

Alex Cutter is a boozy, belligerent and deeply cynical Vietnam veteran whose encounter with a landmine during the war has left him minus an eye, a leg and an arm. When his drifter playboy friend Richard Bone is falsely accused of murder, Cutter sets out for revenge in his own inimitable style.
Acting
John Heard's volcanic, self-destructive performance — career best, criminally ignored.
Cinematography
Santa Barbara as rotting paradise, all hazy sunlight and empty wealth.

Director
Ivan Passer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Studio hated the original ending and dumped it; it became a cult classic only after critics like Roger Ebert championed its original cut.
The film was originally titled 'Cutter and Bone' — changed by executives who thought it sounded like a TV sitcom. They're why we can't have nice things.