The Death Collector

I have have always loved B-pictures. Sometimes they are good, sometimes awful, and sometimes very interesting. they usually appear to have been made in someones apartment, or outside the back door, but hey, aspiring film makers have to learn somehow! This film is neither good, or bad, but is an interesting look at Joe Pesci before he became a star. There is no mistaking him - he dominates every scene he is in. His star potential obliterates the rest of the cast.

Other than that, the tea-cosy hair do's and atrocious 70's clothing make this an OK time waster. As it comes on a budget DVD with two other B pictures (one of them a C actually) I don't recommend renting it. Just buy the cheap DVD and watch it with friends one wet weekend.

a very surprisingly underrated movie. very realistic. and authentic .with great Dialogue. being Italian, i can definitely relate to the situations and phrases used. I thought Joe Cortese was great. as a crazy mob cowboy type, and pesci and Vincent were great also. I liked the actor Criscuolo who played the boss. He was very authentic. i think the director Ralph devito was on his way to great things , but was cut down too early , maybe because he knew too much. i thought it was great. it deserved more airplay and recognition. it was a sleeper movie. great. very good. it really had good authenticity. it was well done.

Has anyone ever read or heard comments by Scorsese or David Chase ( Soprano's Exec. Producer) about "Death Collector/Family Enforcer"? I bought the DVD after not having seen it for a while on cable (like 20 years), but having seen "Goodfellas" and the entire "Sopranos" run to date. In retrospect, both guys must have seen Death Collector/Family Enforcer and absorbed the flavor ,perhaps inspiring the tone for their masterworks, both of which the polar opposite of the romanticized Godfather trilogy. Being a Jersey guy, it is interesting to see how the Jersey meadowlands have evolved since the mid-70's. It is not the swampy dumping ground it used to be although once in a while a body will turn up in a local waterway. Also, it's a little bittersweet to seen a newly constructed World Trade Center in the across the river in the opening and closing scene. Who could have imagined?

"The Death Collector" is a very cheaply made film with mostly lesser-known actors although the posters play up Joe Pesci being in the film, as he became a huge star in later years. And, with such an inexpensive project, you expect the film to stink. However, oddly, it didn't. Now I am NOT saying it's a great film by any standard, but considering the costs involved the finished product has some merit.

Jerry Bolanti (Joe Cortese) is a young punk who wants to work his way up through the mob the quick way. Despite having little in the way of common sense, he manages to get a job as a debt collector and he seems well on his way up the chain of command. Suddenly, he's somebody. However, when one of his cases goes sour and nearly kills him, soon he's in serious trouble...and practically everyone seems ready to kill him!! What's next?

The worst thing about the film is its uneven acting. Some is quite good...some seems a bit amateurish. However, it's never dull...and that makes it worth seeing.

I should point out that this film is NOT for everyone. It's really violent and early in the film there is some pretty extreme nudity. Do not show it to your kids or Father O'Malley if he drops by for a visit!

I saw a version of this in a 4 DVD Mafia collection put out by Brentwood and I have to admit that it was a good film. The quality was a little worse for the wear, but it was a well acted and realistic drama involving low level New Jersey gangsters. Pesci once again though, steels the show!