The Gladiator (1986)

A road warrior vigilante avenges his brother's death at the hands of a crazy motorist by using his souped-up pickup to apprehend drunken drivers and others who abuse their driving privileges.

Director:

Abel Ferrara

Writers:

William Bleich (television story and teleplay), Tom Schulman (story),

Stars:

Ken Wahl, Nancy Allen, Robert Culp

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ken Wahl	...	Rick Benton
Nancy Allen	...	Susan Neville
Robert Culp	...	Lieutenant Frank Mason
Stan Shaw	...	Joe Barker
Rosemary Forsyth	...	Loretta Simpson
Bart Braverman	...	Dan
Brian Robbins	...	Jeff Benton
Rick Dees	...	Garth Masters
Michael Young	...	Reporter
Harry Beer	...	Franklin
Garry Goodrow	...	Cadillac Drunk
Robert Phalen	...	Dr. Maxwell
Linda Thorson	...	Woman in Class
Mary Baldwin	...	Mary
Thom Bierdz	...	Kid

Storyline

A homicidal maniac is on the loose, killing motorists at random in his "death car" - after losing his brother to the twisted assassin "Skull", Rick Benten becomes a vigilante, and takes it upon himself to hunt down the reckless drivers that fill the streets at night. Being a master mechanic, Rick spends his time converting his pickup truck into an armed and dangerous vehicle - with speed to take on the fastest car, and strength to make sure in a one-on-one situation, he will be the only survivor. The cops soon find out about the vigilante known only as the "Gladiator" and do all they can to catch him before his citizen's arrests go one step too far - but will they find the Gladiator before the Gladiator finds Skull? When the two finally meet, it's a duel to the death and maybe an end to Rick's career as the vigilante.

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Plot Keywords:

vigilante | pickup truck | road warrior | vengeance | highway | 

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Taglines:

There can only be one winner

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gladiator

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walker Brothers Productions, New World Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The five 1969 Dodge Chargers used in this film were actual "General Lee's" from The Dukes of Hazzard, sold by Warner Bros to this production. Out of the five, two survived in the hands of stunt driver George A. Sack Jr. They are now being restored for "Dukes" stunt coordinator Gary Baxley by Smith Bros. Restorations.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Phil: [finishes a pint of beer] Nick - one more. Come on Nick, just one more?
Nick: You've had enough Phil, it's time to go home.

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Connections

Referenced in A Short Film About the Long Career of Abel Ferrara (2004)

User Reviews

Not great, but...

I bought this for less than five quid, so I didn't expect much. The villan has a black 69 Dodge Charger and there's a 70's Torino in there as well - it's a bit like watching one of the Dukes of Hazzard episodes - there's one with the General and a Starsky Torino in a Junkyard. The Gladiator has the Duke traits - the story isn't great but you get a bit of car action involving 60/70's US cars. It works for me, I even spotted a black 76 firebird in a junkyard !