Alligator

 

 (wikipedia)

ALLIGATOR-1980-12 years after a stupid father flushes a baby alligator down the toilet, body parts and dead dogs are found by police in the sewer system. Detective Madison (Robert Forster) and his jerky new partner Kelly (Perry Lang) investigate. When Kelly is killed, everyone including his chief (Michael Gazzo) thinks Madison is nuts and incompetent because his partner before Kelly was also killed. Snake expert Dr. Kendall (Robin Riker) isn't much help. 

The first victim is a pet shop owner (Sydney Lassick) who's illegally supplying dogs for experiments. After a sanctimonious reporter (Bart Baverman) is killed and some of his photos show an alligator, an all-out manhunt is launched. The giant lizard bites off the leg of a policeman. The mayor (Jack Carter) calls in Col. Brock (Henry Silva), a pompous big game hunter. Madison ties the mutant to Slade Industrial, run by old fart Mr. Slade (Dean Jagger) who had ties with the corrupt mayor. 

The best part is when the alligator crashes Slade's daughter's wedding. Sue Lyon (in her last movie) has a small role as a reporter as does Mike Mazurki. John Sayles wrote the clever script and Lewis Teague directed before he made bigger budgeted films like CUJO (1983), CAT'S EYE (1985) and THE JEWEL OF THE NILE (1985).

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Covered

 

COVER ME BABE- 1970-Pretentious arty filmmaker (Robert Forster) likes to buck the system after losing out on a film grant. He refuses to cooperate with a Hollywood producer (Jeff Corey) and would rather film a person dying or a couple making out. In the end he loses everything but is such a smug self centered loser he doesn't seem to realize it. Sondra Locke, Sam Waterston and Regis Toomey co-star. It was directed by Noel Black who made JENNIFER ON MY MIND the next year and went into TV (THE WORLD BEYOND).

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Vigilante

VIGILANTE-1983-After his child is killed and his wife brutally beaten by a crazy street gang iron worker Eddie Moreno (Robert Forster) tries to seek justice through the court system but a stupid judge and a crooked lawyer (Joe Spinell) let off the one gang member on trial. Eddie goes bonkers in the courtroom and somehow winds up doing 30 days in the state penitentiary. Meanwhile Nick (bearded Fred Williamson) fights crime crime in his own way leading a vigilante force that beats up drug dealers and muggers. While in prison Eddie befriends Rake (Woody Strode) who helps him beat up some guys while he's taking a shower (did we really need a shot of Forster's naked ass?). The force beats up Horace the pimp and when Eddie gets out he joins the illegal crime fighters and kills the gang member who got off (Nick shoots the whore he was with) and then kills the gang member who actually killed his son. He even blows up the judge!

Bronx born Willam Lustig (MANIAC) directed this mean, depressing and violent exploitation movie (vigilantism themed movies were quite popular in the '80's) which also features Carol Lynley in a small role as Eddie's lawyer and Steve James as a cop. A few years later Lustig was back with MANIAC COP and its sequels.

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