ITALO-CRIME COLLECTION - 4KUHD REVIEW

Thanks to their on-going collaboration with StudioCanal, Kino Lorber have managed to acquire a trio of must-see Italian crime pictures, which have finally been afforded the respect they deserve. Here making their North American UHD debuts, all of the films in this set are an absolute must for fans of the form.

 

The first film in Kino’s set is Alberto De Martino’s 1972 film THE COUNSELLOR, which came hot off the success of Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER (1972), and once again highlights the conflicts usually associated between the various factions of the mob, but De Martino’s film also handily prefigures the streetsmart look of Italian crime capers of the ’70s. Opening with picturesque locales of San Francisco, the film exposes the far-reaching and lucrative mob-influenced areas of business run by Don Antonio Macaluso (Martin Balsam). When William Lucchesi, an out-of-control syphilitic mobster, begins stirring up trouble with a local cop at a mob-controlled bowling alley (“I hate pigs! Always stealin’ money out of a dead man’s pockets!”), a hit is put on him because, as one cop states, “We got the canary, and they know he’s gonna sing.” Soon thereafter, Don Garafalo (Francisco Rabal) helps orchestrate the hit with the help of a crooked cop. Meanwhile, Don Macaluso’s godson Thomas (Tomas Milian) and trusted “consigliori” is released from prison, but to Macaluso’s surprise, Thomas wants out of this life, even though during an earlier sit-down, he forbade Garofalo to branch-out on his own. Of course, this sparks all-out mafia warfare as Garofalo tries to reshuffle the deck within Macaluso’s powerful empire. 

 

Considerably more expansive than your average Italo-crime picture, De Martino and his crew make good use of the San Franciscan and Sicilian locales, including a brief but welcome car chase through SF’s hilly streets. Handsomely shot by future director Aristide Massaccesi (a.k.a. Joe D’Amato, he of Black Emanuelle fame), De Martino allows him plenty of opportunities to fill the frame with bustle and movement, but the widescreen format also serves him well during the rather poignant finale wherein Balsam and Milian really get to show off their acting chops. Both actors have terrific chemistry and play well off each other, with Balsam giving an especially vigorous, physical performance as a man who will stop at nothing to protect Thomas, the son he never had.  Tomas Milian also manages to make a strong impression (nicely dubbed on English prints by Larry Dolgin) as the laconic counsellor before he embarked on many of his over-the-top caricatures in various comically-inclined polizieschi such as THE DIRTY GANG (1977) and countless Nico Giraldi pictures, where he hid behind several outrageous wigs and an over-abundance of make-up. As the Italian-American mafioso, Francisco Rabal lends the film further weight as he thumbs his nose at the long-established patriarchal order, and who would rather bite than “kiss the hand.”

 

Rarely talked about, THE COUNSELLOR has been available on just about every home video format. Canadian label NPY issued the film on VHS in the early ’80s, which sported an awful panned-and-scanned edition of the film’s U.S. theatrical version from Joseph Green Pictures. During the DVD era, the film saw release in several European countries, but the German disc from FilmArt was the best; an English-friendly edition, which also retained the film’s full 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Re-titled IM DUTZEND ZUR HOLLE (“To Hell by the Dozen”), extras were limited to a brief photo/poster gallery and a wealth of poliziesco trailers for some of the company’s other releases, some of which included Sergio Martino’s SILENT ACTION (1975) and Enzo G. Castellari’s DAY OF THE COBRA (1980). The long-defunct Dorado Films eventually released the film on North American soil in 2017, but only as a bonus disc in their Explosive Eurocrime Double Feature. Obviously taken from a well-worn film print, the film was at least presented in its original aspect ratio, but Dorado’s drab-looking transfer left a lot of room for improvement.

 

In 2022, FilmArt revisited the film on Blu-ray, which included the film’s theatrical trailer and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono options in English, Italian, and German with a choice of German subtitles.  In July of 2026, the film made its 4KUHD debut in the U.K. via StudioCanal and their Cult Classics line and the higher resolution definitely benefits the film; it’s clean and holds plenty of detail throughout, which is especially evident in various close-ups and the film’s many urban landscapes. LPCM 2.0 mono audio options are offered in both English and Italian including properly translated English subtitles for the Italian audio track and subtitles for the hard of hearing. Both tracks sound totally fine, especially in light of the film’s usual post-synchronization work of the time, but Martin Balsam does provide his own voice on the English dub, so it’s obviously the preferred choice for English-language viewers. 

 

Unlike previous editions, StudioCanal thoughtfully include several worthwhile special features, which include an audio commentary with filmmaker and historian Steve Mitchell and author / historian Troy Howarth. Labeled an “international crime film,” the pair discuss the film’s place within the Italian crime film world, it’s American locales which De Martino adapted really well, even if they are through a “tourist’s eyes,” the prolific career of top-billed Martin Balsam (“The poster-child for character actors.”), the energy and vitality of Italian crime films, and De Martino’s committed directing style. Of course, they also delve into Tomas Milian’s varied career, an actor who was prone to excess but is “very contained in this role,” and just how much more impressive the film is when seen the way it was intended. As always, both men deliver the goods digging deeper into the film itself and De Martino’s largely overlooked career. Next up, William Webb’s brief video essay Il Consigliori: Tradition vs Modernity (6m17s) goes over the mafia filoni (i.e., genre), De Martino’s “cool sense of style,”, the film’s American influences, and plenty more besides. Ported over from the film’s 2021 French BD, film historian Jean-Baptiste Thoret (8m27s) provides a brief introduction to the film. The film’s theatrical trailer and a 12-page liner notes booklet with writing from Peter Raleigh is also included.

 

Later in the year, Kino Lorber (again in conjunction with StudioCanal) finally gave THE COUNSELLOR its long overdo – and official - North American release as separate BD and UHD packages. Once again, Kino has utilized StudioCanal’s master, which appears to use the same restoration as the U.K. disc, which is a real sight for sore eyes after suffering through Dorado’s wretched DVD. Audio options include DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono in English and Italian (again with properly translated subtitles, but minus subtitles for the hard of hearing), and again, both sound fine with clear dialogue and no noticeable issues. Thankfully, outside of the Jean-Baptiste Thoret intro and liner notes booklet, all of the special features from the U.K. disc - including the excellent audio commentary - have been carried over on to Kino’s disc.  

