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Steven Spielberg's 1981 adventure film "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was a retro film by design. Set in 1936, "Raiders" is about a brave male adventurer, Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones (Harrison Ford), who seeks to retrieve the legendary Ark of the Covenant (described in the Bible) before the then-active Nazis can seize it as their own. Spielberg was making a slicker, modern version of the 1930s adventure serials he remembered seeing in theaters as a boy, and "Raiders" includes car chases, fistfights, lairs of snakes, mystical spelunking, and a climax where a Nazi army is evaporated by the wrath of God. It's a good flick. Everyone remembers it. There was even a "Young Indiana Jones" prequel TV series and four theatrical sequels, the last of which, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," was released in 2023.

However, "Raiders" also spawned a mini-trend in cinema that is less well-remembered. Indiana Jones knockoffs...

An official YouTube channel dedicated to the classic sitcom The Munsters and the franchise it spawned was launched three years ago, and as the years have gone by a whole lot of clips from the 1964 – 1966 show have been added to that channel. But now Universal has decided to go ahead and share a couple full movies on there as well: The Munsters’ Revenge from 1981 and Here Come the Munsters from 1995. Not only can both of those movies be viewed on the The Munsters channel, but they’re both embedded at the bottom of this article as well!

Directed by Don Weis from a script by Arthur Alsberg and Don Nelson, The Munsters’ Revenge reunites original sitcom stars Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, and Al Lewis. The movie shows us what happens when Mad Dr. Diablo sends robot doubles of Herman and Grandpa Munster to steal art.

Gwynne, De Carlo, and Lewis play Herman,...

Long before Rob Zombie got his hands on the property, Robert Ginty sat in the director’s chair for Here Come The Munsters, a TV movie that made its debut back in 1995.

One of many re-interpretations of the beloved characters that came along in the wake of the original 1960s TV series, Here Come The Munsters featured all new actors in the iconic roles, with Edward Herrmann (The Lost Boys) playing Herman Munster, Veronica Hamel (Cannonball) as Lily Munster, and Robert Morse (The Loved One) as Grandpa Munster.

Telling the tale of the family’s trip from Transylvania to the United States, Here Come The Munsters aired on Fox on Halloween night in 1995, and the film has long been unavailable to watch outside of low quality, unofficial rips on YouTube. But to our surprise, the official Munsters YouTube channel just uploaded the entire movie in HD for the very first time!

Hello, everyone! We have a relatively quiet week of horror and sci-fi home media releases this week, led by Arrow’s Limited Edition 4K for Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes. Epic Pictures is releasing both Val and Bad Candy this Tuesday, while Dark Sky Pictures is releasing the indie thriller Coming Home in the Dark on both Blu-ray and DVD. Other releases for November 9th include Mania Killer, Dead Fury: Unrated, and The Resonator: Miskatonic U.

Bad Candy

On Halloween night in New Salem, Radio DJs Chilly Billy (Corey Taylor) and Paul (Zach Galligan) tell a twisted anthology of terrifying local myths that lead to a grim end for small-town residents.

Coming Home in the Dark

A family’s outing descends into terror when teacher Alan Hoaganraad, his wife Jill, and stepsons Maika and Jordon explore an isolated coastline. An unexpected meeting with a pair of drifters -...

That’s a title with a ton of exploitation promise, don’t you think? Now imagine being a ten year old movie freak that ingested anything remotely salacious or possibly brain-damaging into his system to increase his cinematic database. A match made in heaven? Probably not in the eyes of those who would shelter such fragile minds from the grotesque and lurid underbelly of commercial film, but a definite boon to the kid looking specifically for the grotesque and lurid. Well folks, the buck pretty much not only stops at The Exterminator (1980), it finds itself aflame as celluloid floats to the ground in messy tribute. The ash of this one spread everywhere.

And I know, it’s not horror; but to a ten year old, exploitation and horror is completely simpatico - violence, nudity, and degradation were not only on the menu, they were pretty much alone on the laminated list.

Stars: Robert Ginty, Fred Williamson, Belinda Mayne, Jess Hahn, Mirella Banti, Diana Goodman, Gordon Mitchell | Written and Directed by Jean-Marie Pallardy

White Fire, also known as Vivre Pour Survivre (the on-screen title of this new Arrow Video Blu-ray release) is a 1984 action film made in Turkey, by a French man, and features two superstars of exploitation cinema: Fred Williamson and Robert Ginty (The Exterminator). If that’s not a recipe for success I don’t know what is!

