As the 70s progressed and the poliziottesco field grew more crowded, some directors sought new frontiers and different spaces, growing the genre into unusual locales and sometimes even shooting films abroad. In this second volume, we bring you a trio of Italian crime rarities which made creative use of atypical settings.
BLUE NUDE – Rocco has come to New York City from Italy, confident that as long as he hangs in there, he’ll one day make it in showbiz. In between wandering Times Square dazzled by its glitzy signage, a friend ropes him into acting in a hardcore film where he encounters Lilly, an established female porn actor. Barely scraping by, he finds himself taken advantage of by managers, young women, and crooked cops, all eager for a wide-eyed immigrant to abuse or extort. He hopes for a future with Lilly, but when harsh violence enters into Rocco’s life, nothing can stop him from lashing out in this sordid world in which he’s ended up. A one-of-a-kind document of late 70s street level Manhattan (and actual period sex film sets) from writer/director Luigi Scattini (Witchcraft 70), it stars Gerardo Amato (Sweets for a Stranger) as Rocco, Susan McBain (Barbara Broadcast), Renato Romano (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage), Robert Kerman (Debbie Does Dallas), and director/actor Carter Stevens (The Passions of Carol).
NO ALLA VIOLENZA (NO TO VIOLENCE aka DEATH HUNT) – In the picturesque Sicilian port city of Messina, Inspector Ettore Manetti (Al Cliver) is beginning to crumble. Violent crime is rampant, bikers have just beaten and killed a police officer, and now he’s now been handed the job of catching three dangerous prison escapees. As the trio begins a series of kidnappings, they run down a little girl while narrowly evading capture. Tano, the girl’s father, begins his own vigilante crusade as he ferociously strikes down anyone in his path in search of the men responsible. Exceedingly, violence is no longer limited to just the criminals. Ostensibly a passion project from prolific Messina-born actor Tano Cimarosa (Reflections in Black), who’s credited with writing, directing, and playing the vigilante role, this regional film liberally showcases both scenic locations and shocking brutality. Also starring Paola Quattrini (The Case of the Bloody Iris), Ninetto Davoli (The Decameron), and Federico Boido (I Am Sartana, Your Angel of Death).
POLIZIA SELVAGGIA (SAVAGE POLICE) aka CANI (MURDERER) – Ahmet toils away in Istanbul’s lowest rung of petty crime, berated even by other thieves who call him the Leech. Stalking the streets for any potential score, he snatches a man’s briefcase and steals his car, accidentally killing a detective in the process. When a manhunt ensues, Ahmet strains to flee the country, emboldened by the fact that the briefcase was packed with cash. Murat (Turkish star Tarık Akan), partner of the dead detective, sets out on his own path of vengeance while Ahmet’s cruel desperation forces him into taking hostages in order to evade the police. This ambitious Turkish-Italian co-production written and directed by Guido Zurli (Black Deep Throat) heaps on psychotic sleaze and a truly vicious, depraved antagonist in Ahmet. Also starring Karin Well (Burial Ground), Edilio Kim (A White Dress for Marialé), and George Ardisson (The Long Hair of Death).
For thoughts on Eurocrime Rarities: Volume 2, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
The three films in the Eurocrime Rarities: Volume 2 set make their domestic Blu-Ray debut thanks to Vinegar Syndrome with brand new 1080p masters in their original aspect ratios. Each of these films has been restored in 2K from its Original Camera Negatives, except for No To Violence, which we believe was restored in 4K from the Original Camera Negative. By and large, these three releases are very similar to one another and will be discussed as a group with any meaningful differences pointed out. While all of these transfers appear quite pleasant for the most part, it is clear that there was some irreparable damage to the original elements that could not be completely eliminated. For those who are fans of the genre, the quality is favorable, and we should be grateful to have these films widely available for a new audience.