 

Alberto De Martino’s subsequent crime picture, BLAZING MAGNUM (1976) is up next, and this Italian/Canadian/French production effortlessly transforms the urban Italo-crime experience to the Great White North. Although early export trade ads had promised a “100% American motion picture” with location shooting planned in the USA (including New York City), the production ultimately ended up in Montréal, Québec, and even the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, of all places. 

 

As with Massimo Dallamano’s earlier WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS? (1974), De Martino’s film is basically a whodunit, but set to enough poliziesco action to fill two films! Considering De Martino’s razor-honed skills within the giallo genre (which came in handy here) and making tough action films, he came with impeccable credentials to tackle this polished, fast-moving hybrid of the two styles. Following a tasteless college prank at a Montréal University involving respected faculty member Dr. George Tracer (Martin Landau), one of his students involved in the prank, Louise (French Canadian diva Carole Laure) dies soon after. The dead girl’s older brother, Ottawa police Captain Tony Saitta (Stuart Whitman), suspects poisoning to be the cause of his sister’s death, and Dr. Tracer – with whom Louise had been having an extramarital affair – quickly becomes the prime suspect. Although clearly out of his jurisdiction, Capt. Saitta wades through a maze of false leads, red herrings, and several vital clues to solve the convoluted case.

 

Like his Italian counterpart Maurizio Merli, Whitman launches unyielding rock-jawed machismo as the utterly relentless Capt. Saitta who carries a big gun – the film’s Japanese release title was BIG MAGNUM 77 – and scorns such time-consuming formalities as search warrants and criminals’ rights. Following a frenetic footchase through the Montréal Metro, he kicks the crap out of a suspect (popular French-Canadian character actor Jérôme Tiberghien) and then half drowns him in a sink. When he subsequently attempts to interrogate and intimidate a belligerent topless transvestite, he is attacked with a straight razor and is then kung fu kicked through a glass patio door. There is also a candlestick bludgeoning and, amid moody chiaroscuro lighting, a key character’s murder by stiletto is also expertly staged. But even with all these eye-catching details, it’s the automotive action that is most remembered. Second-unit director and stunt coordinator Rémy Julienne’s work reaches truly balletic proportions with an eight-minute car chase, which includes 80 m.p.h. donuts on loose gravel, a smash-up derby through the streets of Montréal, an airborne leap over a coasting Canadian National freight train, and a synchronized two-sedan downhill leap, captured from as many different camera angles as possible. An amazing sequence, Julienne seldom slams on the brakes, which is given extra fuel injection by Armando Trovaioli’s kinetic music. Against the Italo norm, everything was shot with direct sound, and all the principals including co-stars Tisa Farrow, Gayle Hunnicutt and impassive prettyboy Jean LeClerc all read in English, some with bonafide Canadian accents. 

 

Re-titled STRANGE SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM (the onscreen title is simply SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM) by American International Pictures for its US theatrical and home video release, the film’s ad campaign (“Enter At Your Own Risk… For There Is No Such Thing As A Truly Empty Room!”) capitalized on the mystery/horror aspect of the film, which it is… partially, and this is the version that first appeared on Beta and VHS videocassettes in 1985 via home video giant Vestron Video. Long unavailable, the film eventually hit Blu-ray and DVD in 2016 thanks to Walt Olsen’s Scorpion Releasing, which features a solid transfer and was much better than anything that came before it. Audio is limited to a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track, but given that everyone speaks English, it’s all you really need. The film’s theatrical trailer (3m33s) and bonus trailers for some of Scorpion’s other titles are also included. 

 

In 2023, StudioCanal issued the film in the U.K. as a Region B Blu-ray, which includes both versions of the film and LPCM 2.0 audio tracks in both English and Italian for the original export version, whereas the AIP version only has a LPCM 2.0 English track. English subtitles and subtitles for the hard of hearing are also included. However, unlike previous editions, a couple of nice extras are added beginning with Special Sentiment: Alberto De Martino’s Magnum Memories(13m04s), a very enjoyable audio interview with the director, which was conducted by Eugenio Ercolani in 2012. Frequently labeled “the most American Italian director,” he talks about some of his stylistic choices, and how he likes to guide the viewers’ attention to certain objects in the foreground and background, how he likes to “follow his instincts” with actors, the benefits of cutting pictures where he learned the most, his time as a first AD, and his admiration for DP Aristide Massaccesi (who shot said film as “Anthony Ford”) who could “create wonders” with three light bulbs. Next up, author Kim Newman is interviewed about the film in City Hunter (22m02s) where he expounds on all the various Italian film cycles, the film’s “unusual” co-production history, the many “comically-extreme policeman” in Italian exploitation and how this film goes “just that bit further.”

 

Taken from the original camera negative, StudioCanal has prepared a new 4K restoration for Kino’s new UHD of BLAZING MAGNUM offering plenty of impressive detail and depth, which really draws attention to De Martino’s aforementioned directing style. Once again, both Italian and English audio tracks are offered, this time in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono (the alternate U.S. version has English audio only) with optional English subtitles for the Italian track. Both the Special Sentiments and City Hunter featurettes are carried over for this release, but Kino have also included an audio commentary with Steve Mitchell and Troy Howarth returning to discuss this “bat-shit crazy” film. As always, this is another valuable and informative listen, which reveals their appreciation for the film and its irresistible mash-up of genres that has “so much of everything,” but yet “strangely succeeds.” Not ones to leave anything out, they cover other Canadian-lensed Italian films, the “architecturally fascinating Montréal locations,” the mostly Canadian cast (keen-eyed viewers should look out for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him cameo from Miguel Fernandes), the “stubborn and prejudiced mentality of Whitman’s character,” the committed performances and controlled direction, and many of the film’s exploitable elements including “the world’s greatest, nuttiest, out-of-its-mind, reckless, throw-metal-at-things car chase.” Kino have also included the U.S. release version on Blu-ray, which appears to be taken from an altogether different print, but outside of the AIP logo and different title card, it is pretty much identical, but it’s a nice inclusion just the same. The film’s English-language export trailer (3m32s) as BLAZING MAGNUM is also included.

