Italian Crime Recommendations

[Splatterdragon73]

Originally Posted by James Morton

i've got
CONTRABAND
THE BIG RACKET
REVOLVER
all blue underground dvds and the first two are the best.

I have these releases too and gave the last title a go at the weekend. Not a bad effort imo although i surrendered to confusion during the final reel. Nice Morricone score too.

Yours truly thoroughly enjoyed Alain Delon actioner Big Guns in the PF collection of the same name and The Antichrist herself, Carla Gravina looks rather lovely in this outing. Emergency Squad wasn't bad either although i was expecting more from Magnum Cop seeing as the mighty, much-missed Maurizio Merli played the lead.

[Scyther]

Not much I can add here to these brilliant recommendations, but I would like to toss in Sergio Martino's Violent Professionals aka Milano Trema as my favorite Eurocrime flick...probably because it was the first one I saw!

[Robert W]

You really can't go wrong with anything Lenzi did or that Merli or Silva starred in.

For recommendations, it's hard to beat Rome Armed To The Teeth, The Cynic, The Rat, and The Fist, Contraband, Cry Of A Prostitute, Violent Naples, or Tony Arzenta.

[Scyther]

Originally Posted by Splatterdragon73

I have these releases too and gave the last title a go at the weekend. Not a bad effort imo although i surrendered to confusion during the final reel. Nice Morricone score too.

Yours truly thoroughly enjoyed Alain Delon actioner Big Guns in the PF collection of the same name and The Antichrist herself, Carla Gravina looks rather lovely in this outing. Emergency Squad wasn't bad either although i was expecting more from Magnum Cop seeing as the mighty, much-missed Maurizio Merli played the lead.

Big Guns is brilliant, and I'm with you on Magnum Cop. Enjoyed it, but definitely a odd feeling flick.

[Splatterdragon73]

Originally Posted by Scyther

I would like to toss in Sergio Martino's Violent Professionals aka Milano Trema as my favorite Eurocrime flick.

Something of an unsung gem imo despite being a fine film. Yours truly missed out on the Italian DVD release issued years ago and so settled with Vipco's British edition.

Originally Posted by Scyther

Big Guns is brilliant, and I'm with you on Magnum Cop. Enjoyed it, but definitely a odd feeling flick.

I'd never even heard of BG prior to buying PF's set of the same name. Definitely worthy of repeated viewings though and i'm unsure if the version of MC i caught was complete or not. However, i've seen superior Merli mayhem in the form of From Corleone To Brooklyn and Convoy Busters.

Also, got around to checking out Confessions Of A Police Captain, Death Rage and Street Law recently. All three were certainly watchable with the latter two titles remaining somewhat overrated imo even with the veteran pedigree of Margheriti and Castellari as respective directors. SL boasts the best PQ of the lot and i probably enjoyed COAPC the most despite the movie's heavy emphasis on dialogue and lack of excitement. Much more of a crime thriller or drama rather than an actual actioner imo.

[Scyther]

Originally Posted by Splatterdragon73

Something of an unsung gem imo despite being a fine film. Yours truly missed out on the Italian DVD release issued years ago and so settled with Vipco's British edition.



I'd never even heard of BG prior to buying PF's set of the same name. Definitely worthy of repeated viewings though and i'm unsure if the version of MC i caught was complete or not. However, i've seen superior Merli mayhem in the form of From Corleone To Brooklyn and Convoy Busters.



Also, got around to checking out Confessions Of A Police Captain, Death Rage and Street Law recently. All three were certainly watchable with the latter two titles remaining somewhat overrated imo even with the veteran pedigree of Margheriti and Castellari as respective directors. SL boasts the best PQ of the lot and i probably enjoyed COAPC the most despite the movie's heavy emphasis on dialogue and lack of excitement. Much more of a crime thriller or drama rather than an actual actioner imo.

Yeah, I missed out on the Wild East edition, and only own the print included on the Grindhouse Vol. 1 set, although it certainly has its charm! Love the De Angelis score to this one, as well.