The textured photography, which captures the gritty criminal underbelly indicative of societal unrest from the late ‘70s, thrives in high definition with natural grain intact and exquisitely resolved. There is a sumptuous amount of detail present with valuable textures on the costumes and within the backgrounds. The new transfers show off a welcome amount of depth and enhanced detail, but admittedly, the close-up shots hold up better than the long shots. Many elements look quite striking in their clarity. Black levels are acceptable with very little in the way of black crush or compression artifacts. Some minor color temperature fluctuations give a handful of darker moments a more milky appearance. It is not unusual to find fairly consistent print damage across these three films, but things rarely get too distracting. It is clear that great effort was put forth to make these films look as good as possible, but there are limits to the miracles that can be worked. Vinegar Syndrome continues to deliver with this exciting series.
Audio Quality
These three films come with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in the original Italian, with an additional English language option for No to Violence. Each of these tracks represents these worlds in a pretty admirable way sonically. Most of these films have their dialogue post-looped, which results in some loose sync instances that may be irksome to some, but it is a product of this period in filmmaking. These tales mostly take place in cities, which creates a cavalcade of sound that creeps through to provide some terrific ambient details.
All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately rendered so that nothing ever feels unsteady. The evocative music throughout these films brings a very particular mood to the proceedings that is represented faithfully in the mix. The dialogue likewise comes through clearly without being encumbered by the sound effects or score. Some of these stories have moments of gunshots that wake things up without becoming a muddled mess in the fallout. Everything is presented with respectable fidelity with only the occasional instance of sound presenting as a bit thin or boxy. This presentation is free of any serious hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Vinegar Syndrome has treated these films as well as the source will allow.
Special Features
Blue Nude
- Audio Commentary: Film historians Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth provide a commentary track in which they discuss the unusual qualities of this film, the themes and subtext of the film, inspirations for the film’s story, the performers in the film, and much more.
- Peeping Luigi – An Interview with Film Historian Franco Grattarola: A 28-minute conversation with the film historian in which he discusses the production of the film, the career of director Luigi Scattini, the utilization of real adult film figures, and much more.
No To Violence
- Audio Commentary: Film historian & critic Rachael Nisbet provides a commentary track in which she discusses the life and career of actor/director Tano Cimarosa, the questions of how much of the film he actually directed, the chaotic production of the film, the background of the performers, the setting, the film’s reception, and more.
- Mr. Cimarosa, I Presume? – An Archival Audio Interview with Writer/Director/Actor Tano Cimarosa: A 12-minute audio interview with the artist in which he discusses his career, the casting of the film, his memories of various creatives he has worked with, and more.
- Respect for Don Tano – An Interview with Film Scholar Giacomo Di Nicolò: A 14-minute interview with the film scholar in which he discusses the career of Tano Cimarosa, his focus when it came to storytelling, and more.
Savage Police
- Audio Commentary: Film historians Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth provide a commentary track in which they discuss the background of the movie, the ideas behind the narrative, the work of director Guido Zurli, the place of this genre at the time of release, and more.
- Irony Before All – An Archival Audio Interview with Director/Co-writer Guido Zurli: A 19-minute audio interview from 2004 with the filmmaker in which he discusses how he got involved with Turkish producers, the casting of the film, his memories of working in an unfamiliar land with a crew of people unknown to him, and more.
- Once a Hero – An Archival Interview with Actor Giorgio Ardisson: A nearly 20-minute interview with the actor in which he discusses his early career, what he learned from various projects, and more.
- The Italo-Turkish Disconnection – An Interview with Film Historian Luca Rea: A new 24-minute interview with the film historian in which he discusses impactful early movies on his life, the relationship between Italian and Turkish cinema, and more.
- Alternate Turkish Version of Polizia Selvaggia (Standard Definition – 1:35:31)
Final Thoughts
Eurocrime Rarities: Volume 2 delivers three more gritty, violent treats that expand the typical locales found in the poliziottesco subgenre, and the results are quite entertaining. These outings may not be filled with the biggest names in Italian cinema, but they tell their stories very well in a way that will have you glued to the screen each time. No one is reinventing the wheel, but fans of the genre will have a really fun time. Vinegar Syndrome has delivered a Blu-Ray set featuring a commendable A/V presentation and a valuable array of special features. Highly Recommended
Eurocrime Rarities: Volume 2 is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Vinegar Syndrome has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
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Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