 

In what is probably the most archetypal poliziesco in Kino’s set, Mario Caiano’s ambitious actioner WEAPONS OF DEATH (1977) is one of a handful of Italian cop films produced by Edmondo Amati for his company Fida Cinematografica. Having had a sizable local hit with Marino Girolami’s exemplary VIOLENT ROME (1975), a film that catapulted Maurizio Merli into the limelight and who became the ‘face’ of Italo-crime for about the next half-decade or so, Amati went on to produce more Merli headliners over the next couple of years, which included Umberto Lenzi’s VIOLENT NAPLES (1976) and Girolami’s SPECIAL COP IN ACTION (1976), his rapid-fire follow-up to VIOLENT ROME.

 

For WEAPONS OF DEATH (whose original Italian title is NAPOLI, SPARA! and is the title card seen here), Merli is replaced by the somewhat baby-faced Leonard Mann as Insp. Belli (uselessly altered to “Bidi” on English prints) whose stubborn determination and tough demeanour (he manfully puffs on cigars throughout the picture) keeps him one step ahead of the baddies at all times. Far more volatile is Santoro (Henry Silva) and his gang of hotheads who stick-up the Naples Roma Express, where they kill the guards and steal mailbags containing a half-million dollars in cash. Belli is unable to finger Santoro for the crime and the underworld at large – including aging godfather Don Alfredo (Tino Bianchi) – doesn’t appreciate the heavy heat Santoro’s activities are bringing down. Following a breakneck car chase, a window of opportunity is left wide open to kill Insp. Belli, but an ostensible act of mercy by Santoro will cast suspicion on his nemesis as a potentially corrupt cop. Disciplined accordingly by his superiors, Belli is given no choice to bring Santoro in alive, but this proves trickier than expected, that is, until he comes into contact with Luisa (‘Evelyne Stewart’/Ida Galli), an underworld-affiliated songbird…

 

As with most of the Amati produced polizieschi, WEAPONS OF DEATH also crams in several tangential subplots and sufficient action including a high-speed pursuit with a tanker truck. After ramming a family automobile over an embankment, Belli then clambers aboard the truck from the roof of a pursuing van during an extended car chase. In a bout of desperation, Belli even has the Flying Squad rob a high-stakes poker game in order to get some evidence against Santoro, but in retaliation, one of the plainclothes cops is beheaded by a wire stretched taut across the road (“The muthaf*cka who put the finger on Santoro jus’ blew his top!”). In a cheeky bit of casting, blond-haired passable Merli-lookalike Jeff Blynn (who would go on to appear in Alfonso Brescia’s Neapolitan crime-meller THE NEW GODFATHERS [1979] and Mario Landi’s unforgettably gruesome GIALLO A VENEZIA [1979]) is cast as Giudi (renamed “George” on English prints), a Flying Squad narc who doubles as a Neapolitan taxi driver (“That’s what we need, even the cabbies around town are tryin’ ta play cops’n’robbers!”) who even tackles a pair of scooter-riding sciappatori (i.e., purse-snatchers). Making the best use of his limited free time, Belli also acts as guardian angel to Gennarino, a lame-legged streetkid (juvie ‘cult icon’ Massimo Deda, who filled similar parts in a few Italo-crime flicks [most notably VIOLENT NAPLES] who is cast here in a bit to recapture some of that winning chemistry from Lenzi’s film. In a daring bit of self-assurance, Gennarino even steals a promotional race car and careens through the streets of Naples as De Masi’s mandolin-infused score plays cheerfully in the background. We also get the obligatory pool-hall rumble, another bank robbery, and a pedophile (Adolfo Lastretti) is attacked in a public park by outraged parents after trying to snatch a young girl. In prison, the child molester is subsequently dealt with by the other convicts in what is easily the film’s most gruesome scene of violence. 

 

Although never released on North American home video, most viewers first encountered this film via grey-market bootlegs taken from either the U.K. Inter-Ocean or Dutch EVC VHS releases. It eventually appeared on DVD in 2014 through Italian budget-label Quinto Piano, which was both cut and not English-friendly. In 2017, as part of Dorado Films’ Explosive Eurocrime Double Feature (which also included Girolami’s aforementioned SPECIAL COP IN ACTION), the film made its inauspicious Blu-ray debut in what was touted as a 4K remastered version. However, this presentation is uneven (the opening credits were almost sepia-toned for a short while) and disappointing, which lacks detail and a softness that suggests possible digitization. Extras are limited to trailers for both films, and a pair of liner note booklets containing incisive essays from writer Roberto Curti on The Italian Crime Film and the individual films in question. A nifty, full-colour reproduction of the original Italian NAPOLI SPARA! pressbook is included, too. 

 

Once again thanks to StudioCanal’s Cult Classics line, WEAPONS OF DEATH made its U.K. BD debut and worldwide UHD debut earlier this year, which also advertised a new – and this time accurate – 4K restoration. While certainly not reference material, StudioCanal’s supplied master is massive improvement. This new restoration features a more stable, consistent image with excellent texture and healthy detail, which finally does the film justice. LPCM 2.0 mono audio options are offered in both English and Italian including properly translated English subtitles for the Italian audio track and subtitles for the hard of hearing. Even though both tracks feature the usual post-synch work, the Italian track is definitely the way to go, no thanks to a rather poorly orchestrated English dub wherein Silva doesn’t even loop his own voice. 

