Bullet Points: Fighting Back

I am always up for some vigilante action. I am also always up for revisiting movies that I have not seen in years… sometimes even decades.

1982’s Fighting Back fit both of those criteria, plus nobody had ever covered it here on Bulletproof Action, until now…

• In South Philadelphia: John D’Angelo (Tom Skerritt, Top Gun) is a proud Philadelphian, who owns and operates his own Italian delicatessen. While others from his neighborhood are moving out, John’s pride will not allow it, even after events that would send most people packing. For example… one afternoon John, his pregnant wife Lisa (Patti LuPone, Parker), his elderly mother Vera and his young son Danny are driving home when Lisa spots a pimp roughing up one of his girls, while the D’Angelo’s are at a stop. Lisa jumps out of the car to do something about it… which forces John to get out (with his gun) and prevent anything from happening to his wife. Words are exchanged, threats are made and the pimp jumps in his Cadillac (possibly what earned him the name El Dorado) and we have a car chase on the streets of Philadelphia. The chase ends right in front of the D’Angelo home, when El Dorado rear ends the D’Angelo’s almost sending them INTO their home… the force of the crash violently forces Lisa out of her seat and she instantly knows something is wrong. El Dorado takes off. Lisa is rushed to the hospital and it is there we learn that she had a miscarriage.

• But Wait There’s More: With Lisa still recovering in the hospital, the rest of the D’Angelo’s are back to work at the deli… Vera is calling it a night and John insists that she let Danny walk her home, but before she goes home Vera wants to stop at the drug store to pick up her prescription… her timing could not have possibly been any worse. As Vera and Danny enter, they happen upon two masked men robbing the place… the pharmacist, Harry Janelli (played by the genius of himself, Pat Cooper) ends up shot in the shoulder, Vera is attacked and has her finger cut off so the thieves can get her wedding ring. Danny is traumatized and John D’Angelo is PISSED!, John now has two loved ones in the hospital and he is giving his cop friend, Vince Morelli (Michael Sarrazin, Crackerjack 2) an earful about it.
• Call to Arms: After his family was victimized by the rampant crime and violence, John D’Angelo calls a community meeting at his deli. John proposes a citizens group that will work with the police to help clean up their neighborhood. John gives one hell of a passionate pitch and the next thing you know the People’s Neighborhood Patrol (or PNP for those in the know) is born. They turn an old firehouse into their base of operations. The guys are learning CPR and having the time of their lives doing it. John even creates his own “vigilante mobile” much to the chagrin of Officer Vince Morelli, something that will become a theme going forward as hot head John D’Angelo gets deeper and deeper into his crusade. The PNP introduce themselves to the neighborhood by going to the bar where El Dorado hangs out and in classic action movie fashion, a big bar fight breaks out… including John going after the bartender (played by Allan Graff or RoboCop and Over the Top fame).

• Rollercoaster: Fighting Back is a wild ride for John D’Angelo filled with ups and downs… He becomes a media darling for his community cleanup efforts, but his home is trashed and the D’Angelo family dog is killed in brutal fashion.. He gets his proverbial flowers from the community, but also has to deal with a drug dealer selling smack to kids at Danny’s school… John is meeting with political advisors who want him to challenge for councilman and with a mafia don.
• The Park is Mine: Things really come to head when John’s lifelong friend, Vince Morelli, falls into a trap at the neighborhood park set by El Dorado and his goons… This actually gets John in hot water with the police, who have been keeping an eye on his activities since the PNP started. But in classic vigilante movie fashion, there’s a nice little twist that opens the door for the most satisfying of endings… I don’t think I am wrong in saying, Best Water Balloon Ever!

The Lewis Teague directed Fighting Back was a rooted in reality vigilante movie, more akin to the original Death Wish than the over the top Death Wish sequels and copycats that would follow. Tom Skerritt gives a great performance as the hot tempered John D’Angelo. D’Angelo is a flawed anti-hero, who has to deal with his own prejudices and anger issues and he very well could have ended up like Charles Bronson’s Paul Kersey and totally consumed with the vigilante life. But the big difference for John is his “vigilante life” was not a secret to anyone and he still had family and friends around him so they could pull him back from the brink.

I don’t think I could pull any of you away from reading these Bonus Bullet Points and I wouldn’t want to…

• Familiar Face: Yaphet Kotto (Eye of the Tiger and Live and Let Die) played Ivanhoe Washington. Much like John, Ivanhoe was sick and tired of what was happening to his neighborhood… although that may be where their similarities end. Despite their philosophical differences, Ivanhoe does John a a solid by tracking down the two thugs that attacked John’s mother at the drug store. If I had one complaint about Fighting Back it was that there wasn’t enough Ivanhoe in it.
• If You Ever: …wanted to see Tom Skerritt get into a behind the counter brawl at a fast food chicken joint, then Fighting Back is the movie for you.
• Name That Tune: The movie wraps up on election night and there’s a band playing at D’Angelo’s deli giving it a real festive atmosphere. Among the songs that were played was the familiar tune of “Funiculi, Funicula”.