User reviews

I bought the movie at a nearby Best Buy for the bargain price of $1 -- so I thought. After watching this extremely low budget, low talent movie, I wish that I could get my dollar back and spend those two hours walking the dog or cleaning my shoes. If you have absolutely nothing better to do and are in desperate need of something to do - read a book!

While I did not pay for a movie ticket for this film I had felt like I had just wasted 8 dollars at the AMC Cinema. The movie "Ghettoblaster" was completely predictable and had stereotyped any type of "drug dealing gang banger" in its rightful terms. The plot I can't even describe to you in full because I don't even know how or where the story and the plot ever really takes place. The characters as much as you want to like them don't even become likable. They are just there. Bruce Willis could have starred as the lead hero character while Nicholas Cage or any or devious villain could have been the head of the drug lord boss in this movie and they still would not have been able to keep my attention. The long of the short of it, instead of even spending a dollar on this film go out and spend time with friends family and loved ones. This abomination of a film needs to be kept in a vault and not be seen by the likes of anyones eyes ever again. I am sure the director of this film did the best he could, and the actors and actresses put forth their best efforts but the entire script should have been looked over more carefully before even being put into production. My buddy bought 200 plus films for 50 dollars and this I can honestly say is one of the movies that came upon the arrival of his purchase. "Ghettoblaster" is toast in this man's mind.

Ex-soldier Travis(Richard Hatch)returns to Los Angeles to visit his parents.He quickly learns that his hood is rife with criminal activity and gang warfare.People are terrorized by vicious punks from The Hammers gang.When his father is killed and his friend is burned alive Travis becomes remorseless vigilante.Very cheesy and surprisingly violent action flick with some jaw-dropping scenes of brutality.Even little girl is killed during gang warfare.There are some humorous moments in this fast-paced vigilante flick in the vein of "The Exterminator" and "Death Wish III".Richard Hatch is a decent hero and Diane Moser who plays Gina is truly beautiful.The clown scene is priceless.6 burned cats out of 10.

This was a cool little urban action Thriller that obviously went straight-to-video but that doesn't mean it ain't good because it is good!!! Infact it's great fun like a distant cousin of the Death Wish franchise or 'The Exterminator' Ghettoblaster is a fun little B-movie of the vigilante genre about an ordinary guy standing up to the gang crime in his neighbourhood after coming back to his old neighbourhood to visit his mum & dad & it has some really cool & some funny scenes that makes for fun late night entertainment. A very good movie worth finding if you enjoy these types of low budget straight-to-video Thrillers? I love them.

RICHARD HATCH (Party Line) was a video era actor who starred in some good direct-to-video movies like Dark Bar & Heated Vengeance & Party-Line, i liked his everyman look & likeable screen presence. Hatch looked the part of an 80's early 90's Low-budget B-movie star, the kind of guy who looked at home in those late-night erotic thriller's on t.v & would probably play a cop or an Vietnam vet. HATCH made his mark during the video era days & although not a big star or or a very recognisable actor he's worth checking out in the films of his I've mentioned. I've become a bit of a fan of his because of his urban vigilante thriller GHETTO BLASTER, made me search out other Richard Hatch movies.

Hatch makes for a decent ordinary guy hero & i loved the very 80's era rap soundtrack & like i said, this little Gem came out of that Awesome time of B-movie heaven that could be found on the shelves of video stores everywhere back in the good old days!!!! I loved the video era & am so glad i grew up during those days & we will never get those times again.

Robert Hatch (R. I. P) makes for a decent average joe type of Blue Collar hero & i like how he isn't intimidated by the gang known as "The Hammers" & he messes with them & plays tricks with them & it's so much fun to watch. Another great part to this flick is it's old school rap soundtrack that immediately transports you bk to those late 80's & early 90s times & films of that era.

I liked the sunny Los Angeles setting & the suburbs & night-time streets scenes all give it that urban feel. I love films where someone turns vigilante & takes out the scum because the law is useless!!! I love heroes that make a stand & won't back down to street scum & Richard Hatch is that guy in this action flick.

I liked the shop setting too where Hatch's dad works & to be honest although a low-budget production the film looks really good & the action sequences are decent & even the acting is Decent, although some of the gang members are typically corny but even that's adds to it's B-movie charm & it's an Exploitation flick too that has came from the success of older Vigilante action films such as "The Exterminator" & "Death Wish" & even the likes of "Rambo: First Blood" & "Above the Law aka: Nico" those types of action flicks.

"Ghetto Blaster" really is a fun little urban Thriller in my opinion & it was nice to have a lead hero that was just an average guy instead of a ripped-up martial artist type. I like this flick alot.

Richard Hatch really was a likable guy on screen & a decent actor.

This movie is full of skull cracking revenge. You know the kinda stuff we all wanna do those ghetto thugs. Admit it you want to blast some sense into some ghetto scum and in the process get it on with a hot blonde chick this and more is Ghetto Blaster. Watch the rocket propelled grenades make widows of ghetto crack whores. If you pi*** of the blaster of ghettos you will pay the ultimate price. This movie rocks, especially the scene with 1 bullet 5 kills.

It is practically impossible to list all the vigilante/personal vendetta action movies that were released during the 1970s and 1980s, following the tremendous success of the original "Death Wish". What I can make is a sort of distinction between them, though. In my (non-scientifically substantiated and modestly amateurish) opinion, there are two good categories of "vigilante" thrillers. One category contains reasonably well-produced and famous quality films that delve deeper into the drama elements and dwell longer on the personal suffering of the victims. Examples include "Vigilante", "Fighting Back", "the Principal", "Self Defense", etc. The other category consists of cheaply made and unpretentious action movies. No time is spent mourning victims here because that means less time for gratuitous violence, unnecessary nudity, and hopelessly exaggerated firepower. They are often far less known but worshiped by fans of raw exploitation cinema; - like me! Glorious highlights in this category are "The Exterminator", "Death Wish III", "The Punisher", "Blood Debts", "Executioner Part II", and this obscure late 80s gem called "Ghetto Blaster".

Alan Stewart's film still starts out rather heavy-toned and dramatic, with a written message and the death of a 12-year-old girl in a drive-by shooting, but then goes for pure exploitation kicks. Travis, with his adult daughter Lisa, returns to his parental house in the LA suburbs, but promptly notices the neighborhood has been taken over by a street gang named "The Hammers". They terrorize pedestrians, extort local shop-owners (including Travis' father), and torch innocent people and their cats. Since the police does nothing, Travis feels obliged to take the law into his own hands.

"Ghetto Blaster" works effectively because Richard Hatch is a likeable action hero, and because numerous sequences are overflowing with fun and a vivid imagination. Travis isn't too muscular, and he doesn't have a warehouse full of artillery, so he improvises like by dressing up like a clown to ruin a cocaine deal. The typically late 80s electro-soundtrack, romance sub plot, and vigilante-compilation are horrendous, but everything else is good fun. Recommended for undemanding 80s trash & exploitation lovers!

My review was written in January 1990 after watching the movie on Prism video cassette.

Hot topic of L. A. gang warfare gets a thoughtful treatment in "Ghetto Blaster", a direct-to-video feature.

Richard Hatch plays a guy who returns with his grown daughter to his boyhood home, finding a strange new world ruled by Latino gangs. His dad, R. G. Armstorng, is killed by punks at his grocery store, Hatch is terrorized and his daughter is kidnapped.

Trained in the Army for urban warfare, Hatch is more than a match for the gangs and cleans up the block in several well-done action scenes. Pic transcends genre cliches in the final reel by making some pointed comments about the current situation.