Death Wish (1974)

Posted : 3 months, 3 weeks ago at Aug 2 8:03

"What if the cops can't handle this, Jack?" 1974's Death Wish (which initially went by the apt working title of The Sidewalk Vigilante) was released at the pinnacle of Hollywood's obsession with anti-hero movies. This screen adaptation of Brian Garfield's 1972 novel is functionally simplistic, lowering itself to the cerebral level required for straight-up exploitation (though it contains a slight trace of a social commentary). The formerly timely message of this gritty actioner, along with the solid production values and Herbie Hancock's remarkable score, render it able to hold up rather confidently all these decades later. Upon release in 1974 the film was a commercial hit - it earned about $22 million at the box office (from a mere $3 million budget). Set in New York City, Death Wi...Read more

Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago at Sep 24 8:12

Charles Bronson is always regarded as a great actor, but I really don't see why. In this film, his wife is murdered after watching her daughter get raped by thugs who break into their home. Ol' Bronson returns home and after visiting his daughter in hospital and promptly fails to display one iota of emotion as he goes about his daily business. Eventually he reignites his buried passion for guns and transforms himself into 'The Vigilante'. Constantly putting himself in precarious positions, he waits to be assaulted before dispatching his assailants with lethal force. The people of the city begin to love him and take the power back from the scum on the streets. Meanwhile, the police are told to lay off of him as his reputation is responsible for a 50% decline in muggings and assaults. The...Read more

Rating : 4/10