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Exterminator 2 - Blu-ray Review

3 beers

Burn, baby, burn!

Cannon Films, man.  What a run they had.  From American Ninja to Delta Force and beyond, for many a teenager growing up in the 1970s and the 1980s, they were the source for high-flying action.  I mean, who doesn’t love Stallone taking names and kicking all kinds of ass in Cobra?  Fortunately, we still get to celebrate these low budget flicks today as some distributors have seen fit to release Cannon’s far-reaching collection of carnage on blu-ray.

{googleads}Joining in on the fun this week is Exterminator 2, a rock’ em and sock ‘em ride through the street trash of New York City.  It’s a nice refresher on just how unrealistic and (ultimately) badass these cheap and insanely violent flicks remain.  This one has Mario Van Peebles as the baddie gang leander named “X” and, sporting a Grace Jones-like hairdo, he makes good on the type of crazy that homegrown cinematic vigilantes need to go to blows with. 

The opening scene is as disturbing as they come for Cannon Films.  Old people; senior citizens being tormented by street scum is how this one kicks off.  An old man is on the floor.  His wife is pleading for his life.  It is too late.  Gunned down for no real reason by a trio of X’s gang members, they proceed to loot the store.  It isn’t until their soles hit pavement outside in the street that their comeuppance happens.  The Exterminator, baby!  Fire up the igniter!

Starring Robert Gintry as the Vietnam War veteran John Eastland who takes a flamethrower to the streets in order to make it safe for women and children alike, Exterminator 2 dials back on the extreme justice that populated the first one, but only in the tiniest of ways.  Blood still flows freely.  It is still shocking; still brutal, but the four years in between the first and second film seems to have acquiesced a bit of the veteran rage in the series’ producer Mark Buntzman, who also wrote and directed this cult classic.

Violence begets violence and, as the exterminator takes down a couple of members of X’s gang with a flamethrower in the opening moments of the film, their retaliation is widespread and intense.  No one is safe, especially those close to the man they suspect to be this vigilante.  They won’t be pushed back as easily as some of the other gangs in the city. 

The film also features cameos from Arye Gross (from ABC’s Ellen) in his debut role, and John Turturro (from Barton FinkQuiz Show) in his second role ever.  Both of these bling and you’ll miss it parts are a part of Van Peebles’ gang and, as the film combines breakdancing with some cagey 80s moments, will leave you in stitches. 

Cruising the town after hours in a garbage truck, the exterminator finds himself with a badass partner in army buddy, Be Gee (Frankie Faison).  The duo takes to the streets undercover of darkness, outfitting Bee Gee’s dump truck with better front bumper gear to smash up punks and their vehicles with.  They aren’t fucking around anymore.  Playtime is over.  And, after watching this gang kidnap a lady by drive-by roller skates and then juice her up on heroin, you might be up in arms against them, too. 

Watch, once again, as rise in street crime ticks off the wrong Vietnam vet in Exterminator 2, now available in blu-ray thanks to Scream Factory.

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Exterminator 2 - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
89 mins
Director
: Mark Buntzman
Writer: 
Mark Buntzman, William Sachs
Cast:
Robert Ginty, Mario Van Peebles, Deborah Geffner
Genre
: Action | Crime
Tagline:
The Exterminator - a one-man army obsessed with a single thought - Revenge!.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I like it when their faces go crazy like that, when they think the world has gone psycho and there's no way out."
Theatrical Distributor:
Cannon Film Distributors
Official Site:
Release Date:
September 14, 1984
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
April 25, 2017
Synopsis: John Eastland (Robert Ginty) is back! The torch-wielding outlaw vigilante is cleaning up the urban jungle again. Drug lord X and his army of thugs have declared war on New York City, but they have yet to meet someone like The Exterminator. This fiery sequel also stars Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City), Frankie Faison (Banshee) and Deborah Geffner (All That Jazz).

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Exterminator 2 - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray
- April 25, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English
Language:
English
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Region A

Presented by Scream Factory, Exterminator 2 burns its way onto blu-ray with an expressive 1080p transfer that is framed in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio.  The depth on this one is solid as the flames lick skin and bones in trees and in streets.  Colors pop like never before and all the nighttime sequences have thick defining lines.  Overall, the picture’s clarity is worth the upgrade.  Rich in details and colors, there really is nothing to complain about.  The sound is presented in a solid DTS-HD Master Audio Mono.

Supplements:

 

Commentary:

  • The audio commentary by director Mark Buntzman and actor Mario Van Peebles is truly the only supplemental item.  It’s a good track loaded with information about the making of the movie.  Fans of this cult classic will enjoy.

Special Features:

 

This release is punctuated by several radio spots and trailers and, while amusing, they definitely are for fans only.  There is also a photo gallery.

  • Original Radio Spots
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • Photo Gallery

 

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Exterminator 2 - Blu-ray Review

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