White Fire tells the story of brother and sister Bo (Ginty) and Inga (Belinda Mayne), two orphans turned jewel thieves who target the legendary ‘White Fire’ diamond — a priceless rock so hot it actually burns those who try to lay their hands on it! When tragedy strikes, Bo undertakes an outrageous plan involving plastic surgery and explosives to infiltrate the mine where the diamond awaits. Bo’s plan hits an unexpected snag...

I’m always on the lookout for the next flash of wtfuckery from the dusty video shelves of yesteryear; films bypassed perhaps due to a lack of publicity, or a flood of imitations, or sometimes even just a good old dose of common sense. And then there’s Scarab (1983), a nonsensical wonder that combines political intrigue, Egyptian warrior resurrections, a psychotic Rip Torn, and perpetual ‘80s whipping boy Robert Ginty. If I had discovered this on VHS, I never would have gotten rid of my Vcr.

Bypassing theatrical distribution stateside, Scarab made nary a sound with horror fans on home video; I’d never even heard of it despite being a Torn and Ginty fan since the dawn of the Panasonic top loader. Oh well. As the saying goes, it’s never too late to unearth an incoherent yet delightful cult conspiracy flick. Or something like that.

I swear there...

American cinema in the Seventies through to the early Nighties was populated with the kind of leading characters you don’t see enough of any more – no nonsense, amoral tough guys, often on the wrong side of the law, rugged complexions lines with life, who start off mean and don’t get any nicer by the closing credits.

Director Sam Peckinpah’s brilliantly brutal and bloody Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) features a prime example of this. Bennie, played by Warren Oates (pictured above), is a down on his luck bartender whose ears prick up when $1 million dollars is offered for the titular, potentially suicidal deed – but as Bennie says, ‘nobody loses all the time’. It’s possibly Oates’s finest performance as the tequila-soaked bounty hunter who, the more outgunned he is, the more savage his becomes. It’s also one of Peckinpah’s greatest films, and nicely encapsulates the violent,...

Stars: Christopher Mitchum, Aldo Ray, Antoine John Mottet, Renee Harmon, Dan Bradley, Jim Dratfield, Sandra Sterling | Written by Renee Harmon | Directed by James Bryan

For years I, and many others, believed that James Bryan’s The Executioner Part II was one of those “hilarious” movies – like Leonard Part 6 and Surf II – that posits that it is a sequel, only it’s a sequel to a non-existent movie! Turns out that is Not the case here… Bryan’s film is in fact an in-name-only sequel to the 1970 George Peppard film The Executioner. How do I know this? Well it’s all thanks to the fascinating interview with James Bryan found on the new Blu-ray of the film from Vinegar Syndrome off-shoot Exploitation.TV – released as part of the Indiegogo campaign for the companies VOD service.

Hailed as one of the craziest, and most incomprehensible action movies Ever, The Executioner Part II is just that.

Feature Alex Westthorp 16 Apr 2014 - 07:00

Alex's trek through the film roles of actors who've played the Doctor reaches Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy...

Read the previous part in this series, Doctor Who: the film careers of Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker, here.

In March 1981, as he made his Doctor Who debut, Peter Davison was already one the best known faces on British television. Not only was he the star of both a BBC and an ITV sitcom - Sink Or Swim and Holding The Fort - but as the young and slightly reckless Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great And Small, about the often humorous cases of Yorkshire vet James Herriot and his colleagues, he had cemented his stardom. The part led, indirectly, to his casting as the venerable Time Lord.

The recently installed Doctor Who producer, John Nathan-Turner, had been the Production Unit Manager on...

When I first came across the fantastically misleading artwork for a ropey, BBFC-sanitised VHS of The Exterminator in my local video shop, I could but dream of the grisly thrills it held in store. 'Some years' later, that flame-thrower wielding, black helmeted vigilante still holds a giddy allure, even if experience tells you that the film itself can never quite live up to the one imagined in an excitable teenager's imagination. Yet coming back to James Glickenhaus's 1980 'video nasty' with fresh eyes reveals an engaging, flawed, and gripping revenge flick. Is it the all-out, non-stop, action-packed orgy of lurid nastiness it was once billed as? No, but its charms lie elsewhere.  Having survived Vietnam and returned home, John Eastland (Robert Ginty) and his best...

