Death Vengeance (1982) UK Quad Poster

In true exploitation fashion, Death Vengeance was described as a ‘lurid glorification of urban vigilantism’. It’s a description that’s hard to refute. Two tragedies prompt a deli owner to set up the People’s Neighbourhood Patrol (PNP) that swiftly becomes a near paramilitary operation, aggressively taking the fight to the enemy. It features racism (our hero is confronted with the men who mugged his mother – one white, one black – but he only beats up the black robber), City Hall in big-money’s pocket, backhand sleaziness, cops happily turning their backs on the mayhem and a ‘happy ending’ that is breathtakingly tacky, seeing as how it was achieved.

Directed by Lewis Teague – Alligator (1980), Cujo (1983), Cat’s Eye (1985) and The Jewel of the Nile (1985) which somehow failed to ignite his career, and co-written by David Z. Goodman, who had a most curious career, which ranged from his first screenplay for Hammer, The Stranglers of Bombay (1959), to Straw Dogs (1971), Farewell, My Lovely (1975) and Eyes of Laura Mars (1978).

Aka: Fighting Back, Street Wars

Condition: GOOD / VERY GOOD - Top edge tears and surface scuffs, paper loss top centre

Cast: Tom Skerritt, Patty LuPone, Michael Sarrazin, Yaphet Kotto, David Rasche, Earle Hyman, Josh Mostel