Blastfighter (1984) ***

Lamberta Bava's Blastfighter (1984) is a ridiculous and fun First Blood (1982)/Deliverance (1972) (review) hybrid that could only be a low budget Italian knockoff. The story by prolific schlock scribe Dardano Sacchetti, from a concept by Bava (directing under the very amusing alias John Old Jr.), pits Jake 'Tiger' Sharp—plus a special-ass gun—against hillbillies. 

Michael Sopkiw is pretty good as Jake (or 'Tig,' as his buds call him) but if Bava had been able to nab Franco Nero for the role, the film would surely have benefitted. Speakings of roles, Billy Redden, who famously played Lonnie (the dueling banjo player) in Deliverance, shows up for about ten seconds. Redden has only ever starred in four films and one episode of a TV series (plus an appearance as himself in a documentary). Three of those four post-Deliverance roles (one of which is Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003)) have him billed as "Banjo Man." 

Jake really only uses his super weapon in the final act but what a final act it is. Up until that point we get a lot of funny dialogue, obnoxious acting, and (sadly) a bunch of animal hunting and (I hope, fake) cruelty. That aforementioned final act sees 'Tiger' Sharp shooting his way to glorious revenge. Arms get blown off and lots (and lots) of vehicles go kaboom. It all leads to a bit of an underwhelming (and unintentionally hilarious?) standoff but the film as a whole is plenty entertaining.

Lamberto Bava Films Ranked