Blu-Ray Review: ‘THE EXTERMINATOR’

James Glickenhaus’ The Exterminator is one of those films that will be remembered more for its VHS cover and original poster art. A muscle bound man wearing a sleeveless shirt donned with a motorcycle helmet and a flame thrower. The reason I mention this is because it was always a cover that stood out to me back in the days of the video shelves. Amidst the other glossy armed testosterone filled busy artwork of other action films, this one already stood out. Maybe it was because it was a photographed cover as opposed to illustrated covers that usually featured a muscle bound Sylvester Stallone or Chuck Norris or maybe it was simplicity of the cover that made it stand out as well. Unfortunately, I never checked out the film.

In doing my podcast (you remember that?), my friend Ed Demko mentioned this film in our 42nd Minute segment (check out the episode here) to me and spoke about it in high regard. However, at that time, you could only get the DVD via an odd release that was by a Latin company named Tango Entertainment that featured a company intro that featured a slide show of “hollywood” stars. Synapse Films has now released this film properly on a Blu-Ray & DVD combo.

The Movie

The Exterminator is a film that uses some familiar territory from its era to really turn out a film that has the external feel of a exploitation film yet it has the backbone of a story of heart, friendship and a man that felt like he had to take justice in his own hands. Vietnam veterans and friends John (Robert Ginty) and Mike (Steve James) get involved in an altercation with a street gang trying to steal beer from their employer. Mike saves John from the initial attack however the gang retaliates and ends up crippling Mike. Once John finds out Mike is in the hospital, that is when John feels that vigilante justice is in order. John finds the gang and starts to work up the criminal food chain.

If you are just now first seeing The Exterminator the story may sound stale but I guarantee you that what Glickenhaus does with the film will leave a different impact than the majority of vigilante films. I grew up being a huge fan of Marvel’s The Punisher character (I still own Issue #1) and seeing this film for the first time just recently makes me want to kick that 11-13 year old me that always passed on this film. Never just a film by its cover. While this was released and was often shuffled in with other exploitation action films this film has a more grounded reality than the majority of the films that surrounded the film. While Ginty isn’t someone you would externally see as a lead actor, the way he carries the film is almost better than what I think anyone else can do. The whole thing that sets off his character is the fact that he has been a push over and is afraid of confrontations. We, as a viewer, can relate to his character. I’m sure there has been multiple incidents where we have shyed away from problems because you just didn’t want to get involved.

While echoes of Scorsese’s Taxi Driver feel a bit evident throughout the film, this is a different film, maybe even a more personal, relatable film (Keep in mind that Taxi Driver is one of my favorite films). Filling out the film are Christopher George and Samantha Eggar. While Eggar’s character tends to slow down the film a bit with her relationship with Christopher George’s Detective James Dalton. However, George, a familiar exploitation actor for the latter part of his career, brings a certain charm to the bleak landscape that Glickenhaus paints us.

The end of the film definitely feels a bit rushed as Detective Dalton and John cross paths only to be double crossed. It is an abrupt end and you may feel a little cheated because it seems like Glickenhaus wanted to try to develop something with the two characters but the running time was against them.

The Presentation

One could say that The Exterminator was never a pretty film. It is a film that resorts to almost guerilla style filmmaking – like most films of its heyday – with very little exposition of shots. For this kind of story, I feel that definitely adds an element. Synapse restores the film with a 2K restoration that is pretty damn clean. Also of note is the fact that they got the original uncut release which features more exposure to Stan Winston’s contribution to the film in the first five minutes. As always, Synapse has treated this film well and with delicate hands.

The Audio included is a DTS-HD MA Original Mono track and a DTS-HD MA Stereo track. Both are 2.0 tracks so your back speakers won’t see any action but to me, that is fine with these older releases as it is presented as originally intended.

Special Features

Other than this being the the director’s cut of the film and sporting a new Stereo soundtrack, the only features on here are an Audio Commentary with Director James Glickenhaus, Theatrical Trailer & Television Spots – all presented in HD. This kind of surprises me because Synapse knows their audience and usually will include supplementary material if provided or they have the ability. This leads me to believe that maybe not a lot exists. However, I feel that there could have been an opportunity to create new content as there are many things that I think are substantial or conversation worthy about the film.

Overall

Synapse not only gives you a Blu-Ray release of this fantastic yet gritty film but they also give those who haven’t purchased a Blu-Ray Player the DVD as well. I love that they do these Blu-Ray + DVD Combo packs because it doesn’t negate the product. This is a better release than the Tango Entertainment Region 1 (actually, I think it might have been Region 0) release as far as content and presentation. While I personally would have liked to see more extra features, it is hard when the cast, with exception of Eggar, has passed on. The Commentary on this disc is very well done and is moderated to get the most from Glickenhaus. Highly Recommended.

*Images represented in this review are not reflective of the Blu-Ray, they were taken from the DVD version of this film.

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