 

As with StudioCanal’s other Italo-crime releases, Steve Mitchell and Troy Howarth offer another enthusiastic audio commentary and are this time joined by Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson. The three of them have a very good rapport, which has them go over the film’s “schizophrenic” tone, De Masi’s somewhat subdued score (“Not his shining hour.”), many of the film’s action scenes including what was staged and what wasn’t, and how the Italians got more out of this genre, even if they were only following trends. They also discuss the film’s close relation to the sceneggiata Napoletana, Caiano’s surprise at the popularity of these films, Pier Luigi Santi’s camerawork, most of the cast and crew, and this new restoration. As always, this is another entertaining and frank commentary that isn’t afraid to criticize the film’s many faults, but without ever detracting from one’s enjoyment of the film itself. Other extras include Napoli Spara! Revisited(17m48s), an on-camera interview with actor Leonard Mann who talks about Italy in the ’70s and the “reactionary” nature of these films, his stint working in Italy, which he regarded as a sort of “treadmill,” and how he performed many of his own stunts. Naples Under Fire (15m10s) is an archival interview with director Mario Caiano where he regards himself as a director that wasn’t “pigeonholed,” the craftsmanship involved in producing these pictures, the state of the police at the time, and how he liked to push “emotions” to the limit in his films. Next up, Will Webb’s video essay Napoli Spara! The Brutal World of the Poliziotteschi (5m25s) examines how these films adapted themes to fit the troubles of the country, and the gritty, high-octane nature of the films themselves. The disc also contains an intro to the film by Jean-Baptiste Thoret (8m20s), a brief photo gallery (2m49s), and the film’s English-language export trailer (4m10s). Lastly, a 12-page booklet with writing from Peter Raleigh finishes off the extensive extras. 

 

Here making its North American UHD debut, Kino once again utilize StudioCanal’s 4K restoration, which looks pretty much the same as the one found on the U.K. disc. Audio options this time include both English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono with optional – and properly translated - English subtitles for the latter. As for the extras, everything outside of the Jean-Baptiste intro, photo gallery and booklet is ported over from the U.K. disc, but Kino have also included the film’s English and closing credits (3m09s), which look to be taken from Dorado’s old print. The film’s trailer (3m30s) and bonus trailers for some of Kino’s other product is also included. 

All-in-all, Kino’s ITALO-CRIME COLLECTION is an outstanding package, and it makes for a terrific primer for anyone wishing to dip their toe into the tough-as-nails world of Italian crime films before hopefully taking the plunge headfirst. Also available from DiabolikDVD. 

MALADONNA & MALOMBRA - BD REVIEW

While many online databases and books list both MALADONNA and MALOMBRA as 1984 productions, the copyright date on the latter is credited as 1983, so for the sake of continuity, we’ll look at that film first, even if the cover art for Raro Video’s Blu-ray mistakenly promotes MALADONNA as the title film.

 

One of the earliest Italian productions, shot around Lake Maggiore, had been Carmine Gallone’s MALOMBRA (1917), a gothic melodrama adapted from Antonio Fogazzaro’s 1881 novel of the same name, a story which had apparently lost none of its fascination over the years. In 1942, director Mario Soldati helmed another well-regarded variation of the novel, and in 1983, low-budget producer Pino Buricchi also decided to tackle the subject. A classic of Italian literature, here adapted by cheapie specialist sceneggiatore Piero Regnoli, this rendition pretty much abandons Fogazzaro’s narrative and accents highly-charged eroticism over any meaningful plot. Produced in the wake of Tinto Brass’ hugely-successful period-set erotic drama THE KEY (1983), MALOMBRA also pulled-in considerable profits on its home front thus ensuring Buricchi and Gaburro would continue to turn out more of the same.

 

Osvaldo Raininger (Maurice Poli), a wealthy land baron, lives in a vast isolated country estate where he grieves for his dead wife, Maria. Yet a mysterious woman (Paola Senatore), who is the spitting image of Maria, roams the darkened corridors before succumbing to her sexual yearnings. Soon thereafter, Osvaldo’s nephew Marco (Stefano Alessandrini) arrives at the castle with his university tutor Massimo (THE CHILDREN OF VIOLENT ROME’s Gino Milli) who gains the attentions of the villa’s housemaid (Scilla Jacu), while Marco happens to meet Lilli, a bubbly farmgirl (Gloria Brini), who spends a goodly portion of the running time either topless or completely nude in her quest to bed Marco; for one scene in a hayloft, she suggestively nibbles on a carrot while he watches. Later into the narrative, Marco catches a glimpse of Maria, his supposedly deceased aunt during one of her kinky nocturnal rituals and immediately falls under the spell of her irresistible allure, which exposes a number of dark secrets…

 

A throwback of sorts to the gothic chillers of the ’60s, a foreboding atmosphere is well established during the opening moments as Senatore’s character roams the shadowy, suffocating corridors of the family castle. Although primarily marketed as a sex film, MALOMBRA proceeds much along similar lines as any Italian gothic, which includes the usual dopplegänger, mistaken suspicions, possible supernatural manifestations, and an ancient patriarchy whose rather malevolent presence is well represented by Osvaldo’s morose countenance. Drawing heavily on themes of obsession and sexual repression, the film even contains a “secret room” where Senatore’s character routinely “casts a spell” on her male and female onlookers with her uninhibited display. Senatore is excellent as the flawed but humanized character who is nothing more than Osvaldo’s prized possession whereas one-time actors Scilla Jacu and Gloria Brini add further sex appeal. Brini in particular – who speaks with a cheery inflection (courtesy of Pat Starke on English prints) throughout - thinks nothing of using her body to entice and influence Marco, but also adds some much-needed joie de vivre missing from the rest of the picture. Slow-moving but involving, mostly because it is so cryptic in unfolding, MALOMBRA is also greatly aided by Pasquale Fanetti’s lush and intimate photography strengthening the voyeurism of the audience itself. 

