Defiance *** (1980, Jan-Michael Vincent, Theresa Saldana, Art Carney, Danny Aiello) – Classic Movie Review 8614

Director John Flynn’s 1980 vigilante crime action thriller Defiance stars Jan-Michael Vincent as New York City merchant marine sailor-drifter Tommy, who goes the Charles Bronson route and defiantly takes on an entire gang of violent thugs called the Souls who are menacing his rundown tenement block.

Flynn’s movie is an involving, better-than-expected action thriller, thanks to the likeable Vincent, reliable support (Art Carney, Theresa Saldana, Danny Aiello) and taut, tense and tough direction of the gritty, hard-boiled yarn.

Surprisingly, this humble pseudo-Western in a modern urban setting is quite credible, exciting and intelligent. Defiance is a cheaply made, tough and punchy film of unexpected high quality that overcomes its familiar premise with the tense handling and the involving screenplay by Thomas Michael Donnelly.

Defiance is violent but not too nasty.

Also in the cast are Fernando Lopez, Rudy Ramos, Lenny Montana, Santos Morales, Frank Pesce, Don Blakely, James Victor, Randy Hermann, Lee Fraser, Joseph Campanella and Alberto Vazquez.

Tony DiBenedetto from The Exterminator (1980) has an uncredited non-speaking cameo.

Jan-Michael Vincent (1945–2019).

Defiance is directed by John Flynn, runs 103 minutes, is made by Necta and Orion, is released by American International Pictures (1980) (US) and Rank (UK), is written by Thomas Michael Donnelly, from a story by Thomas Michael Donnelly and Mark Tulin, is shot by Ric Waite, is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and William S Gilmore, is scored by Dominic Frontiere, and designed by Bill Malley.

In real life, because of this film Theresa Saldana was hounded by a violent stalker, who stabbed her ten times in the body. But she survived and went on to play herself in a TV movie based on her story.

Vincent’s character Tommy tells a boy about a kid’s baby alligator and his parent who flushed it down the toilet. The alligator grew huge and killed people and men were sent after it down the sewer where it lived. By coincidence, this is the plot of the same year’s Alligator (1980).

Vincent’s final films are largely unseen and forgotten: Alienator (1990), The Divine Enforcer (1992), Deadly Heroes (1993), Lethal Orbit (1996) and his last film White Boy (2002).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8614

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