entomol71 Reviews

Blood and Bullets (1976)

poor Italian crime film

[22 February 2013]

This is in my opinion one of the worst Italian crime films I've seen. Acting, screenplay nonexistent. The leading actor (Eastman) wanders from one side to the other of the town and the viewer can' t understand what is happening.

I don't understand why the film was shot in S. Francisco with Italian, American actors unknown except for Jack Palance in the role of a worthless gangster. Surely A. Brescia, the director, directed better films (see Napoli serenata calibro 9). Sound strange but the original dialogues were in English then dubbed for the Italian market. In Italy is difficult to get this movie. I had (I deleted it after viewing!) an old recording maybe from VHS. I give it 3 out of 10.

Il pentito (1985)

A good "mafia"'s film

[10 November 2011]

A good film directed by Squitieri. In my opinion it is one of the best in the context of Italian crime films. In particular it has a good screenplay and less violence and action than the previous films. It is played by important Italian and American actors like Tony Musante (who is well known in Italy for his role in "l'uccello dalle piume di cristallo"), Franco Nero, a famous international actor and a certain number of supporting role actors like Ivo Garrani in the role of old "mafioso", Luigi Montini, Venantino Venantini who play the members of "family" and not very known actors like O. Dell'Acqua, A. Freeman, B. DiLuia, T. Palladino actually employed as stuntman in the 70s Italian crime films. This film is one of the few in which police and "carabinieri" collaborate.

It sounds strange but it was shot in English, then as always dubbed in Italian. Lots of actors dubbed themselves and I am convinced that it is more realistic, because the film's characters haven't that typical false Sicilian accent. If you keep attention to all the Italian 70s and 80s films when the plot consist of "mafia", they have that silly false pronounce. Will there be the copy in direct sound since all the actors played in English?

The Road to Fort Alamo (1964)

Shoddy Italian western

[4/10 · 21 February 2011]

First of all I am a fan of Italian films but "the road to Fort Alamo" is one of the worst Italian western that I've seen. It was shot without means. The interiors have a fictitious background with a blue light and fictitious cactus so as to simulate the desolate and barren moorlands of Texas or Arizona, but any clever viewers can note that the real vegetation is made of oak (Q. pubescens) and other plants typical of European climate. Some shots (cowboys that are riding) are accelerated, Bud, the leading actor, cannot ride, therefore he was always replaced by a double. The Indians are awkward, always shot at a distance. I admit the shots are the only thing which make this movie credible, but the others contemporary films like "le pistole non discutono", "preparati la bara" are masterpieces compared with this one.

I give it 4 out of 10.

Bullets Don't Argue (1964)

Italian western imitating American style

[6/10 · 21 December 2010]

This film is a ripping off of American westerns. When I say ripping off I don't mean it is a poor film. It has the typical western elements: sheriffs and bandits. The role of the characters is well defined and at the end of the story the good will triumph on bad. Many films-loving people didn't understand why this film hadn't had success in Italy. First of all it was played by unknown actors, at least in Italy. Moreover, westerns were getting to be on the wane from 1965. But the main reason is that Italians were bored about classic westerns ("the stagecoach", "Rio Grande", "Cimarron", "saddle the wind" etc) they preferred action, shootings and a bit of violence. So the film "a fistful of dollars" released a few weeks later was a great success because it started a new era of making westerns as Italians preferred.

This was one of the first westerns to have false names of director and actors so as to make it seem like an American film. Probably it was shot without recording the audio even if many actors spoke English. It was released in Italian and in English both dubbed. Rod Cameron dubbed himself.

Hour of Death (1964)

classical western before Leone's style

[5/10 · 1 August 2010]

This film directed by Joaquin Romero Marchent is a typical example of American western tough it is partly Italian and partly Spanish. Normally Italian films contain more violent scenes, shootings, deaths. In this one we have pure sentimentalism, assault by indians, irony and so on. We are far from Leone's style who launched a new western style that inspired many other directors, Americans too. Most of the actors are Spanish, even if there are some Italians like Raf Baldassarre in the role of Jeff, a violent cowboys, and Robert Hundar pseudonym of Claudio Undari a Sicilian actor specialized in western films. The original dialogues seem to be in Spanish then dubbed into Italian in the version I have. Shot in Almeria and in the Elios studios near Rome.

Kriminal (1966)

Boring Italian action film

[5/10 · 1 August 2010]

Kriminal, a famous English thief, whose actual identity nobody knows, steals some diamonds of Lady Gold, a rich English woman. While he is leaving England by train, the police tries to capture him and he loses the diamonds jumping out of the train. After some hours walking he meets a beautiful woman who gets him a passage with her car. But she is a policewoman… This is a boring Italian film inspired to a famous comic strip called precisely "Kriminal". I think it is more interesting than the film although the film is rather faithful as for the characters and Kriminal's costume is the same of the comic strip.