 

Despite its soundalike title and returning characters, MALADONNA (1984) is otherwise completely unrelated to the above film, which has Paola Senatore returning as Maria, this time as a rich and sexually bored wife of Osvaldo Raininger (Maurice Poli), a wealthy landowner of aristocratic lineage. After Maria and a group of decadent socialite friends - which also includes her lover Alessio (2020 TEXAS GLADIATOR’s Daniel Stephen) - have a drunken sex party, Raininger has had enough (“No one in this house knows the meaning of honor!”) and finds solace in the arms of Claudia (SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP’s Paola Corazzi), a woman from a “loveless marriage,” who eventually exposes an elaborate scheme to try and sneakily obtain Raininger’s vast property…

 

In what turned out to be one of her very last roles before her career was tragically sidetracked by drugs and alcohol, Senatore commits herself sincerely as the insatiably adulterous Maria who believes she is “locked in a kind of jail.” Although much of Regnoli’s script attempts to offer psychological character studies of the eccentric protagonists, which also entails all the various factions ruthlessly vying for possession of Raininger’s land, the bulk of the picture is pure sexploitation, even as it tries – rather vainly – to delve into the lives of the upper classes and all their scheming, immoral behaviours, a tactic Regnoli explored with far greater success in Andrea Bianchi’s nightmarish contemporary gothic MALABIMBA (1979). Considering the less-than-exorbitant budget, Gaburro’s costumers and set dressers once again come up with some admirable period ambience whereas returning DP Pasquale Fanetti’s good-looking photography is rendered more eloquent still by Stelvio Cipriani’s synth-based score. 

 

Although merely a side effect of Brass’ enormously successful THE KEY, Gaburro’s flirtation with period-piece erotica never secured official home video releases in North America. Distributed by Kino Lorber, Raro Video’s region free disc offers restorations provided by the film’s licensor Minerva Pictures, which vary between the two films. Featuring a solid, if unspectacular transfer, MALADONNA looks quite pleasing with stable colours and nice contrasts, which definitely enhances Fanetti’s rather polished cinematography. Unfortunately, MALOMBRA appears to be sourced from different elements and appears a tad softer and somewhat uneven, but it’s still miles better than any previous analog presentation. DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Italian mono is presented on both titles and sound fine, but the Italian track on MALOMBRA is paired up with English dubtitles instead of properly translated subtitles. Even more frustrating, the English audio track was obviously taken from a very inferior source (VHS perhaps?), which sounds tinny, and at times, almost inaudible. A real shame.

 

Extras are limited, but Raro have secured another well-researched audio commentary from Wild, Wild Podcast’s Adrian Smith and Rod Barnett who have plenty to discuss about MALOMBRA including Fogazzaro’s novel and its importance in Italian culture, many of the book’s story elements, and their absence from the film. The director’s interesting career is also assessed together with his marriage to Erika Blanc, his many pseudonyms, and his foray into hardcore feature films. They also go over Pino Buricchi’s extensive career toiling away in the lower echelons of the Italian film industry, while also finding plenty of time to talk about Paola Senatore prolific career - who is probably best known to most fans for her role Umberto Lenzi’s EATEN ALIVE! (1980) where she’s literally eaten alive – and her troubles during the shoot where she was “almost always drunk or high,” her plunge into the world of hardcore films with Arduino Sacco’s NON STOP… SEMPRE BUIO IN SALA (1985), and her subsequent arrest on drug charges and implications of trafficking. This is a substantial and worthwhile listen, which provides knowledgeable context and plenty of history about these little-seen films. Order the Blu-ray from Kino Lorber or DiabolikDVD. 

ESCAPE FROM DEATH - 4KUHD / BD REVIEW

One of the many straight-to-video horror films released in Italy, Enzo Milioni’s ESCAPE FROM DEATH (1989) was also one of eight horror titles that comprised “I maestri del thriller,” a rather ambitious endeavour aimed specifically for the home video market. By this point, Lucio Fulci had already become inseparably identified with gory horror, so after directing both THE GHOSTS OF SODOM (1988) and TOUCH OF DEATH (1988) for the series, there was an attempt by the producers to further extend the waning popularity of the genre by releasing all of the films on home video under the “Lucio Fulci presents” banner. Although securing prominent home video releases in Italy via Avo Film, the films proved more difficult to see for English speaking viewers who had to either import costly VHS tapes or European DVDs. Thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, these largely forgotten films have finally been given their due via truly lavish 4K UHD / BD combos, of which ESCAPE FROM DEATH (the fourth film in the cycle) is especially satisfying seeing as it has never received an English-friendly release prior to VS’s disc.

 

Tormented by flashbacks while recuperating at her large country estate, Ann (Barbara Blasco) is convinced she has killed her husband Larry, but when the corpse disappears, her therapist Dr. Marc Duvivier (Jacques Sernas) is convinced she “had another row last night.” Refusing to be committed for proper psychiatric care, Ann has similarly erased all memory of her late husband, who apparently left on his own accord. Cared for by Larry’s former secretary Mary (Zora Kerova, here credited under her Czech birth name Ulla Z. Kesslerova), she and Dr. Duvivier are determined to solve the mystery without resorting to police, but things are further complicated when Larry (‘Alex Berger’ / Alessandro Freyberger) unexpectedly rematerializes to function as another red herring unearthing a confounding tangle of disappearing bodies, assumed identities, hereditary madness, and RASHOMON-style misinterpretations of the truth…

 

This rather slow-moving psychological mood piece is quite unlike the other films in the series whose overly-talky plot is even murkier than Ann’s memory. At one point during the convoluted narrative, a character rightly points out “there’s many things that don’t add up in this affair” what with all the shady characters and their double-crossing inclinations. Solly, the villa’s groundskeeper (Giuseppe “Pino” Morabito) attempts to blackmail Ann, while also engaging in an incestuous affair with his daughter Mary (‘Jessica Moore’ / Luciana Ottaviani) - which leads to one of the film’s most lurid and unexpectedly splattery demises – while Larry’s ex-girlfriend Brigitte (‘Annie Belle’ / Annie Brilland whose name is mistakenly spelled “Bell” in the opening credits) also shows up adding further stress to Ann’s ever-spiraling paranoia. Although some viewers may charitably classify this whodunit as a whybother, some poor exposition does occasionally make for a confusing time, but this gothic infused, giallo-style kill thriller is by no means a complete write-off largely due to an interesting cast and several striking moments. In the end, ESCAPE FROM DEATH is low-grade prosciutto, but even then, it’s still quite appetizing. 

