The Night of the Executioner (1992)

 

(Original Title: La noche del ejecutor) A Death Wish clone with Paul Naschy in the role of Charles Bronson.

 

A family is out grocery shopping to prepare for a family celebration.

Rosa (Loreto Valverde) the daughter, Doctor Hugo Arranz (Paul Naschy) and his wife (Nené Morales) 

Unfortunately for the Arranz family, they're being watched by a punk gang.

The gang follows the Arranz clan to their home.

A wholesome celebration.

The punks arrive.

Rosa is terrified.

Mrs. Arranz (Nené Morales) is taken to the bedroom.

She's brutally raped.

She's finally murdered.

Hugo and his daughter Rosa are being held in the living room. 

Hugo has his tongue cut out.

Next, they move on to Rosa, resulting in an extremely brutal rape-murder.

She's laid on the coffee table and the punks take turns.

What's particularly crazy about this scene - do you see the female punk?...

That's Marta Valverde as Lola... Loreto Valverde's sister!  Just a'watching her real-life sister get stripped naked, gang banged and then strangled to death.  

The punks leave and reconvene in a back alley.

The leader arrives - Cobra.  You don't see his face; he's very much like Dr. Claw on Inspector Gadget.

Elvira (Adriana Vega) speaks with Hugo in the hospital.

The police are on the case.  Olga (? actress) is interviewed as she may hold the key to identifying the murderers.

... But not if the murderers get to her first.

What's Hugo up to?  He's training like a man possessed to enact his revenge.

No longer the simpering pussy who sat by while his wife and daughter were raped and murdered.  He's lifting weights and learning to kill.

Hugo goes for practice, easily killing a couple of lightweight thugs.

Mati (Paloma Cela) helps him find the baddies.

He locates Lola and shoots her in the face.

I love that there's a Schwarzenegger poster right next to him.

Hugo closes in on the rest of the punks; lots of explosions and random acts of violence.

Punk Ralph goes to see Dr. Claw (technically he's Commissioner of the Criminal Brigade played by Manuel Zarzo, but we still don't see his face). The main baddie is currently painting a nude women - a sneaky way to include some gratuitous nudity.

A kid has been shot!

Roque (Sergio Molina) is dead!  The punks have taken things too far.

Now Roque's mother is shot!

Hugo is saved by a mysterious person in motorcycle gear - who turns out to be Elvira.

Hugo finally takes out Dr. Claw. THE END

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The opening sequence is as brutal and terrifying as any of the Death Wish films.  But then, for me, the film seems to lose steam and becomes lost.  Yes, we do get to see Hugo prepare for his revenge, but in between are rather irrelevant and boring tangents.  So, a powerful beginning - one I won't soon forget - but then turns into a stinker, with a few moments of crazy violence that will briefly snap you out of boredom. 

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆6/10