The Exterminator

Stars: Robert Ginty, Steve James, Samantha Eggar, Christopher George | Written and Directed by James Glickenhaus

Arrow Video are back again with another fantastic new Blu-ray release. Getting the Arrow treatment this time round is the exploitation movie classic The Exterminator which stars Robert Ginty as John Eastland, a Vietnam vet pushed over the edge after his best friend MIchael (played by cinematic badass Steve James), the man who also saved his life in ‘Nam, is left crippled following a gang attack one day after work. Seeking revenge for the attack Eastland takes to the streets to not only take out the gang but clean up New York, earning him the nickname “The Exterminator”.

I have a confession to make. Despite my love of exploitation movies and films of the 80s, I had never seen The Exterminator until now. I had seen the seen the sequel many years ago on a cut VHS tape,...

Vigilantes in movies have always been a popular concept, from the D.W. Griffiths 1913 western A Misunderstood Boy to last year’s Kick-Ass audiences have enjoyed the idea of “Ordinary Joes” taking the law into their own hands to right society’s wrongs and ensure justice is done. While vigilantes have remained a regular theme throughout the years, the genre has never been more prolific than during the 1970s and early 80s. Films such as Taxi Driver, Death Wish and The Exterminator, which is released on Blu-ray for the first time this week, took vigilantism to new levels, pushing boundaries of acceptable violence on film and reflecting the changes in American values following the Vietnam War.

John Eastland (Robert Ginty – Coming Home) is a Vietnam veteran who, having survived a torture ordeal and witnessed the brutal deaths of his friends, returns home to a tough neighbourhood in New York. When...

When I first came across the fantastically misleading artwork for a ropey, BBFC-sanitised VHS of The Exterminator in my local video shop, I could but dream of the grisly thrills it held in store. 'Some years' later, that flame-thrower wielding, black helmeted vigilante still holds a giddy allure, even if experience tells you that the film itself can never quite live up to the one imagined in an excitable teenager's imagination. Yet coming back to James Glickenhaus's 1980 'video nasty' with fresh eyes reveals an engaging, flawed, and gripping revenge flick. Is it the all-out, non-stop, action-packed orgy of lurid nastiness it was once billed as? No, but its charms lie elsewhere.  Having survived Vietnam and returned home, John Eastland (Robert Ginty) and his best...

Prepare to relive the early 80s again and be “depraved and corrupted” once more as Horror Channel broadcasts a season of films that define the Video Nasties phenomenon – one of the most extraordinary and scandalous eras in the history of British film – the Season of the Banned.

Headlining this new season is the world TV premiere of Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape, which will be broadcast on November 4th @ 10.55pm

Directed by renowned filmmaker Jake West (Doghouse, Evil Aliens) and produced by Marc Morris, (co-author of ‘Art of the Nasty’ and ‘Shock Horror: Astounding Artwork from the Video Nasty Era’) – both of whom are pictured above – this era-defining documentary features reflective interviews with filmmakers Neil Marshall and Christopher Smith as well as charting the heroic stand taken by journalist/author Martin Barker, who single-handedly came out in protest against what he saw as the erosion of civil liberties.

Directed by: James Glickenhaus

Written by: James Glickenhaus

Cast: Christopher George, Samantha Eggar, Robert Ginty, Steve James

New York City was a different place a few decades ago. Violent crime rates more than tripled between 1966 and 1981, and the city was nothing like the "Disney-fied," family friendly version presented today. While one might mourn the loss of grindhouse theaters during its cleanup, the city could be a pretty rough place back then.

Considering the crime rate, it's no surprise that public support was behind Bernie Goetz. The victim of a violent attack three years earlier, Goetz shot four men on the Number 2 express train in December of 1984, claiming he felt threatened by their actions. Charged with attempted murder, reckless endangerment, assault and several weapons charges, a jury convicted Goetz on a single offense, illegal possession of a firearm, and he served part of a one-year sentence.

It's also no surprise that,...

Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

The 10th Victim (1965)

Synopsis: It is the 21st Century, and society’s lust for violence is satisfied by “The Big Hunt,” an international game of legalized murder. But when the sport’s two top assassins (Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress) are pitted against each other, they find that love is the most dangerous game of all. As the world watches, the hunt is on. Who will become The 10th Victim? The 10th Victim is the international cult classic whose wild action and sexy style has influenced a generation of movies, from The Running Man to the Austin Powers series. Remastered from original archival negative materials, this outrageous satire is presented here in its original Italian language with optional English subtitles. — highdefdigest.com

Special Features:

Marcello: A Sweet Life (2006) (102 Mins.) Theatrical Trailer

3 Women: The Criterion Collection (1977)

Synopsis: In a dusty,...

Now this is some exciting news, tinged as it is with an air of nostalgia for me, as those fine folk at Synapse are set to release the ultra-violent classick The Exterminator. I remember watching this, along with Warning Sign, Poltergeist and many others, on the wonder that was Laserdisc. Believe me, it stuck in my mind. Who can forget the infamous meat grinder scene? Ah, good times. On September 11th Synapse will be releasing the remastered Director’s Cut in Hi-Def glory on Blu-ray and DVD combo pack. Excited yet? Of course you are!

Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar star in The Exterminator, James Glickenhaus’ explosive story of Vietnam vet John Eastland (Ginty), a man who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally beaten by a vicious street gang. Eastland becomes a vigilante hero to the public, but to...

Synapse Films recently send us information that they're going to release the cult classic "The Exterminator" on Blu-Ray for the very first time. The Blu-Ray / DVD combo set starring Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar is being presented in a more violent director's cut. The film is set to his Blu-ray shelves on September 13th. Press Release: Christopher George, Robert Ginty,...

There is a good reason why many genre fans love Synapse Films. They are fans first and an awesome company second. For a long time The Exterminator has been one of those films known for its iconic poster/cover artwork. However, what could be passed off as action shlock, the film is actually a great flick and shouldn’t be overlooked. Unfortunately, the only R1 release of this film was pretty meh. The transfer was decent but the features were lacking. Synapse will be correcting this in their Blu-Ray/DVD Combo coming out soon. Find out the date after the break.

From the Press Release:

Synapse Films Presents

James Glickenhaus’ Flamethrowing Grindhouse Classic

The Exterminator!

The Man They Pushed Too Far Is Coming For You—In Hi-def!

The Exploitation Revenge Classic Burns Onto Blu-ray In A

Newly Remastered Unrated Director’S Cut!

Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar star in The Exterminator,...

I’d heard this one had been announced at this year’s Comic-Con, but for some strange reason, the news slipped my mind. Not anymore! Specs and artwork for director James Glickenhaus revenge masterpiece “The Exterminator” is heading to Blu-ray on September 13th, 2011, courtesy of Synapse Films. Not only as the film been remastered, it’s also being presented in all its uncut glory. This makes me happier than you could possibly imagine. Unfamiliar with the movie? Take a moment to education yourself: Christopher George, Robert Ginty and Samantha Eggar star in The Exterminator, James Glickenhaus’ explosive story of Vietnam vet John Eastland (Ginty), a man who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally beaten by a vicious street gang. Eastland becomes a vigilante hero to the public, but to police The Exterminator is a psychopath capable of dangerously undermining an entire government administration.

During the news abyss that is the San Diego Comic-Con, Synapse Films announced that the crazy Vietnam vet seeking revenge flick The Exterminator was finally hitting home video on Blu-ray. Of course this announcement was swallowed up in all the chaos, but the official artwork and specs are now in!

From the Press Release: Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar star in The Exterminator, James Glickenhaus' explosive story of Vietnam vet John Eastland (Ginty), a man who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally beaten by a vicious street gang. Eastland becomes a vigilante hero to the public, but to police The Exterminator is a psychopath capable of dangerously undermining an entire government administration.

Synapse Films is proud to present The Exterminator in its more violent and gory Director’s Cut, lovingly restored in high-definition from original vault materials. One...

The Exterminator is headed for release on a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack in September as it is being burned onto disc! This unrated directors cut of the exploitation revenge classic will be coming soon thanks to Synapse Films, Starring Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar, This is James Glickenhaus story of Vietnam vet John Eastland, a man who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally…...