 

First issued onto Italian DVD as LUNA DI SANGUE (the same title found on VS’s new restoration) in 2003 via Avo Film, this was a bare bones affair, which only included an Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track and no special features whatsoever, while the film’s 1.33:1 aspect ratio was touted on the packaging as “suitable for all TV screens.” Despite some of the film’s shortcomings, it’s impossible to find any faults with Vinegar Syndrome’s new 4K UHD / BD combo, which features a brand new 4K restoration taken from the original 16mm negative, which really brings this film to life. Presented with Dolby Vision HDR, this new edition is absolutely phenomenal, and works wonders with both the film’s surprisingly colourful palette and Silvano Tessicini’s camerawork, rendering it quite literally picture-perfect. The Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is also clean and free of any issues, and despite Paolo Gatti’s and Alfonso Zenga’s rather chintzy score, it too begins to grow on you after a while. 

 

Once again Vinegar Syndrome turns to author and film historian Eugenio Ercolani to properly assess this low-budget production beginning with an enjoyable audio commentary where he is joined by fellow author and film historian Troy Howarth. Although they quickly conclude that ESCAPE FROM DEATH is “the weaker link of the cycle,” they still find plenty to cover including the rather complex genesis of this “slightly desperate” series, Lucio Fulci’s “somewhat complicated involvement” and his rather “tumultuous” career during the late ’80s, which started with ZOMBI 3 (1988). We hear plenty more on the film’s director Enzo Milioni – best remembered for directing THE SISTER OF URSULA (1978), one of the sleazier gialli of the ’70s - and interesting cast including Jacques Sernas and his roles in historical epics, Zora Kerova’s return to the Italian screen, a popular actor who rose to cult stardom among gorehounds for her work in such films like Umberto lenzi’s CANNIBAL FEROX (a.k.a. MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY, 1981), and Pamela Prati’s enormous popularity in Italy gets extra special attention, which is a fascinating story in and of itself. 

 

A nice selection of extra features is something we’ve come to expect from Vinegar Syndrome, and the real treat here is Zora, The Escapee (17m55s), a remarkably candid interview with Zora Kerova, the still vivacious cult actor often referred to as “the female equivalent of Italian whipping boy” Giovanni Lombardo Radice, her co-star from the aforementioned CANNIBAL FEROX. Due to “sad personal matters” she relates her reasons for leaving the Italian film industry in the early ’80s to live in the former Czechoslovakia and the difficulty of returning to Italy penniless and unable to get work. She has nothing but praise and adoration for Lucio Fulci who ended up giving her some small parts, which enabled her career to slowly “take off” again. Although working for ridiculously low pay, she “went about her work” and enjoyed her time on these low-budget productions. Zora is a warm and friendly presence, which is nicely reflected in Ercolani’s interview. Zora’s co-star Alessandro Freyberger is also interviewed in Victim of Circumstance (16m19s) who fell in love with cinema as a child thanks to his father, actor Manfred Freyberger. A career interview of sorts, Freyberger touches on several of his roles throughout the ’80s including his time working with Joe D’Amato whom he refers to as “the little Archimedes of the film industry,” the challenges of shooting in English, his co-stars such as Pamela Prati (“She was a little over-the-top!”), and what he learned from his father. Film composer and musician Paolo Gatti is also given his due in the rather fascinating Bloody Sonata (19m28s), which is a thorough look into his working methods and his love of music from an early age. Gatti also talks about his theatre and concert work, his close collaboration with Alfonso Zenga and his relationship with director Enzo Milioni who was a “bit scatterbrained, but a nice guy.” In Exhuming Lucio (12m36s), film critic Pier Maria Bocchi reminiscences about his first meeting with Lucio Fulci and his thoughts on some of latter-day films like DEMONIA (1990). And finally, Eroclani is given the spotlight in Escape from Death, Enter the Showbiz (29m54s), a solid recap of sorts of his cumulative work on this disc, which includes several additional nuggets of information and insightful viewpoints related to the series and its various directors and performers. 

 

Although messily-plotted and somewhat uneven, ESCAPE FROM DEATH is expertly handled by the folks at Vinegar Syndrome with their flawless restoration and solid selection of extras, which is also available with a choice of two slipcovers from Robert Sammelin and James Wilson. 

DISCO ITALIANA - BLU-RAY REVIEW

In 1977, producer Robert Stigwood and director John Badham hit it big with SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, a film that helped launch disco into the mainstream, made a superstar out of former sitcom star John Travolta, and spawned several cinematic imitators the world over. Inevitably, Italy also capitalized on this short-lived disco craze with a number of unique pictures, three of which have been released by Severin Films in this wonderful new collection, which not only celebrates the wackier side of Italian trash cinema, but also the disco era’s influential legacy.

 

Based on an original story co-written by director Claudio Giorgi and actor/screenwriter Luigi Montefiori (better known to most Eurotrash fanatics as George Eastman), AMERICAN FEVER (1978) adheres closely to the SNF template with a distinctly Italian spin that makes for a perfect starting point to Severin’s box set. First seen working at a gas station, Mircha Carven stars as Tony Ferrante, an aspiring actor with dreams of leaving Rome for America because “they give you a chance to be somebody.” But thanks to his two-timing opportunist agent and best friend Dino (Vincenzo Crocitti), the closest he ever gets to Hollywood is appearing in third-rate westerns as a stunt-double. In between, Tony spends his nights – and paycheck – at the local disco (“Get down and shake it out with American Fever!”) where he IS a bona fide star, but when he befriends Lisa (Zora Kerova, here credited as Zora Kéer, an alias she also used on the same year’s ESCAPE FROM WOMEN’S PRISON), he begins a rather stormy, on-and-off relationship with the hope that “things will work out.”

