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due to his injuries, attempts to get his life back together. Finding himself reunited with an old girlfriend, Sally (Cheryl Hausen) and his war buddies, he feels he may have successfully re-established his life. However, this happiness is quickly cut short when a murderous cult led by an enigmatic
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has arisen around this film. Josh Becker's website is notable for comments of some fans of the film, who hail it as one of the great works in
American filmography. Some groups have even devoted significant new artwork to the film, including reimaging the soundtrack, re-editing the film and other
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The cast of the film consists largely of unknowns, because most of the smaller roles are filled by Becker's friends and relatives. Some, however, have been featured in other films, largely those produced by
Renaissance Pictures or otherwise involving Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell or Josh Becker.
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547:) and man" and fight back. What follows is a war between the two groups, ending in numerous deaths, including the cult leader's; the exchange between the cult leader and Stryker is as follows:
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Vetsploitation was a viable
Hollywood genre in the late '70s and throughout much of the '80s. "First Blood," "The Exterminator," "Thou Shalt Not Kill… Except"… even "Taxi Driver" to a degree.
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The dialogue between
Stryker and the cult leader - where the latter declares: "I am Jesus Christ", and Stryker retorts: "No you're not...you're dead" - is sampled at the beginning of the
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Upon which
Stryker shoots Raimi's character in the chest, and he careens into a river, eventually being impaled on a motorcycle, and their brutal war is ended.
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After Sally is tortured and
Stryker and his compatriots find the cult torturing police officers near his house, they arm themselves up and decide to - as the
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puts it - "break the laws of both God (the title is a reference to one of the
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Having come home after half of his squadron was killed during the
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1103:"Category. Vetsploitation. From The Grindhouse Cinema Database"
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1016:"10 VETSPLOITATION MOVIES TO WATCH OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND"
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as hood crushed under the car/shot cult leader (uncredited)
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is fairly obscure, but maintains a small following as an
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on
October 13, 1985, and was later released to video in
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952:"Release Info for Thous Shalt Not Kill...Except"
555:! Stryker: "No, you're not — you're dead.
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532:-like figure, portrayed by director and writer
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854:in the late 1980s. It was later released on
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744:Learn how and when to remove this message
507:Learn how and when to remove this message
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
616:Terry-Lynn Brumfield as sleazy cult girl
576:Robert Rickman as Sgt. Walker J. Jackson
1371:Films with screenplays by Scott Spiegel
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759:was originally produced in 1980 as a
579:John Manfredi as 2nd Lt. David Miller
573:Brian Schulz as Sergeant Jack Stryker
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866:in 2002. This version is currently
722:adding citations to reliable sources
44:adding citations to reliable sources
1381:Films with screenplays by Sam Raimi
808:, handled primarily by press agent
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1044:"Vetsploitation. List by Jarrett"
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675:as video newscaster (uncredited)
613:Ivitch Fraser as young cult girl
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1071:Smith, Jeremy (June 10, 2020).
994:"Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except"
804:. The film's release was, like
582:Tim Quill as Lt. Cpt. Tim Tyler
411:. It was written by Becker and
55:"Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except"
31:needs additional citations for
1306:American action thriller films
1301:American horror thriller films
1211:Cleveland Smith: Bounty Hunter
1107:The Grindhouse Cinema Database
1014:Sweeney, Sean (May 25, 2018).
610:Connie Craig as bald cult girl
430:The film held its premiere in
415:from a story by Becker, actor
387:Thou Shalt Not Kill ... Except
1:
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1391:Films scored by Joseph LoDuca
1321:Films directed by Josh Becker
1219:Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except
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757:Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except
171:Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except
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634:Scott Mitchell as Mad Hatter
442:on 21 May 1987, followed by
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1336:American exploitation films
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135:to comply with Knowledge's
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323:October 13, 1985
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864:Anchor Bay Entertainment
628:Al Johnston as big biker
625:Kirk Haas as the Stabber
489:improve the plot summary
148:may contain suggestions.