The Man They Pushed Too Far Is Coming For You—In Hi-def! The Exploitation Revenge Classic Burns Onto Blu-ray In A Newly Remastered Unrated Director’S Cut!

Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar star in The Exterminator, James Glickenhaus’ explosive story of Vietnam vet John Eastland (Ginty), a man who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally beaten by a vicious street gang. Eastland becomes a vigilante hero to the public, but to police The Exterminator is a psychopath capable of dangerously undermining an entire government administration.

Synapse Films is proud… More...

Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar star in The Exterminator , James Glickenhaus' explosive story of Vietnam vet John Eastland, a man who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally beaten by a vicious street gang. Eastland becomes a vigilante hero to the public, but to police The Exterminator is a psychopath capable of dangerously undermining an entire government administration. Synapse Films will release a Director's Cut of the film September 13. Special Features: . The Original Director.s Cut Featuring More Gore and Violence . The Newly Discovered Original Stereo Soundtrack Mix . Audio Commentary by Director James Glickenhaus . Theatrical Trailer and Television Spots (HD)...

This fall is turning into a goldmine for home video collectors and film fans.  In recent days I've posted tons of exciting news about DVDs and Blu-ray releases in September and October, we can now add another to the list.  Synapse Films will present, for the first time ever, the extended director's cut of The Exterminator on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.  This is one I haven't seen, but from the trailers and clips I've dug up, it is one that I sure as hell won't be missing.  Here are some details:Exterminator (The)DVD/Blu-ray ComboLabel: Synapse FilmsRun Time: 104 Minutes In English ColorWidescreen Anamorphic 1.78:1 Region 0 DTS-hd Ma 2.0 MonoProduction year: 1980Director: James GlickenhausStars: Robert Ginty, Christopher George,Samantha Eggar, Steve JamesThe man they pushed too far is...

We've written a ton of stories over the last two weeks, but this is the only one that has genuinely made us smile! Synapse Films has announced that the vigilante epic, The Exterminator! Today is a good day!

From the Press Release

The man they pushed too far is coming for you--in high-def! The exploitation revenge classic The Exterminator burns onto Blu-ray in a newly re-mastered uncut version! Christopher George, Robert Ginty and Samantha Eggar star in The Exterminator, James Glickenhaus' explosive story of Vietnam vet John Eastland (Ginty), a man who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally beaten by a vicious street gang. Eastland becomes a vigilante hero to the public, but to police The Exterminator is a psychopath capable of dangerously undermining an entire government administration. Synapse Films is proud to present The Exterminator in its more violent and gory director's cut,...

John Eastman (Robert Ginty) is a Vietnam Vet (aren’t all the best revenge movie / vigilante hero’s?) and when his best friend, Michael Jefferson (Steve James,) who saved his life out in The 'Nam is attacked and left paralysed by a gang of vicious street punks, Eastman decides to even the score.

The film starts off with its heroes fighting the Vietcong in the Vietnam war. After a vicious gun battle, Eastman, Jefferson and another comrade are captured and taken for interrogation. During the interrogation the 3rd comrade has his head hacked off in a surprisingly gory film moment, Eastman is next up for the chop, luckily Jefferson gets the drop on his guards and takes them down, machine gun blazing.

Back in New York, Eastman and Jefferson are honest Joe’s making a living from blue-collar factory jobs. An encounter with some thieves at the factory sets off...

The actor who played The Exterminator has lost his battle with cancer.

Robert Ginty, 60, had a varied career as an actor and director in TV, film and on stage but he was best known as the star of 1980 film The Exterminator.

He appeared in TV shows The Paper Chase and Falcon Crest and 1980s films like Warrior of the Lost World, The Alchemist and the Exterminator sequel. He also appeared in classic 1978 movie Coming Home

Ginty wrote, directed and appeared in The Bounty Hunter in 1989 and produced, directed and acted in Vietnam, Texas a year later.

Los Angeles - Actor Robert Ginty, who starred in the movie The Exterminator, has died aged 60 in Los Angeles from cancer, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1948, Ginty started his showbiz career as a rock drummer who played with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, but switched to acting after his band appeared in a film. Ginty's TV acting career included roles in hits like The Paper Chase, Falcon Crest and Hawaiian Heat. On the big screen he was most famous for his roles in action movies like The Exterminator, Warrior of the Lost World and Exterminator 2. He...