BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Sanjeev Waters A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Raegan Butcher This film spares no one: right wing death penalty advocates, bleeding heart liberals, politicians,self-righteous religious zealots and incorrigble criminals. That's what i loved about it: it skewers EVERYONE.It has absolutely fantastic sets and cinematography, with a distinct Dr Phibes quality to Steiger's underground lair. Heather Graham, looking impossibly young and cute, makes for an appealing heroine.Lyman Ward excels at playing a sleazeball. Isaac Hayes has some of the funniest moments as Steiger's demented henchman alongside Mitch Pileggi, who makes quite an impression as a snarling prisoner. Ricky Dean Logan is hilarious, especially in his introductory scene. And Rod Steiger, who always committed 100% of himself to every role, no matter how small the budget or strange the screenplay, should have been nominated for some sort of award because he really gives a magnificent performance here. He somehow manages to make his character funny, sad, sweet, righteous, warped and malevolent-- sometimes all in one scene.

Allardyce99 Very few people have seen this film or are even aware of it. I was fortunate enough to be living in Los Angeles in early 1992 when it was briefly released at one theater and played for only one week. Because I am a great admirer of the brilliant character actor, Rod Steiger, I was thrilled at a chance to see a movie made in recent years in which he carried the lead. A rare casting choice that wouldn't likely happen anymore. I don't know why this film didn't get officially released, but I loved it then, and now finally revisiting it on DVD, I appreciate it even more.It's a black comedy, at times completely wacky, at times profound when it raises moral questions, and at times it turns into somewhat of a superhero comic book story. Steiger's performance is amazing and it's a shame nobody saw it. He portrays his character with passion, depth, and you totally believe this guy and his mission. He has a lengthy monologue in which he describes the tragedy of his past that provoked him to take on his godly quest of bringing justice to the world. The scene is very moving and richly played by Steiger. It was perhaps the last great performance of a long impressive career. Isaac Hayes gives a hilarious supporting performance as does most of the main supporting cast.If you admire Rod Steiger, if you like dark comedy with a point and a brilliantly classic twist ending, you really should do yourself a favor and check this puppy out. I showed it recently to my best friend, a fellow film enthusiast, and he loved it. There are some moments of acting and clever cinematography that burn an image into your mind that is unforgettable. Most of you will totally disagree with me on my view of this film. But it's worth it to me to share my love of this film for those few who do see it and do appreciate it. Thanks for reading! DSS

Tom DeFelice This is a strange film. It is a black satire that reminds me of a cross between Roger Corman's "Black Scorpion", Wes Craven's "Swamp Thing" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Family Plot". The casting is eclectic with Rod Steiger, Lauren Hutton, Heather Graham, Isaac Hayes and Zelda Rubinsten and deserves an A. The acting, however, is uneven and gets a B. The story (we've been here before) is a C. Not much of the budget is on the screen. With better production values it would have been a very interesting movie. As it is, the production values gets only a D.The look of the film is that of a poor man's direct-to-video. That's too bad. With more texture to cover the obvious staleness of the story (ex: Tim Burton's "Batman") this could have been a remarkable film. Still, it's worth a look even if it never reaches it's potential. I don't know if you can blame the budget or the director, but it just misses. Still, certain moments do transcend the film's problems. Rod Steiger, Isaac Hayes and Heather Graham make this film worth a look even if in the end it is a disappointment.

oberon27 I really enjoyed this movie. Rod Steiger and Isaac Hayes give wonderful performances. Steiger plays Ben Killan (great name) a man who kidnaps paroled murderers and executes them in a homemade electric chair. In the middle of one execution the power goes out before the prisoner is dead and Ben has to finish him off with a gun. The movie has a great surprise ending.