Vigilante (1982)

When his wife and son are brutalized by thugs and a corrupt criminal justice system puts the perpetrators back on the street, a New York City factory worker turns vigilante to find some measure of bloody justice.

Director:

William Lustig

Writer:

Richard Vetere

Stars:

Robert Forster, Fred Williamson, Richard Bright

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Forster	...	Eddie Marino
Fred Williamson	...	Nick
Richard Bright	...	Burke
Rutanya Alda	...	Vickie Marino
Don Blakely	...	Prago
Joseph Carberry	...	Ramon
Willie Colón	...	Rico (as Willie Colon)
Joe Spinell	...	Eisenberg
Carol Lynley	...	Assistant D.A. Mary Fletcher
Woody Strode	...	Rake
Vincent Beck	...	Judge Sinclair
Bo Rucker	...	Horace
Frank Pesce	...	Blueboy
Steve James	...	Ptl. Gibbons (as Steve W. James)
Randy Jurgensen	...	Det. Russo

Storyline

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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

new york | male objectification | nudity | showering together | shared shower | 

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Taglines:

There's only one way to stop them...

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 March 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Street Gang

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Magnum Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (4 channels)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

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.

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Goofs

Prago's stunt driving double during the car chase is Caucasian but Prago is African-American.

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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 ...

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Alternate Versions

The 2008 Blu-ray and DVD is the complete original version of the film before it was cut by MPAA for its graphic violence. The scenes that were cut involving the patrol cops being ambushed and the deaths of the crooked politician and his lookout are restored and the film is unrated.

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Connections

Referenced in Reservoir Dogs (1992)

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Soundtracks

Pase la noche fumando
(Willie Colón (as Willie Colon)) / C. Curet Alonso (as Curet Alonso))
Arranged by Luis Cruz
Sung by Willie Colón (as Willie Colon)
Produced by Willie Colón (as Willie Colon)
Executive Producer Jerry Masucci

User Reviews

good cheesy fun

When a sleazball defense attorney (Joe Spinell) gets a lenient sentence for the leader of the gang who cut up the wife and killed the son of Eddie Marino (Robert Forster) he decides to take matters into his own hand, after her gets out of jail himself for contempt of court. He gets help from Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson. Sure this film is a tad on the cheesy side, but I'm a sucker for vigilante movies and a fan of Fred Williamson, Robert Forster, and Director William Lustig all. And this film may not as good as "Death Wish", it's still enjoyable enough for repeated viewings.

My Grade: B+

DVD Extras: Commentary by William Lustig, Robert Forster, Fred Williamson, and Frank Pesce; 7 Theatrical Trailers from around the world; 4 TV spots; 4 radio spots; promotional reel; and still gallery

Eye Candy: Hyla Marrow provides both the T&A