The Annihilators (1985) New World Pictures/Action RT: 83 minutes Rated R (language, strong violence, nudity, drugs) Director: Charles E. Sellier Jr. Screenplay: Brian Russell Music: Bob Summers Cinematography: Henning Schellerup Release date: November 15, 1985 (Philadelphia, PA) Cast: Christopher Stone, Gerrit Graham, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Andy Wood, Paul Koslo, Jim Antonio, Dennis Redfield, Sid Conrad, Millie Fisher, Bruce Taylor, Bruce Evers, Hugh Jarrett, John Lawhorn, Mimi Honce. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ****
New World Pictures will always hold a special place in my B-movie loving heart and of all the movies they put out in the 80s, The Annihilators is one of my favorites.
It’s a vigilante movie that came out roughly the same time as Death Wish 3 (a Cannon Films release, my other favorite B-movie studio). This violent revenge actioner looks like it was shot on a budget of $19.99. It’s set in Atlanta, but was filmed in some God-forsaken slum that makes Skid Row look gentrified. For all I know, it was filmed in the same neighborhood as C.H.U.D. It’s the kind of exploitation movie that begs to be seen in a crappy urban grindhouse theater just so you can hear the audience shout and cheer each time an act of violence occurs.
Believe me when I say The Annihilators is violent with a capital V. Within the first 15 minutes, some poor guy gets his head smashed in with a meat hammer. That’s the killing that acts as the catalyst for a group of Vietnam vets taking the law into their own hands. And why shouldn’t they? The police can’t seem to do anything about the gang activity in the area. Since Charles Bronson was otherwise occupied at Cannon, our heroes come in the form of actors willing to work cheap.
All signs point to The Annihilators being absolute garbage and it is! But that’s precisely what I love about it. It’s a movie no self-respecting movie buff should even bother with, but since I don’t take myself as seriously as some of these folks, I find it easy to enjoy movies like The Annihilators.
The action starts in Vietnam circa 1972 when a troop of soldiers are sent by “Popeye” to take out an enemy bunker. One guy, Joe (Redfield, Dead & Buried), proves himself a hero by saving the lives of his brothers-in-arms. Unfortunately, his act of valor lands him in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down.
Jump ahead to present day where we find Joe running a small corner store with his elderly father (Conrad, Wisdom). The neighborhood is under the control of Roy Boy Jagger (Koslo, The Stone Killer) and the Rollers. Sounds like a 50s rock group, doesn’t it? They extort money from all the businesses and beat up anybody that doesn’t pay “protection”. Joe believes something should be done about it and attempts to get the rest of the business owners on board. Roy Boy shows up and beats some sense into him with the aforementioned meat hammer. You shouldn’t have done that, Roy Boy. You’re in deep s*** now.
The grief-stricken father pleads with Joe’s former commanding officer, Sgt. Bill (Stone, Cujo), to help them get rid of the street gangs. Bill calls in Joe’s old unit- Ray (Graham, Used Cars), Garrett (Jacobs, Welcome Back, Kotter) and Woody (Wood, Rambo: First Blood Part II) – for one last mission. It’s only fair, Joe saved their lives during the war. Speaking of war, that’s what happens on the streets once these dudes spring into action. Raining on their parade is Lt. Hawkins (Antonio, Big Shots), a cop that doesn’t want vigilantes stirring up trouble. Gee, you’d think he’d be grateful for whatever help he can get.
If there’s one thing that The Annihilators isn’t lacking in, it’s action! Once the guys do a bit of recon, they set out to put an end to Roy Boy’s reign of terror. Not only do they train the residents to fight back, they also steal a huge shipment of heroin that the Rollers were escorting through town for the Columbians. The final 20 minutes are awesome as our heroes and the townspeople kick some major scumbag ass. I refuse to believe that some people don’t find this kind of thing exciting. There has to be a small part in everybody that thinks this is cool.
For me, the climax excuses all of the film’s shortcomings of which there are many. Like most of the acting. Oh boy, is it ever terrible! Even at 17, I sat there are laughed at Koslo’s shameless overacting. Is his performance some kind of joke? The other gang members are assorted thugs of different shapes, sizes and colors. They don’t deliver performances; they’re merely cattle lining up to be slaughtered.
I have to admit I like the lead actors. There’s something really cool about that foursome. I’ve always liked Jacobs (aka Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington) and it’s interesting to see Graham in something other than a comedy. None of what they do is top-notch acting, but it works in the context of a B-movie like The Annihilators.
The cheap production values really add a lot to the sleaze factor. It’s directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr., the man responsible for the controversial 1984 slasher Silent Night, Deadly Night. What’s hysterical about that is he used to produce wholesome entertainment like The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, In Search of Historic Jesus, Hangar 18 and Earthbound. What a major change of pace!
I know many people scoff at sleazy, low budget pictures like The Annihilators, but I say there’s fun to be had with movies like that. Granted, they’re not for everybody, especially those who live on a steady diet of prestigious art films. I consider myself a well-rounded movie buff; I like all kinds of movies. I rate them on their own terms and for what it is, The Annihilators is great!
