The Death Wish franchise, starting in 1974, essentially created a genre and put Über-tough guy Charles Bronson on the mainstream map. Urban-vigilante movies now seem clichéd, but Paul Kersey is their patron saint. Even so, minus modern special effects and with a fiftysomething star, what exactly is the big to-do about Paul Kersey, an unassuming architect by day and vigilante killer by night? Part of it is his badass mustache. There's also the jazz-funk soundtrack and the nostalgic seventies urban setting. Here's a list of the top ten reasons we can't get enough Death Wish.

10. Herbie Hancock's Abstract Soundtrack
Famous for fusing jazz and funk in the seventies, Herbie Hancock composed the soundtrack to Death Wish. His eerie, abstract score provided the perfect accompaniment to Kersey's nighttime prowls. Hancock also incorporated hints of orchestral music to hit more sentimental notes in "Joanna's Theme" (named for Kersey's murdered wife).

9. Death Wish Was One of the First Urban-Vigilante Movies.
Vigilante movies were hardly a new genre in the seventies, but usually they took the form of Westerns -- many of which Bronson himself starred in. The Death Wish movies embraced the vigilante anti-hero and cast him in graffitied alleyways and desolate subway platforms, as opposed to old saloons and tumbleweed plains.

8. Like It or Hate It, the Violence Is Provocative.
The franchise receives quite a bit of criticism for its seemingly gratuitous violence, especially for the home-invasion scene, in which Kersey's wife is murdered and his daughter raped. While critics have called the violence exploitative -- the New York Times called it "despicable" and "frivolous" -- the film's blunt brutality provoked a worthwhile dialogue about the role of violence in films and about the violent crime epidemic sweeping the country at the time of the movie's release.

7. There's Campy Fun to Be Had Watching Actors Play Wounded Muggers.
According to the laws of Death Wish, every mugger shot by Kersey must wriggle and convulse upon bullet impact. Whether Kersey nabs his quarry with a revolver or a machine gun, the rule still holds. It's the perfect opportunity for actors with bit parts to ham it up.

6. Death Wish Revitalized Charles Bronson's Career -- in His Fifties.
Bronson starred in numerous films through the fifties and sixties, playing tough guys in movies like The Magnificent Seven and The Dirty Dozen. However, it wasn't until he starred in Death Wish, at age 52, that he hit the box-office jackpot. Five Death Wish movies later and Bronson proved you can become a household name at any age.

5. Jeff Goldblum and Denzel Washington Playing Hooligans Before They Were Famous
Before he played Malcolm X or worked with Spike Lee, Denzel Washington got his start as Alley Mugger #1 in Death Wish. You'll have to squint to see his face, though, as he leers from the shadows. Jeff Goldblum got even more face time as Freak #1, the demented head of the gang that rapes Kersey's daughter.

4. The Offhand Manner With Which Bronson Whips Out His Gun Is Badass -- and Perturbing.
Whenever Kersey whips out his gun -- whether it's from behind his trench coat or a newspaper -- he looks perfectly nonchalant. It's all part of his steely vigilante act, and it's utterly alarming. From the placid look on his face, he may as well be offering someone a stick of gum.

3. Paul Kersey Gets Mugged With Such Improbable Frequency, It's Actually Funny.
No matter his location -- New York, Los Angeles, the subway, the street -- poor Kersey can't catch a break. He's constantly getting mugged and jumped by roving thieves. Granted, the seventies did have an aforementioned crime wave and Kersey actively cruises for trouble, but there's no denying he is one mugger magnet. It's almost like he's holding a wad of hundreds over his head and shouting, "Come get me!"

2. To See What New York City Looked Like in the Seventies
Ah, the Afros and muttonchops. The ubiquitous leather jackets and shearling coats. The functional pay phones, graffiti, and retro-looking subway cars. The New York City in Death Wish sure is a far cry from today's New York, offering us a nice nostalgia trip.

1. Charles Bronson's Spectacular Mustache
Long before mustaches became hipster statements, Bronson glamorized the hirsute upper lip in Death Wish. His mustache varied in thickness and cragginess from film to film, but it never disappeared. Which probably explains why some people remember Bronson more for his mustache than for his acting.

Watch a different Death Wish movie each night this week during AMC's Can't Get Enough Death Wish Week. Tonight, Thu., Sep. 16, at 8PM | 7C, catch Death Wish 4: The Crackdown.