Stars: 5 of 5.Running Time: 90 minutes.
Tag-line: "You're not safe anymore..."
Notable Cast or Crew: Robert Forster (ALLIGATOR, JACKIE BROWN, MEDIUM COOL), Fred Williamson (1990: BRONX WARRIORS, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Richard Bright (MARATHON MAN, THE GODFATHER), Joe Spinell (MANIAC!, BIG WEDNESDAY), Steve James (THE DELTA FORCE, AMERICAN NINJA), Woody Strode (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, KEOMA).
The instant VIGILANTE begins, you know you're in for something special. Right off the bat: "Magnum Motion Pictures, Inc. presents..." Gets you thinkin' about malt liquor, condoms, handguns. Hold that thought. Then, we got a group of people in a dimly lit, grimy classroom. Fred "the Hammer" Williamson is doin' his thing, giving an inspiration speech. We see them prepping for target practice.
The Hammer works the crowd- we're not gonna be victims anymore, it's time to take back the city- "THIS IS OUR WATERLOO, BABY!"
BLAM!! All the vigilantes shoot in unison. Blackout. The movie could end right here and still get five stars, and we're only 2 minutes in. And there's so much more great shit to come.
Watching this movie is akin to running a medieval gauntlet: basically, it's a nonstop assault of hoods abusing good citizens, and then vigilantes puttin' the hurt on the hoods. And it's extraordinarily artistic. Lustig is a scholar of Italian film, and he's been taking notes.
Argento, Castellari, Fulci, Leone- you can see them all, but VIGILANTE's strong enough to stand on its own. There is a LOT going on here: Kickass creepy syths and powerful electric Spanish guitar courtesy of Jay Chattaway and Willie Colon. Asscracks bathed in moody blue lighting. A crisp, tangible "New York in Autumn" atmosphere that conjures the twilight of society. Joe Spinell as perhaps the sleaziest lawyer in all of cinema:
Woody Strode as an elderly prison inmate with fists of steel and a heart of gold.
Robert Forster as a regular Joe whose life's been transformed into a waking nightmare:
Legendary hardass and provocateur Richard Bright with a ball bat. A pimp complains about the recession. A corrupt prison guard tells rapists in the shower to go ahead and "have a party." I really don't see how this could be any better.
A bunch of it was filmed in Greenpoint (in Brooklyn) too, which makes it extra special for me, because I used to live there.
I used to do my shopping at that Key Foods!
But back to The Hammer: beard neatly trimmed and eyes ablaze, he leaps off of buildings, does karate, and practically reaches through the screen to throttle you.
And I highly recommend the experience.
The Hammer works the crowd- we're not gonna be victims anymore, it's time to take back the city- "THIS IS OUR WATERLOO, BABY!"
BLAM!! All the vigilantes shoot in unison. Blackout. The movie could end right here and still get five stars, and we're only 2 minutes in. And there's so much more great shit to come.
Watching this movie is akin to running a medieval gauntlet: basically, it's a nonstop assault of hoods abusing good citizens, and then vigilantes puttin' the hurt on the hoods. And it's extraordinarily artistic. Lustig is a scholar of Italian film, and he's been taking notes.
Argento, Castellari, Fulci, Leone- you can see them all, but VIGILANTE's strong enough to stand on its own. There is a LOT going on here: Kickass creepy syths and powerful electric Spanish guitar courtesy of Jay Chattaway and Willie Colon. Asscracks bathed in moody blue lighting. A crisp, tangible "New York in Autumn" atmosphere that conjures the twilight of society. Joe Spinell as perhaps the sleaziest lawyer in all of cinema:
Woody Strode as an elderly prison inmate with fists of steel and a heart of gold.
Robert Forster as a regular Joe whose life's been transformed into a waking nightmare:
Legendary hardass and provocateur Richard Bright with a ball bat. A pimp complains about the recession. A corrupt prison guard tells rapists in the shower to go ahead and "have a party." I really don't see how this could be any better.
A bunch of it was filmed in Greenpoint (in Brooklyn) too, which makes it extra special for me, because I used to live there.
I used to do my shopping at that Key Foods!
But back to The Hammer: beard neatly trimmed and eyes ablaze, he leaps off of buildings, does karate, and practically reaches through the screen to throttle you.
And I highly recommend the experience.
-Sean Gill
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