Fighting Back

Fighting Back (UK title: Death Vengeance) is a 1982 vigilante action thriller film written by Thomas Hedley Jr and David Zelag Goodman and directed by Lewis Teague. The film stars Tom Skerritt, Patti LuPone, Michael Sarrazin, Yaphet Kotto, David Rasche, Lewis Van Bergen, Earle Hyman, and Ted Ross. Plot The film opens with Philadelphia television reporters viewing and broadcasting a news story about violence in society since JFK's assassination in 1963. With the increase in crime, Philadelphia is becoming unsafe. Proud Italian-American, John D'Angelo, runs a deli in town. While driving with his wife, Lisa, John comes across a pimp known as Eldorado, brutalizing one of his prostitutes. John's wife confronts the pimp, who chases the D'Angelos and rams his car into the back of the D'Angelos' vehicle, injuring Lisa and killing their unborn baby. Later, John's mother, Vera, is assaulted in the neighborhood by robbers who tried to take her wedding ring. John decides to make a stand, organizing a neighborhood patrol of regular citizens who are also fed up with the crime in their neighborhood. They call themselves The People's Neighborhood Patrol (PNP). They have their own uniforms of blue hats and vests that have a PNP logo on them, headquarters to take phone calls, and vehicles containing the PNP logo and led by John and his best friend Vince Morelli, a police officer. After D'Angelo's house is burglarized and their dog is killed, the film cuts to the reporters' studio footage of Anthony Imperiale ten years after the 1967 Newark riots, self-defense classes in Beverly Hills, various target practice sessions and the Guardian Angels on patrol in New York City. With Vince's help, the police allow the PNP to patrol the neighborhood. However, the PNP seems to operate with no regard for the law and does what it wants. To make their first stand and to introduce themselves to the neighborhood, the group goes to a dirty bar in town known for being a hot spot for criminals, including Eldorado and his men. John casually walks into the bar with the rest of the PNP behind him. John confronts the bartender (Allan Graf) to try to get answers as to who is responsible for mugging his mother. Things turn violent when the bartender laughs in John's face, triggering an all-out brawl, but the PNP comes out on top. John and the PNP start gaining media attention, and the neighborhood starts to rally behind the PNP. The group starts taking out various street criminals.