There was some discussion about Italian crime films on the exploitation films topic here and I thouht it would be a good idea to start a topic of it’s own for these great films.
Italian crime is my favorite genre along with spaghetti westerns, mainly because they’re very similar movies basically and there’s lots of same actors, directors and composers in both genres.
What I like the best in this genre is it’s non-political- and kick ass-attitude which is wholly gone in movies of these days.
Some of my favorites films are: Revolver, Live like a cop die like a man, Almost human, Violent Naples, Manhunt, Street law. Umberto Lenzi is my favorite crime film director but Fernandi di Leo and Enzo Castellari are good too.
Ahhhh… a man after my own heart
I too prefer Spaghettis and crime more than any other genre’s.
ones to watch
THE TOUGH ONES - Umberto Lenzi w/ Maurizio Merli ,Tomas Milian
STREET KILLERS/BEAST WITH A GUN - Sergio Grieco W/ Helmut Berger,Marissa Mell,Richard Harrison
VIOLENT ROME - Franco Martinelli (Marino Girolami) w/ Maurizio Merli
VIOLENT NAPLES - Umberto Lenzi w/ Maurizio Merli, John Saxon
A MAN CALLED MAGNUM- Michele Massimo Tarantini w/ Luc Merenda
MANHUNT- Fernadno Di Leo w/ Mario Adorf (the chase scene with Adorf is second to none, he actually headbuts his way through the windscreen of a moving car, it’s fucking incredible!)
The BIG RACKET- Enzo G Castellari w/ Fabio Testi
HIGH CRIME - Enzo G Castellari w/ Franco Nero, Fernando Rey
CALIBRE 9 - Fernando Di Leo W/ Gastone Moschin, Barbara Bouchet
LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN - Ruggero Deodato w/ Ray Lovelock, Marc Porel, Adolfo Celi
These 10 deserve a place in anyone’s crime collection.
there’s plenty out there, you just got’s to find it!
Anyone who is new to these type of films the above is a good place to start.
Yeah, this is probably my all-time favorite crime film and the chase scene you mentioned is just awesome.
There’s been lots of great dvd releases recently from Blue Underground and NoShame films but it’s still very hard to get some of these films. I believe there’s no any english release of High Crime on dvd yet and some Lenzi films have been released only as a bootlegs (Alpha digital).
I believe there’s no any english release of High Crime on dvd yet and some Lenzi films have been released only as a bootlegs (Alpha digital).
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"High Crime" has come out in England on DVD under the title “The Marseilles connection” but it is a really shitty pan & scan transfer taken fron the old U.K. midas tape (you can even see tape lines!).
i have a Japanese DVD which is a beautiful 2.35:1 letterboxed print but unfortunately it is Italian language only with Japanese subtitles.
I hate bootleg DVD’s but i don’t mind the alpha digital ones, at least they make an effort and they are well done, look at Lenzi’s “Violent Naples” for instance , a great print.
Umberto Lenzi is my favourite too… his films put me in a trance they are just masterful, I always end up comparing other italian crime movies to his style. And Franco Micalizzi is probably my second favourite composer after Morricone.
Anyway I was wondering if anyone has seen these Umberto Lenzi movies starring Tomas Milian - Syndicate Sadists/Rambo’s Revenge and Banda del gobbo/Brothers Till We Die. If so are they good and how do they compare to Violent Naples Rome Armed to the Teeth, etc.
I’ve seen them. Both are good films but not up there with best Lenzi films. I’d say these two films are much more lighter films and not that violent as Lenzi’s best films. Must-see films anyway if you’re Milian fan.
I love The Cynic the Rat and the Fist as well, probably the most violent and funniest of the 3 i’ve seen (the other 2 being Violent Naples and Rome Armed to the Teeth).
I plan to get all his crime films and stay away from his cannibal movies.
Syndicate Sadists (Tomas Milian) - u.s
Milano Rovente (Antonio sabato) - Italian disc w/English subs -quite a bad transfer but the film has never been seen before with English subs or dub which i find funny because the credits are in English.
To everyone in this discussion:
Do you consider giallos to be Italian crime films, or are they a seperate genre and how do they differ (just the extreme gore of most giallos)?