133:may need to be rewritten
841:Film World Distributors
446:on March 31, 1999. The
331: (Warren, Michigan)
308:Film World Distributors
1227:Lunatics: A Love Story
681:as Marine (uncredited)
588:Perry Mallette as Otis
585:Cheryl Hausen as Sally
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480:needs an improved
334:May 21, 1987
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396:, is a 1985 American
249:Timothy Patrick Quill
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1204:Torro! Torro! Torro!
890:Stockton, California
883:A small but devoted
835:theatrically in the
814:The Book of the Dead
800:effects created for
718:improve this section
643:Glenn Barr as Archer
298:Renaissance Pictures
40:improve this article
1024:. Semanal Media LLC
551:Cult leader: "I am
525:honorable discharge
1191:Films directed by
1109:. February 4, 2024
916:In popular culture
594:Jim Griffen as Dad
165:1985 American film
1351:Films about cults
1316:Vietnam War films
1311:1985 horror films
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1251:If I Had a Hammer
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316:Release dates
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282:Joseph LoDuca
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29:This article
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1243:Running Time
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1111:. Retrieved
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1084:February 29,
1082:. Retrieved
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1056:February 17,
1054:. Retrieved
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1026:. Retrieved
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998:. Retrieved
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868:out of print
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756:
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734:October 2019
731:
716:Please help
704:
679:Don Campbell
622:as Chain Man
599:Cult Members
558:
553:Jesus Christ
550:
538:
528:but unnamed
518:
503:
497:October 2019
494:
487:Please help
482:plot summary
479:
455:cult classic
436:West Germany
429:
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403:directed by
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351:Running time
151:
142:You can help
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96:October 2019
93:
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62:
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38:Please help
33:verification
30:
1193:Josh Becker
1113:February 5,
1028:February 4,
926:Out of Hand
667:Josh Becker
657:David Kelly
521:Vietnam War
452:underground
405:Josh Becker
401:horror film
273:Josh Becker
265:Josh Becker
228:Produced by
213:Josh Becker
201:Josh Becker
192:Josh Becker
188:Directed by
1296:1985 films
1290:Categories
1078:Yardbarker
1049:Letterboxd
1000:2011-04-08
979:2011-04-08
975:. imdb.com
958:2015-02-27
954:. imdb.com
938:References
912:subgenre.
906:Yardbarker
902:Letterboxd
686:Production
662:Gary Jones
355:84 minutes
338:1987-05-21
327:1985-10-13
289:Production
66:newspapers
1021:LA Weekly
897:LA Weekly
879:Following
843:in 1985.
769:Tennessee
705:does not
620:Ted Raimi
605:Sam Raimi
534:Sam Raimi
409:Sam Raimi
379:$ 200,000
291:companies
270:Edited by
256:Ted Raimi
252:Sam Raimi
237:Sam Raimi
223:Sam Raimi
154:July 2017
146:talk page
922:Entombed
787:Hartland
783:Michigan
368:Language
278:Music by
242:Starring
210:Story by
1267:Harpies
858:in the
824:Release
779:Detroit
771:set of
761:Super-8
726:removed
711:sources
541:trailer
371:English
360:Country
336: (
325: (
80:scholar
1276:(2018)
1270:(2007)
1262:(2005)
1254:(1999)
1246:(1997)
1238:(1994)
1230:(1991)
1222:(1985)
1214:(1982)
1206:(1981)
1052:. 2018
874:Legacy
444:Canada
419:, and
398:action
376:Budget
144:. The
82:
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53:
924:song
798:Foley
440:Japan
87:JSTOR
73:books
1138:IMDb
1115:2024
1086:2024
1058:2024
1030:2024
709:any
707:cite
563:Cast
461:Plot
438:and
310:(US)
59:news
1147:at
1136:at
862:by
856:DVD
850:by
848:VHS
839:by
816:to
720:by
42:by
1292::
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