Jan Michael Vincent takes Manhattan

Defiance. One more fine example of New York cinema from 1980, that stars Jan Michael Vincent as a merchant marine dropped off in New York and ends up in the slums and against his better judgment, stand up to the local gang known as the Souls that are lead by a guy who looks like he cam in fourth place in the Father Guido Sarducci lookalike contest.

J.M.V plays Tommy, a merchant marine kicked off his boat for reasons unknown and has little money so he is told by a friend he can live in a gang terrorized block of NY for cheap and Tommy has no choice but to live in a crappy apartment next to Danny Aiello, who is a member of the Sportsmen, a bunch of washed up dudes who have from a guys club in order to drink beers and have jackets with their “club” name on the back.

Tommy has his first introduction to the sportsmen by way of getting a stolen fish thrown into his lap, later that night Tommy is learning to speak Spanish only to be disrupted by the Sportsmen having a party complete with loud music, Tommy asks them to turn down their music but they choose to turn up the volume and Tommy uses his noodle by slamming a basketball towards their wall until they realized it was to loud.

As Defiance progresses Tommy befriends a Latino child, a Jewish lady who is rather annoying, but since he has been around dudes for too long, he boinks her anyways, and a ex-boxer named whacko. All of these people color up is lively neighborhood that is controlled by the Souls that have got the locals too scared to tell the police on the Souls.

Tommy is just fine with doing gay ass portraits of boats and banging an annoying lady who dreams of one day leaving the dump she dwells in. The action heats up when the Shopkeeper go to the police after a shakedown at a Bingo night… Tommy goes apeshit on some gang members for beating up the Latino child and trashing the broad’s plants. Tommy is now the hero like it or not, the people feel like the Souls are losing power but Tommy just wants the get the fuck out NY and back to a boat with mad dudes on it, after getting jumped by the Souls and finding Whacko dead in a pile of trash.

Defiance is perfect viewing material for fans of Deathwish or the warriors, one man army is a great genre of film and as you know that if one man stands up against the bad guys aka Father Guido Douchey, it usually leads to the uplifting climax with the neighborhood standing up to the villains. Defiance has one of the most amazing soundtracks, I ever heard and it may beat of kickboxer as one of my favorite soundtracks, Stan Bush would be proud. Don't be a peckerhead, just watch it.