Anyone seen Argento’s CAT O NINE TAILS? I love Argento’s incredible photography and cinematography, I love most of Morricone’s film music, so I’m interested in this film - although I have read a lot of negative things about it from Argento fans. One thing I don’t care for, however, is the extreme realistic gore in many Argento films. I’ve read this one has the least amount of sadistic gore. What other Argento’s would people recommend? My favorite is SUSPIRIA, which is one of the most beautiful (to look at) films I’ve ever seen.
[quote=“Mortimer, post:13, topic:376”]To everyone in this discussion:
Do you consider giallos to be Italian crime films, or are they a seperate genre and how do they differ (just the extreme gore of most giallos)?[/quote]
Yes and No!!!
Unless you put them in a giallo category some of them can easily fall into the Crime category but then again some could fall into the Horror category.
i.e.
I suppose the Dario Argento giallo’s could easily be placed in horror and the Sergio Martino ones are more crime orientated.
do i make sense? please tell me if i don’t as it is quite hard to explain. :-\
I think I understand what you are getting at. Some of the Argento’s films would have to be called horror movies, unless you call them giallos, in which case they are a subset of the Italian crime genre rather than being a subset of the Italian horror genre?
Is this what you mean?
Some Italian crime films are giallos. All giallos are crime films. But not all Italian crime films are giallos (don’t have killer Point Of View elements, or gore murder set pieces)?
Well, I’d say giallos are who-dunit-mysteries and crime films rely more on action.
When making separations between giallos and crime films we should probably use the name “polizia” or “polischietto(-or something like that)” as this genre is called in Italy. So they’re basically cop-movies and in giallos the main characters are usually private citizens.
There is of course films which have lots of elements from both genres, Di Leo’s Naked Violence, for example.
[quote=“Mortimer, post:15, topic:376”]I think I understand what you are getting at. Some of the Argento’s films would have to be called horror movies, unless you call them giallos, in which case they are a subset of the Italian crime genre rather than being a subset of the Italian horror genre?
Is this what you mean?
Some Italian crime films are giallos. All giallos are crime films. But not all Italian crime films are giallos (don’t have killer Point Of View elements, or gore murder set pieces)?[/quote]
Yes, thanks for untangling my tongue!
This is another way i can some it up.
Even though Giallo is really a seperate Genre, if there was no such genre i suppose some would count as Crime and some as horror.
I have lots of crime films on my dvd wish list. Which ones of the these films would you recommend to get first.
Kidnap Syndicate (Raro Video)
Colt 38 Special Squad (NoShame Films)
Convoy Busters (NoShame Films)
Double Game (NoShame Films)
Grand Slam (Blue Underground)
How to Kill a Judge (Blue Underground)
Killer vs Killers/ The Boss (Raro Video) -I’ve seen the Boss but didn’t like it much.
Fear in a City (A.Y.P)
I guess the next ones I’m gonna buy will be “What Have They Done to Our Daughters?” and “a Man Called Magnum” though.
[quote=“Bill san Antonio, post:18, topic:376”]I have lots of crime films on my dvd wish list. Which ones of the these films would you recommend to get first.
Kidnap Syndicate (Raro Video) YES
Colt 38 Special Squad (NoShame Films)
Convoy Busters (NoShame Films)
Double Game (NoShame Films)
Grand Slam (Blue Underground)
How to Kill a Judge (Blue Underground)
Killer vs Killers/ The Boss (Raro Video) -I’ve seen the Boss but didn’t like it much.
Fear in a City (A.Y.P)
I guess the next ones I’m gonna buy will be “What Have They Done to Our Daughters?” and “a Man Called Magnum” though.[/quote]
KIDNAP SYNDICATE and FEAR IN THE CITY are probably the best 2 here, but then again i think IL BOSS is the best one on the list and you didn’t like it,i havent seen KILLERS VS KILLERS yet.
MAN CALLED MAGNUM is good
WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS (get the German release it is much nicer than the U.K DVD although both versions are uncut)
i hear VIOLENT ROME is coming out in Italy , let us pray that it has English dub or subtitles!
