A Masterpiece!

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I was put on to this film by a friend of mine. It's a great flick with a good pace and interesting characters. Admitted some of the acting is a little shameful, but Jan Michael Vincent supplies us with a solid performance as the gruff ass kicking paraplegic with Knives in his wheel chair (how cool is that?). If you enjoyed the Warriors than this is definitely worth a watch.But why is this not on DVD? Have searched high and low and can't find it anywhere.Had to watch in poor VHS quality with German subs which was a little annoying, but did not detract from my enjoyment of the film.

Just bought this on video to see Jan Michael Vincent's part. What a fun movie this was! Urban decay as literal nightmare - huge ghetto apartment, graffiti everywhere, people out to kill you, gangs running rampant - this movie has it all! It captures 'scary' New York very well. I guess you might call it soft-core Blax-sploitation. The music is 80's, but the sheer adrenaline this movie creates still registers today. Jan Michael Vincent has one of the best cameos you will ever see in a movie! He plays 'Parker', a whacked out, bubba-Vietnam vet in a wheelchair (still handsome, but crazed!) who tries to help a remarkably decent-acting Ray Parker Jr. (Yes, the very same Ghostbusters singer in his first acting role) and his white companion. JMV gives an electrifying performance! One wishes he could have had more screen time - but it's well worth seeing his brilliant 10 minutes! Tony Todd (yes, the "Candyman" himself!) is also great as the "Vampire" gang leader in this.

Wimpy, down on his luck insurance salesman Barry Rapchick (well played by Gary Frank of TV's "Family" fame) is sent by his unsympathetic jerk boss into a rundown and dangerous inner city section of the Big Apple to get elderly retired schoolteacher Elva Briggs (a fabulously feisty Frances Foster) to sign a $100,000 dollar policy so Barry can collect a hefty commission. Barry runs afoul of the violent street gang the Vampires who are led by the ruthless and vicious the Count (deliciously essayed with eye-rolling, rip-snorting, scenery-gnashing hammy élan by a pre-"Candyman" Tony Todd). Pretty soon Barry's being chased around the dilapidated Lincoln Towers apartment complex by the Vampires, who want him dead after Barry accidentally kills one of their number. The only folks who come to Barry's aid are heroic telephone repairman Will Jackson (a pretty decent and likable turn by singer Ray Parker, Jr., who crooned the hit theme song for "Ghostbusters") and Briggs' comely granddaughter Toni (a splendidly sassy'n'sexy Stacey Dash).Capably directed with considerable aplomb by Peter Manoogian, with strong performances from a bang-up cast, polished cinematography by Ernest R. Dickerson, a nonstop fast pace, a substantial amount of tension, a nice cameo by Deborah Benson (one of the imperiled campers in the superior sylvan slasher "Just Before Dawn") as a secretary, lots of gut-busting profane dialogue, several amusing moments of inspired witty humor, and frequent outbursts of excitingly staged action, this nifty little picture makes for a fun reprise of "Assault on Precinct 13th" which substitutes the projects for a police station. WARNING: Possible *SPOILER* ahead. My sole quibble: Jan-Michael Vincent's neat turn as Parker, a bitter, crippled Vietnam veteran who's so paranoid that he lives in a heavily armored bunker and has a motorized wheelchair which comes complete with a cool knife-throwing device is unfortunately cut short way too soon when a pistol-packing thug fatally blasts him right in the chest. That minor criticism aside, this flick overall earns top marks as one highly enjoyable and unjustly overlooked sleeper.

This movie, i must have watched it 40 times...but not in the last 10 years, would love to watch and see if it still scares me, it invoked alot of emotion in me as a child...racism....hatred...violence...all wrapped up into one big burrito is what you have here...i loved this movie, and it was my first exposure to a VERY underrated actor, Tony Todd...although reaching mimimal success as candyman...and recently as a 2 bit part of a mortician in final destination...he is very good onstage with the creepy image, needs to be his own villain!!! wtg tony 10:10