 

Receiving top billing here alongside Kerova, Mircha Carven generally filled minor supporting roles in Italian genre fare, before taking the lead in Sergio Garrone’s infamous video nasty SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP (1976). Having also worked with director Giorgi - here using his customary Claudio De Molinis pseudonym - on the same year’s A MAN FOR SALE (1978), Carven gives a committed, naturalistic reinterpretation of Travolta’s now iconic character as an equally suave, but less rough-edged Tony Manero. Much like its source inspiration, the film includes several disco numbers including an alternate version of the “Brooklyn Shuffle” from SNF, this time choreographed to Charlie Cannon’s catchy “Passion Flower” disco track, but the film also offers several decidedly downbeat subplots as well, including a pessimistic depiction of the cutthroat film business (“Forget about your career in the movies!”). In their hope of getting one good break, Dino manages to arrange a meeting with Mr. Marchetti, a “fat cat” producer who offers Tony a contract to star in sex films. However, after contemptuously accepting the offer, Dino neglects to fork-over Tony’s cash in order to pay off a debt owed to a couple of smalltime reptilian hoods. Elsewhere, Tony arrives at the scene of Lisa’s attempted suicide and talks her out of jumping off a bridge, but despite her obvious psychological baggage, Tony nonetheless feels the irrepressible lure of this enigmatic woman whose character de-glamourizes the bar-crawling, one-night-stand lifestyle. Seldom having looked more radiant than she does here, Czech-born Kerova adds further gravitas to the film, which is nicely complemented by Carven’s affecting performance as the wannabe star whose ambition vacillates between gritty urban realism and naïve lapses of wish-fulfilment. 

 

Scanned in 4K from the original camera negative, Severin Films’ new restoration of this lo-o-o-ng-unseen film is a real coup. Boasting excellent detail and strong colour reproduction, this is a really solid presentation, which is especially effective during many of the film’s darker, candy-coloured nightclub scenes. Audio options are offered in both English and Italian DTS-HD 2.0 mono (the latter with properly translated English subtitles), and both sound great ensuring all the music from the likes of La Bionda, Cannonball, and Spotlight sound clear, robust and appropriately flamboyant. And while it may not be important to some viewers, it’s always exciting to finally hear that elusive English track, one that features such reliable voice talent as Larry Dolgin (he dubs Mircha Carven), Pat Starke, Edward Mannix, and even Edmund Purdom. SDH subtitles are also included.

 

Originally pitched to Severin Films as a potential release by Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson, it should then come as no surprise that he provides an audio commentary alongside fellow film historian Howard S. Berger. Naturally, they begin with a brief history on the film’s relative obscurity after its screening at MIFED as READY, STEADY, GO, its brief theatrical run in various European countries, a detailed – and very helpful – history on ALL the music in the film, and just how good this new restoration looks. They go on to discuss the “cultural phenomenon” of SNF, and despite being a low-budget Italian film, they are surprised how Montefiori’s script accurately replicates the “tone and timber of SNF” which is not “inauthentic or silly,” and how it’s almost autobiographical in terms of the film business represented in the film. Of course, they also talk about Mircha Carven’s interesting career and the IMDB’s lack of citing his work on American television as Michael Carven, an appreciation of Zora Kerova, the longevity of disco and what constitutes a musical, and how this film has plenty of “coherency, integrity and verve.” Loaded with tons of pertinent info and thoughts related to the film and the era in which it was made, this is an outstanding listen, which will definitely give audiences a better appreciation of this oft-dismissed picture. 

 

In All About the Music – The Birth of Disco and The Road to Italy’s AMERICAN FEVER (10m06s), film critic and author Alan Jones who recently penned Discomania for FAB Press, talks about the emergence of disco music and its “beginnings in the gay, Hispanic and black communities, especially in America.” He also discusses many of the pioneering songs and films that helped popularize disco the world over, and how the Italians were best known for “ripping off everything, left, right, and centre,” which eventually led them to make the present film. Created and cut together by legendary film trailer guru Miro Grisanti, the film’s amazing English-language export trailer (3m11s) is also included, which will compel you to watch the film all over again. 

 

In what turns out to be a very different and somewhat frenzied meld of SNF and Randal Kleiser’s GREASE (1978), Michele Massimo Tarantini’s BRILLANTINA ROCK (1978, here re-titled GREASE ROCK) is most definitely cracked from an unmistakably Italian uovo (i.e., egg). One-time actor Monty Ray Garrison stars as Robbie, a disco dancing sensation with a John Travolta fixation who frequents the popular Gech-Gech discoteca with his motorcycle-ridin’ dance troupe and his best friend Sandra (Cecilia Buonocore). Upon taking part in numerous dance-offs with similar ‘gangs,’ he becomes infatuated with Cindy (future bit player Auretta Gay from Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE [1979]), an American who’s “stacked like the Tower of Pisa.” Like SNF, he attempts to persuade her to be his partner at an upcoming dance contest, but when his ‘greaser’ rival (Mauro Fritella) also begins to draw her gaze, they agree to a motorcycle race from Milano to Monza to claim the new girl…

 

Produced by Luciano Martino’s Dania Film and shot on location in Bergamo and Milano, this energetic and irresistibly daft confection was another attempt to extend the popularity of the disco craze, but Tarantini and scriptwriters Alessandro Capone and Giuseppe Pellegrino hedge their bets and provide audiences with a thinly-veiled pseudo-GREASE incarnation as well. Garrison seems to be having great fun in this good-natured romp, which unfolds like some contemporized American-era JD flick in ’70s Italy. With his hair greased back, cartoonish bomber-styled jacket and white pants, his unique look is further compounded whenever he jaunts through the city on his bright red, Russian-made sidecar motorcycle, which is adorned with artwork from GREASE and several photos of John Travolta. Similar to his outrageous fashion sense, it appears he and his friends live on “another planet” clearly establishing the film’s fantasy-like context, which is later reiterated when Sandra emphatically states, “This is a dream world for kids. You have to grow up sometime.” A brisk motorcycle chase (which could almost have come from a straight crime flick à la Lenzi) and a comedic street brawl add to the overall fun, which is further highlighted by a fantastic Gianfranco Reverberi pop soundtrack, which also mixes together several original cover songs including a re-mix of the Rolling Stones’ “[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction.” In the end, GREASE ROCK is all very silly, but it’s the periphery love story that remains the film’s heartbeat as echoed in the opening and closing credits, which are scored to John Paul Young’s “Love Is in the Air”, one of the very best disco songs of the decade. 

