This made for TV film was remade in 1998. I haven't seen the newer version, so I cannot compare the two.
When the story begins, a group of punk teens are running amok in a nice California neighborhood--pouring loads of garbage into a lady's pool, nearly running over pedestrians, dogs and horses and acting like they are above the law. When one of the folks being menaced by them tries to be constructive and work to have speed bumps and more policing, Jim Kiler (Robert Culp) is attacked by the thugs and they nearly kill him. When the law seem either unable or unwilling to do much of anything, Kiler is backed against the wall and has no other choice but to approach the teens' parents...who don't seem to care in the least. So what is to happen next? Well, considering that the boys go essentially unpunished, you can only assume things will escalate! But Kiler STILL tries very hard to work within the system through much of the movie. Find the film on YouTube and find out for yourself what's next in this family's nightmarish lives.
While the plot might sound quite a bit like "Death Wish", this film came out a year earlier...plus it was set in the suburbs. Additionally, Kiler did NOT react like Bronson did in "Death Wish"-- he didn't go out at night shooting the boys...though considering how awful they were, you certainly wouldn't have blamed his character!
Overall, this is a very well made and exciting film. Culp did a very nice job in the film and it's not just some revenge picture. Plus, it's apparently based on a real case...which adds to the realism. Well worth seeing...and filled with all sorts of funky 70s music!
When the story begins, a group of punk teens are running amok in a nice California neighborhood--pouring loads of garbage into a lady's pool, nearly running over pedestrians, dogs and horses and acting like they are above the law. When one of the folks being menaced by them tries to be constructive and work to have speed bumps and more policing, Jim Kiler (Robert Culp) is attacked by the thugs and they nearly kill him. When the law seem either unable or unwilling to do much of anything, Kiler is backed against the wall and has no other choice but to approach the teens' parents...who don't seem to care in the least. So what is to happen next? Well, considering that the boys go essentially unpunished, you can only assume things will escalate! But Kiler STILL tries very hard to work within the system through much of the movie. Find the film on YouTube and find out for yourself what's next in this family's nightmarish lives.
While the plot might sound quite a bit like "Death Wish", this film came out a year earlier...plus it was set in the suburbs. Additionally, Kiler did NOT react like Bronson did in "Death Wish"-- he didn't go out at night shooting the boys...though considering how awful they were, you certainly wouldn't have blamed his character!
Overall, this is a very well made and exciting film. Culp did a very nice job in the film and it's not just some revenge picture. Plus, it's apparently based on a real case...which adds to the realism. Well worth seeing...and filled with all sorts of funky 70s music!