# Death Force > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Death_Force > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Death_Force.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Force > Source revision: 1339289761 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1978 martial arts exploitation film by Cirio H. Santiago Death Force Theatrical release poster Directed by Cirio H. Santiago Written by Howard R. Cohen Story by Cirio H. Santiago Robert E. Waters Produced by Robert E. Waters Starring James Iglehart Carmen Argenziano Leon Isaac Kennedy Jayne Kennedy Release date November 15, 1978 (1978-11-15) Running time 96 minutes 110 minutes (uncut version) Countries United States Philippines Language English ***Death Force*** (also known as ***Vengeance Is Mine***)[1] is a 1978 [martial arts](/source/Martial_arts_film) [exploitation film](/source/Exploitation_film) directed by [Cirio H. Santiago](/source/Cirio_H._Santiago) and written by [Howard R. Cohen](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Howard_R._Cohen&action=edit&redlink=1).[2] The film is an international co-production of the Philippines and the United States, and stars [blaxploitation](/source/Blaxploitation) actor [James Iglehart](/source/James_Iglehart) alongside [Carmen Argenziano](/source/Carmen_Argenziano), [Leon Isaac Kennedy](/source/Leon_Isaac_Kennedy), and [Jayne Kennedy](/source/Jayne_Kennedy).[3] Iglehart plays Doug Russell, a veteran of the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War) turned gold smuggler who is left for dead by his partners and, after being trained to wield a [samurai sword](/source/Samurai_sword) by a Japanese soldier, seeks revenge on those who betrayed him. Iglehart's real son, [James Monroe Iglehart](/source/James_Monroe_Iglehart) appears briefly as Jimmy Russell, Doug's infant son. ## Cast - [James Iglehart](/source/James_Iglehart) as Doug Russell - [Carmen Argenziano](/source/Carmen_Argenziano) as Morelli - [Leon Isaac Kennedy](/source/Leon_Isaac_Kennedy) as McGee[4] - [Jayne Kennedy](/source/Jayne_Kennedy) as Maria Russell[4] - [Jose Mari Avellana](/source/Jose_Mari_Avellana) - [Joonee Gamboa](/source/Joonee_Gamboa) - [James Monroe Iglehart](/source/James_Monroe_Iglehart) as Jimmy Russell - Armando Federico as Rico - [Darnell Garcia](/source/Darnell_Garcia) as Hitman - [Vic Diaz](/source/Vic_Diaz) as Chinaman ## Premise American soldiers Doug Russell ([James Iglehart](/source/James_Iglehart)), McGee ([Leon Isaac Kennedy](/source/Leon_Isaac_Kennedy)) and Morelli ([Carmen Argenziano](/source/Carmen_Argenziano)) serving in [Vietnam](/source/Vietnam) are selling gold bars on the [black market](/source/Black_market). Upon their arrival stateside Morelli convinces McGee to betray Russell. Believing that they killed Russell, Morelli and McGee begin taking over the criminal underworld in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles). Meanwhile, Russell washes up on a beach of a [Pacific Island](/source/Pacific_Island). There he is discovered by two surviving Japanese soldiers who have been on the Island since before [World War II](/source/World_War_II). The senior officer decides to teach Russell the ways of [Samurai](/source/Samurai) sword fighting. After healing up and learning all the knowledge to defeat his enemies Russell heads to Los Angeles. He finds his family is gone and his enemies are now in charge of all crime in the city. Russell begins dismantling Morelli and McGee's [crime syndicate](/source/Crime_syndicate) one member at a time. Once Russell exacts revenge against Morelli and McGee he is reunited with his wife Maria ([Jayne Kennedy](/source/Jayne_Kennedy)) and son Jimmy ([James Monroe Iglehart](/source/James_Monroe_Iglehart)). ## Home media In September 2013, *Death Force* was released on [DVD](/source/DVD) by [Vinegar Syndrome](/source/Vinegar_Syndrome_(company)) as a [double feature](/source/Double_feature) with the 1978 film *Vampire Hookers*, which was also directed by Santiago.[5] In June 2014, *Death Force* was released on DVD and [Blu-ray](/source/Blu-ray) in Germany by Subkultur Entertainment.[6] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Hunter, Rob (March 21, 2018). ["The Best Movies You've Never Seen Featuring Unexpected Swordplay"](https://www.slashfilm.com/best-sword-movies/). *[/Film](/source/%2FFilm)*. Retrieved December 15, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Smith, Richard Harland (May 11, 2016). ["This Week on TCM Underground: Death Force (1978) and Clay Pigeon (1971)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191216013707/http://streamline.filmstruck.com/2016/05/11/this-week-on-tcm-underground-death-force-1978-and-clay-pigeon/). *[Streamline](/source/FilmStruck)*. [Turner Classic Movies](/source/Turner_Classic_Movies). Archived from [the original](http://streamline.filmstruck.com/2016/05/11/this-week-on-tcm-underground-death-force-1978-and-clay-pigeon/) on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Parish, James Robert; Hill, George H. (1989). *Black Action Films: Plots, Critiques, Casts and Credits for 235 Theatrical and Made-For-Television Releases*. [McFarland](/source/McFarland_%26_Company). pp. 63, 232. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0899504568](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0899504568). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-berry_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-berry_4-1) Berry, S. Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2007). [*Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema (Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts Book 12)*](https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000berr/page/198). [Scarecrow Press](/source/Scarecrow_Press). p. [198](https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000berr/page/198). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0810855458](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0810855458). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Thompson, Nathaniel (August 31, 2013). ["Death Force / Vampire Hookers"](https://www.mondo-digital.com/deathforce.html). *Mondo Digital*. Retrieved December 15, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Ein Mann wird zum Killer - Death Force - Grindhouse Collection Vol. 2 Blu-ray"](https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Ein-Mann-wird-zum-Killer-Death-Force-Grindhouse-Collection-Vol-2-Blu-ray/104569/). *Blu-ray.com*. Retrieved December 15, 2019. ## External links - [*Death Force*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076024/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) v t e Films directed by Cirio H. Santiago Laban sa Lahat (1958) Ging (1964) Savage! (1973) Fly Me (1973) Fe, Esperanza, Caridad (1974) TNT Jackson (1975) Cover Girl Models (1975) Ebony, Ivory & Jade (1976) The Muthers (1976) Vampire Hookers (1978) Death Force (1978) Firecracker (1981) Stryker (1983) Final Mission (1984) The Devastator (1985) Wheels of Fire (1985) Naked Vengeance (1985) Future Hunters (1986) Silk (1986) Eye of the Eagle (1987) Equalizer 2000 (1987) Demon of Paradise (1987) The Sisterhood (1988) Fast Gun (1988) The Expendables (1988) Nam Angels (1989) Silk 2 (1989) Dune Warriors (1991) Field of Fire (1991) Raiders of the Sun (1992) Angelfist (1993) Firehawk (1993) Kill Zone (1993) One Man Army (1994) Stranglehold (1994) When Eagles Strike (2003) Water Wars (2014) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Death Force](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Force) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Force?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.