The Ravager
The Ravager
| 14 January 1970 (USA)
The Ravager Trailers

While serving in Vietnam, a demolitionist witnesses the brutal torture/rape/murder of a young woman… ultimately, he becomes a serial rapist and killer himself, preferring explosives as his murder weapon of choice.

Reviews
HumanoidOfFlesh

A soldier in Vietnam goes insane after seeing two enemy soldiers brutally raping an innocent woman.As a result he is sent to a hospital for several months and sent back to the U.S.But though released he is not cured and becomes a rapist with a tendency to dynamite couples having sex.Very amateurish and suitably dull Vietnam vet turns into killer exploitation sickie.The opening scene set in Vietnam where two men rape,beat and blow-up a girl with dynamite is supposed to act as the trigger for the killer when he returns to the USA.What follows are several rather tame scenes of rape and murder as the killer attempts to recreate the scene he witnessed in Vietnam.The acting is awful,the nudity is frequent and the quality of my SWV copy is jumpy and worn out.6 out of 10.

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EyeAskance

Joe, a Vietnam War serviceman who witnessed a girl raped, beaten, and blown to bits, develops a unique serial killer/rapist identity on returning to the states---- his big thrill is blowing folks up with sticks of dynamite(which he purchases casually over the counter at the local explosives retail shop). Initially, his targets for obliteration are social deviants...sex-crazed juveniles, lesbians, and other undesirable misfits of society. Eventually, he broadens his scope and anyone is fair game...even an innocent housewife and her nine-year-old son. During these acts of violence, Joe makes strange, twitchy orgasm faces and sweats profusely. On screen action is occasionally punctuated by some especially sleazy elevator muzak, and there's a memorably nasty barbecued lezzy bit.This is possibly the first film to deal with 'Nam vet psychosis, far ahead of the porn sickie FORCED ENTRY(which is generally recognized as the first, though an obscure 1967 film called ODDO is reputed to touch on these issues...has anyone seen it?). Directed by Charles Nizet(the genius behind "HELP ME...I'M POSSESSED"), this Las Vegas area lensed monstrosity can stand tall with the seediest of grindhouse cinema. That said, it is also microscopically more technically adept than some of its contemporaries. Don't get me wrong, though...this is rotgut swill all the way, but clearly there was some meager semblance of proficiency in the mix. Trashy-as-hell looking cast, too....probably all regulars from the same dive bar where Nizet fell into his nightly cups. Trash film mongers will get a bang out of this artless ordure. Something Weird Video's print is extremely worn, but for something like this, very few will be likely to make a fuss. 5.5/10

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