films (1985) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1987) (Greece) (VHS)
- Interglobal Home Video (1987) (Canada) (VHS)
- Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (United States) (VHS)
- Starmaker Entertainment (1997) (United States) (VHS) (distributed by)
- Exploited Film (1998) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (United States) (DVD)
- Astro Distribution (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
- Another World Entertainment (2007) (Denmark) (DVD)
- Another World Entertainment (2007) (Norway) (DVD)
- Blue Underground (2008) (United States) (DVD)
- Topanga Canyon Films (2018) (Spain)
- 88 Films (2022) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray)
- Avid Home Entertainment (1992) (United States) (VHS) (EP Mode)
- Blue Underground (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray)
- Blue Underground (2020) (United States) (Ultra HD Blu-ray)
- Pan-Canadian Video Presentations (1983) (United States) (VHS)
- Transworld Video (1984) (Sweden) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Bon Bon Productions Ltd. (payroll services)
- Centre Firearms Co. Inc. (weapons)
- Cinopticals (titles and opticals)
- East End Productions (post-production services)
- General Camera Corporation (equipment)
- Hallen Steel (special thanks)
- J&B Scotch Whisky (promotional consideration furnished by)
- J.C. Caterers (catering)
- Jack Daniels (promotional consideration furnished by)
- Jordache Jeans (promotional consideration furnished by)
- Mayor's Office for Motion Pictures & Television (the producers wish to thank: for their cooperation in the filming of this motion picture)
- Miller Brewing Company (promotional consideration furnished by)
- New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (the producers wish to thank: for their cooperation in the filming of this motion picture)
- New York Department of Corrections (the producers wish to thank: for their cooperation in the filming of this motion picture)
- New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture & Television Development (the producers wish to thank: for their cooperation in the filming of this motion picture)
- Philip Morris Cigarettes (promotional consideration furnished by)
- San Miguel Beer (promotional consideration furnished by)
- Sloan's Supermarkets (promotional consideration furnished by)
- Sound One (foleys)
- Sound Shop (loop dialogue recording)
- THX Ltd. (digital mastering: DVD)
- The City of New York (the producers wish to thank: for their cooperation in the filming of this motion picture)
- The State of New York (the producers wish to thank: for their cooperation in the filming of this motion picture)
- Trans / Audio (post-production facilities)
- White Rock (promotional consideration furnished by)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Eddie Marino is a factory worker in New York City. He has a wife named Vickie and a son named Scott. Eddie's friend and co-worker Nick and some of the factory's other workers have formed a vigilante group because Nick and the group are fed up with the pimps, gangs, and drug dealers who keep taking over the neighborhoods. Nick and his group are also sick and tired of the police, because the police always fail to protect people who become victims. Eddie goes home from work one night, only to discover that Vickie has been stabbed, and Scott has been shot dead. Frederico "Rico" Melendez, the leader of a Puerto Rican street gang, is arrested for Vickie's stabbing and Scott's murder. Assistant District Attorney Mary Fletcher plans to put Rico away for as long as possible, since New York doesn't have the death penalty. Nick tries to convince Eddie to join the vigilante group, but Eddie turns Nick down, preferring to let the courts handle Rico. Nick makes it clear that he has no faith whatsoever in the police and the judicial system. The case against Rico doesn't make it past the arraignment. Corrupt Judge Sinclair sets Rico free with a two year suspended sentence. Eddie goes crazy and tries to strangle Judge Sinclair, who sentences Eddie to spend 30 days in jail for that. It was Rico's right hand man, Prago, who had fired the shot that killed Scott while Rico stabbed Vickie. Prago also paid Judge Sinclair to set Rico free. In jail, Eddie befriends an inmate named Rake. As soon as Eddie is released from jail, he changes his mind about Nick's vigilante group. Eddie joins the group so he can go after Rico, Prago and Judge Sinclair. Written by Todd Baldridge |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | You're not safe anymore... See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $2,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Joe Spinell, who played the title character in William Lustig's Maniac, was cast in the small role of the corrupt lawyer Eisenberg. During the filming of the courtroom scene, Lustig recalled that Spinell's escalating alcohol and drug abuse was becoming a problem as Spinell would often show up late for filming and often drunk or stoned or both which slowed production. One morning, Spinell did not show up at all which led Lustig to shut down filming for half the day while his producer partner, Andrew Garroni, had to go looking for Spinell on the streets from various bars to hotels where he might be. The scene where Eisenberg arrives late in the courtroom after speaking with Prago was filmed in late afternoon on that day that Spinell did not show up that morning for filming. See more » |
| Goofs | Prago's stunt driving double during the car chase is Caucasian but Prago is African-American. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Assassin(s) (1997). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Vigilante See more » |
| Quotes |
[first lines]
Nick: Hey, I don't know about you guys, but me... I've had it up to here. There are some 40-odd homicides a day on our streets. There are over two million illegal guns in this city. Man, that's enough guns to invade a whole damn country with. They shoot a cop in our city without thinking twice about it. Aw, come on. You guys ride the subway. How much more of this grief are we gonna stand for? How many more locks we gotta put on our goddamn doors? Now, we ain't got the police, the prosecutors, the courts or the prisons. I mean, it's over. The books don't balance. We are a statistic. Now, I'm tellin' ya, when you can't go to the corner store and buy a pack of cigarettes after dark... because you know the punks and scum are out there on the streets when the sun goes down, and our own government can't protect its own people, then I say this, pal: you got a moral obligation, the right of self-preservation. Now, you can run, you can hide, or you can start to live like human beings again. This is our Waterloo, baby! You want your city back? You gotta take it. Dig it? Take it! See more » |