See, I thought Big Guns was pretty balls to the wall action, with Alain Delon as a totally badass anti-hero for the ages! Recently watched Corleone and definitely dug it, but still need to dig into my copy of Convoy Busters!

Totally with you on Confessions. Brilliant film with dialog which I felt was really well done, but yeah, definitely a drama more than an action piece. Love Street Law, but there are so many beat up prints of Death Rage out there, it's bound to lose something in translation. Still, some really cool set pieces in there, nonetheless! Lots of stories about how Bouchet and Brenner didn't get along at all during production.

[Paul@TheOverlook]

Convoy Busters isn't bad but it's lower-tier Merli. His best films are definitely those directed by Lenzi but the Stelvio Massi pictures are still good fun.

There's a nice anamorphic edition of Violent Professionals released on DVD in Italy - there are copies of it on eBay, a film I'd highly recommend.

Count me as another Big Guns fan too. I have the Japanese DVD under the Tony Arzenta title - the film has a great score, Steven Soderbergh and David Holmes pinched one of the main themes (the one with the female vocal) and used it in Ocean's Twelve.

[Splatterdragon73]

Originally Posted by Scyther

I thought Big Guns was pretty balls to the wall action, with Alain Delon as a totally badass anti-hero for the ages! But still need to dig into my copy of Convoy Busters!

Totally with you on Confessions. Brilliant film with dialog which I felt was really well done, but yeah, definitely a drama more than an action piece. Love Street Law, but there are so many beat up prints of Death Rage out there, it's bound to lose something in translation. Still, some really cool set pieces in there, nonetheless!

Delon makes for a fine assassin in BG and i especially like the execution scene on board a moving train. Taut Duccio Tessari direction too coupled with a memorable music score imo.

The gorgeous Olga Karlatos pops up in CB too if i'm not mistaken and i thought Martin Balsam and Franco Nero made a good double-act in COAPC with Marilu Tolo looking lovely.

Nero was also great paired up with the likeable and much-missed Giancarlo Prete in SL imo and this film also benefitted from the likes of the similarly departed Romano Puppo and Massimo Vanni in ruthless bad guy roles. Another solid soundtrack too.

DR had it's moments but PF's print was a pretty poor fullscreen affair and i don't know if any footage was missing from the film. Still, any old port in a storm as they say and i'd rather watch DR this way than not watch it at all.

Originally Posted by Paul@Lovelockandload

Convoy Busters isn't bad but it's lower-tier Merli. His best films are definitely those directed by Lenzi but the Stelvio Massi pictures are still good fun.

Agreed on the Massi Merlis and i look forward to checking out Lenzi's outings a.s.a.p.

[Scyther]

Originally Posted by Splatterdragon73

Delon makes for a fine assassin in BG and i especially like the execution scene on board a moving train. Taut Duccio Tessari direction too coupled with a memorable music score imo.

The gorgeous Olga Karlatos pops up in CB too if i'm not mistaken and i thought Martin Balsam and Franco Nero made a good double-act in COAPC with Marilu Tolo looking lovely.

Nero was also great paired up with the likeable and much-missed Giancarlo Prete in SL imo and this film also benefitted from the likes of the similarly departed Romano Puppo and Massimo Vanni in ruthless bad guy roles. Another solid soundtrack too.

DR had it's moments but PF's print was a pretty poor fullscreen affair and i don't know if any footage was missing from the film. Still, any old port in a storm as they say and i'd rather watch DR this way than not watch it at all.



Agreed on the Massi Merlis and i look forward to checking out Lenzi's outings a.s.a.p.

Oh man, you're in for a treat with Merli's work with Lenzi! Some of the best Italian crime has to offer, in my opinion!

[Slippery Jack]

Just got the Big Guns 5 film set for less than 4 quid

Priceless review on amazon:

"DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY UNLESS YOU LIKE FOREIGN(ITALIAN) FILMS. HORRIBLE-INCLUDING ALOT OF GRIZZLEY VIOLENCE"