The Exterminator - Unrated Director's Cut (1980) **1/2

The Exterminator (1980) is a sleazy revenge flick that doesn't quite live up to the greatness of its theatrical poster or say a Golan & Globus-era Cannon film. It's not quite a complete rip-off of Death Wish (1974), as the setup is different (the titular character is a Vietnam vet), but it's still nowhere near as good as that film—or my preferred vengeance movie, Vigilante (1982) (review).

A few things that The Exterminator does have going for it though are unmistakable early 1980s NYC grime, a few genuinely uncomfortable and disturbing situations, outlandish gore and violence, and an actual realistic "everyman" in Robert Ginty (who looks so much like Harry Nilsson in this film that it weirds me out). What it does not have going for it is a coherent storyline, consistent editing, or a satisfactory exploration of PTSD. 

I had seen The Exterminator once before and it wasn't a waste of time to revisit it. But without an audience to laugh at the more off the wall material, it can be a pretty slow and sometimes sloppy film that just never quite gels for me.