Agreed. It's a totally kick-ass Italian crime thriller. Loved the harsh gritty tone and those bracing'n'bravura action set pieces. Plenty of super bloody high quality squib work, too.
I am the Duke of IMDb bio writers! I am A#1!
Watching now and yes, many cool scenes so far. Fabio Testi is always great and I saw the police chief from Death Wish was in this too.
shareI watched this again and in the end when Nico (Fabio Tessi) screams in a rage and it goes to a freeze frame, I couldn’t help but think that all the good men who died did so because of him. I also like how, in perfect Enzo G. Castellari style, it turns into a men on a mission movie leading up into the finale. This really is a rough and dark film, and I would definitely recommend it for everyone and it’s absolutely mandatory viewing for Italian poliziotteschi fans.
shareIt might actually be the best Eurocrime movie, at least in terms of action content. There's a few poor squibs here and there and the PG English dubbing has a lot of odd moments (calling people "Baskets" and "Diddly" etc) but otherwise it really cracks and boggles my mind with the movie was never released in the USA until the DVD. It's probably the closest thing to a John Woo movie before he came along, outside of some moments in a few Sam Peckinpah movies (who was Castellari's most obvious inspiration).
share“the best Eurocrime movie, at least in terms of action content”
I can agree with that. As far as personal favorites I’d put it just behind Street Law and Italian Connection for me. I really like how they packed this one full of genre regulars like Romano Puppo, Massimo Vanni, Giovanni Cianfriglia and a slew of others. It’s odd that this one is not more well known to conventional American audiences, as it really does kick ass. I also love the score that’s played throughout, but I always think of it during the break in scene in the beginning. It guess I can best describe it as a catchy slow burn feeling. Just talking about this one makes me want to go for a rewatch. This, Keoma and Street Law are probably my top Castellari films.
I see you are well versed in this genre, so I would be thankful for any recommendations off the beaten path.
Heh yeah being one of the co-producers of "Eurocrime: The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the 70's" has its perks. I was into these movies back in the 90's when I was in High School and spent all my allowance money on grey-market tape trading.
I'd recommend all of Castellari's, all of Lenzi's, plus a few Stelvio Massi and DiLeo movies (sounds like you've seen a few).
I also have a soft spot for Mario Caiano even if his movies were cheaper and rough around the edges. Personally I love WEAPONS OF DEATH for its very ambitious action scenes, great musical score, and mean-spirited attitude.
LIVE LIKE A COP DIE LIKE A MAN is a little slow on first watch but very rewatchable once you know what parts of the movie are going to move really slow and where the funnier highlights are.
CONTRABAND is very similar but even more violent and a little less funny. I think Fulci was really a diabolical human who loved to concentrate on suffering so made some devilishly mean spirited films in the 70's and early 80's before he got tired and bored.
HIGH CRIME is probably my favorite. It's a little more artsy and French-adjacent but has great action and a nice blu-ray coming soon.
Also VIOLENT PROFESSIONALS, SILENT ACTION, ITALIA A MANO ARMATA, KILLER COP, COLT 38 SPECIAL SQUAD, etc are worthwhile.
I'd just avoid some of the mega-cheap ones like the Alfonso Brescia movies etc. Plus both DEATH RAGE and STREET PEOPLE bored me to tears.
Thanks for such a detailed reply. The one off your list I have not seen is Killer Cop. I really like Claudio Cassinelli, so I’ll be bumping this one to the top of my watch list.
shareYeah, don't get me wrong, I'm 100% straight but always had a bit of a 'man-crush' on Cassinelli and didn't mind him replacing Stacy Keach as the hero in MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD. Cassinelli was sort of an inexplicable Italian leading man (aside from that he was very good friends with director Sergio Martino and his brother Luciano), totally home-grown beginning as more of a "pretty boy" and gradually moving through a hero phase and finally into ominous villainous roles. He always was likable and kinda walked the boundary between intellectual and macho whereas Maurizio Merli felt more on the pure macho side. Also his tragic ending dying while making that underwhelming film HANDS OF STEEL in Arizona gives him a air of pathos in everything. I even once went to the Glen Canyon bridge in Page, Arizona where he died and took a few pictures in his honor.
I'm sure if he was still alive that Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez would have given him a breakthrough role in something. He did speak pretty good English and you can hear his actual voice in AVALANCHE EXPRESS.
I know just what you mean about Cassinelli. He has always had a bit of a different vibe than many of the other leading men in Italian genre film. As you said, he’s got good looks but can also pull off the action hero when needed too. It’s a shame about his death. I even heard that he did not have to be in that chopper for the scene at the bridge. He just wanted to ride for the stunt to tell his kids about it. So sad.
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