 

Once again scanned in 4K from the OCN, the results herein look fantastic with impressive film-like detail drawing further attention to all the vibrant costumes and nightclub interiors. English and Italian DTS-HD 2.0 mono audio tracks (the latter with properly translated English subtitles) are once again included and sound perfectly satisfactory, which allows Reverberi’s wonderful multi-layered score plenty of room to breathe. SDH subtitles are once again included. 

 

Nathanial Thompson returns for another fact-filled audio commentary and is this time joined by author and film historian Eugenio Ercolani who adds a valuable Italian perspective to this unique endeavour. Right from the get go, Thompson regards the film as “one of the most representative of Italian disco movies of the late ’70s,” which, outside of a few obscure European VHS releases, pretty much “vanished without a trace” after its initial release. Of course, they extensively cover Tarantini’s career and his collaboration with Luciano Martino, the influence of Italian-American movie stars in Italian films, how SNF “touched a nerve in the Peninsula,” tons of info on the various songs heard throughout the picture as well as Reverberi’s score, a composer who was regarded as “quite a figure in Italian pop music.” Further discussions include the wholesome nature of these disco variations, Italo disco of the ’80s, how this picture was made during a “period in flux” within the Italian film industry, and plenty more besides. It goes without saying, this is another must listen. Other extras include Brillantina Is the Word(2m40s) with Alan Jones briefly discussing the film, which “offers a lot of touch points to SNF,” and the various songs used throughout. The lengthy English-language export trailer (4m11s) is also included, which promises “It’s the movie in which Monty Ray Garrison challenges the supremacy of John Travolta!”

 

Next up is Neri Parenti’s THE FACE WITH TWO LEFT FEET (1979), which stars John Travolta lookalike Giuseppe Spezia (credited on U.S. prints as Johnny Spezia) as Gianni, a humble – and a rather bumbling - cook at a hotel restaurant who is secretly enamoured with Ilona (future hard-porn star and politician Ilona Staller / a.k.a. Cicciolina), a DJ at the local discotheque appropriately named John’s Fever. When he finally gathers the gumption to talk to her, much to the annoyance of her boyfriend and club owner Raoul (BLACK EMANUELLE's Angelo Infanti), he is promptly kicked out. So, when his friends - who also work at the hotel – realize he has a resemblance to John Travolta, they embark on “Operation Travolta” to try and get him back in the club and score and date with Ilona. Although he’s got the looks, Gianni can’t dance to save his life…

 

Needless to say, the main attraction here is Spezia’s uncanny resemblance to Travolta and the film’s reverence for SNF (“I’ll be seeing John Travolta films the rest of my life!”). Featuring several wisecrack references to the trendsetting Travolta hit, the flimsiest of plots has Gianni/John try and win over Ilona, while the rest of the cast (which even includes Massimo Vanni, stuntman and future star of several Philippino-lensed films like Fulci’s ZOMBI 3 [1988], who, prior to this, had already proved his comic timing on a few Nico Giraldi films) go through their amiable comic sketches. Often involving aging hotel guests and the heavy-eyed night concierge (Enzo Cannavale), who is at the centre of all the cheap yuks, gags constantly pre-empt the general storyline, which climaxes with an extended slapstick slugfest at John’s Fever. Tied together with several Bee Gees-styled cues from reliable composer Paolo Vasile, and other insanely catchy tunes like “Disco Quando” by Tony Renis, THE FACE WITH TWO LEFT FEET is quite the novelty and great fun.

 

Although a very welcome release at the time, Code Red’s 2013 DVD was struck from a U.S. theatrical release print, which still looked quite good aside from the usual dirt and debris, but this version - which ran 88m52s and was distributed by producer Alfredo Leone – re-arranged and shortened the opening credits and eliminated a few other scenes. Thankfully, Severin’s new 4K restoration taken from the OCN restores the “complete” 100m26s version, which not only includes the film’s original opening credit sequence, but looks amazing to boot. Once again, DTS-HD 2.0 mono audio options in both English and Italian are included (the latter with English subtitles) and sound perfectly fine, and for those that require them, SDH subtitles are thoughtfully included.

 

Extras begin with another first-rate audio commentary with Thompson, Berger and Ercolani all of whom have plenty to say about this rather fascinating cinematic oddity. First, they discuss the film’s Italian title and its unique play on words in relation to Lina Wertmuller’s SWEPT AWAY (1974) before settling in and moving onto Parenti’s varied career as an AD (assistant director) and his work as a director. Of course, they touch on his numerous Christmas comedies (VACANZE DI NATALE [1995] comes to mind), which are regarded as “the lowest of the low of mainstream comedies” as well as Parenti’s dismissal of TFWTLF (“It’s a piece of shit!”) and how it nearly destroyed his future directing career. Once again, they cover the film’s music with extraordinary detail, it’s belated U.S. theatrical release in 1981, Giuseppe Spezia’s appearances on Italian TV as “the official John Travolta lookalike in Italy,” which got him the role in the film, tons of pertinent info of most of the cast with a focus on Ilona Staller and the appeal of her alter ego Cicciolina in Italy, a lengthy discussion on DP Alberto Spagnoli and veteran cutter Mario Morra, the rather hilarious closing shot, and much more on what Nathaniel Thompson regards as “world’s craziest John Travolta movie in history!” Great stuff all-around!

 

Other extras include The Show Is Over… John Travolto and the End of the “Disco” Film (8m58s) with Alan Jones comparing this “reasonably funny” film to early “musicarelli” like Lucio Fulci’s UNO STRANO TIPO (1959), how it captures the “real atmosphere of disco,” and the dying days of disco even though “it wasn’t over for the music.” Lastly, the rather unbelievable, spoiler-laden U.S. theatrical trailer (1m33s) and the English-language export trailer (3m43s) are also included as well as a greatly appreciated soundtrack CD, which is sure get plenty of play for anyone buying this fabulous must-have box set. Highly recommended!