The Exterminator

The Exterminator is a 1980 American vigilante action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus and starring Christopher George, Samantha Eggar, and Robert Ginty. Ginty plays John Eastland, a Vietnam veteran who turns vigilante when his employer gets shaken down by the Mafia and his best friend, a fellow veteran who once saved his life in combat, is left paralyzed by a street gang. George plays a detective who is actively pursuing Eastland. The film, particularly the grisly methods employed by Eastland to coerce criminals, drew outrage from critics. However, it was an independent hit, generating $30 to $35 million in total revenue. It gave Ginty, until then best known as a supporting player in mainstream fare, a second career as an exploitation leading man, and marked the breakthrough of African-American actor Steve James. It is also considered an early example of the vetsploitation subgenre.