Filmed in England and in Turkey it has a good soundtrack even if it is very similar to "Flashman" another Italian B action film. Among these kind of films it is worth remembering "Diabolik" that is the best in my opinion. Kriminal has original dialogues some in Italian and some in English then dubbed for the Italian market. By the way Glenn Saxon who plays Kriminal, is a Holland actor overall famous in Italy for some Italian westerns. In the role of a police superintendent we recognize Franco Fantasia who is a good Italian stuntman.

Stateline Motel (1973)

Italian crime film dubbed into Italian

[8 June 2010]

Floyd (Testi) just out of prison arranges a robbery with an accomplice. They steal a huge amount of diamond from a jeweller's. Immediately they are chased by Canadian police but Floyd who has a powerful Ford Mustang, is able to shake them off. The two accomplices take different streets because Canadian government issued a warrant of expulsion to Floyd so he has to leave the country in 48 hours. He goes toward the border with an old Chevrolet but the street is frozen and he goes off the road. Walking he arrives in a Hotel called the "Last Chance". He gets a room and hides the loot under the bed. Michell (Andress) a beautiful hotel's owner hearing the TV notices about a robbery in the town, finds out that Floyd is one of the robbers. After a sex night with her, Floyd doesn't find the diamonds because Jack, Michelle's lover, has hidden them. He cannot leave Canada without recovering the diamonds so he threatens Michelle with death in order to force her to reveal the hiding place. After being mistreated, Michelle tells Floyd she hasn't the diamonds but Floyd doesn't believe her. He goes on to find the diamonds without results. In the meantime Joe the second accomplice, receives a telephone call from Floyd and not believing him decides to go to the hotel. Just arrived he orders a room and together Floyd begins to search in Michelle's room and again without results. Floyd realizes that he is suspected by Joe of an arrangement with Michelle, so he plans an escape. Michelle leaves the hotel by bus and Floyd catch her up later. When Michelle sees the Chevrolet (Floyd's car) jumps in but discovers the driver is Joe. He beat her up in order to force her to reveal where the diamonds are but he strangles her out of rage . Then he searches in Michelle's bag finding a puppet that contains inside the diamonds. Meanwhile Floyd comes and seeing Michelle dead out of the car, chase Joe and kills him. Unfortunately inside the puppet there are only some stones.

The film ends this way. It's clear it is cut because is impossible for me thinks that the story doesn't explain where the diamonds are. Indeed looking up in some cinema books I discovered the film lasts 105 minutes while my personal copy (recorded by TV channel) is 97 minutes. It is possible that in those missing minutes it is told where the diamonds have ended up. By the way the film runs well with a good screenplay and good actors. I think this it is better than others Italian crime films. In a town that I cannot recognize (we cannot be sure the movie has been shot in Canada like the plot tell us) there is a long chase between a Mustang (Floyd's car) and three police cars. Watching well we can see a stuntman driving the Mustang while in the close ups backs Fabio Testi. There is Ursula Andress older-looking to tell the true, but always gorgeous, Massimo Girotti in the role of husband of Andress, Eli Wallach as the accomplice of Fabio Testi . Even if Testi has started as a stuntman is also a fairly good actor. The car used in this film are: a Chevrolet impala model 1962, a Ford mustang coupè and a Wolkswagen beetle of seventies. Sound strange but the film was shot in English language then dubbed in Italian. The dubbing is not very good especially for the synchronism. Why doesn't exist a copy in direct sound for the English market given that the actors speak a good English? What is the point of dubbing a film into Italian and delivering it for the foreign market dubbed again and badly, sticking to the public opinion written in IMDb?

I give it 5.5 of 10

Peddlin' in Society (1946)

Good film, bad dubbing

[7/10 · 27 January 2010]

Gioconda a greengrocer in Trastevere (Roma), accumulates a big account of money and decides to join the Roman middle-class society. After buying a huge town house confiscated to a Roman count during the war, she buys some pictures e some furnishes it elegantly, giving hospitality to the count. She also goes round with an old lady whom she believes a countess. Actually that countess is a French thief, who swindles Gioconda by selling her a false diamond. Gioconda finds out also the pictures she has bought are false. So, she is made to abandon that style of life and thanks the count because he has always given her good advices.

This is a gay "neorealist" film directed by Gennaro Righelli. It is based on a excellent interpretation by Anna Magnani. She acts the part of a Roman lady, dazzled by her rich financial position and convinced of changing her origin. Anna Magnani represent the part of Roman low extraction popular ladies better than other part. However she was very good at dramatic roles too, and she also had a notable theatrical experience. This film is excellence from all the points of view, but the dialogues are all dubbed and this is its drawback. The audio is not well synchronized in lots of scenes, above all in those ones where Gioconda sings. Although Anna Magnani dubs herself, we cannot feel the same attraction that we could with an original audio, including the background sounds (which Italian productions were allowed to eliminate). Thinking about that period, it has to be said that it was not possible for Italian actors playing in direct sound, and unfortunately Anna Magnani was made to be dubbed too. If the films of this period were called "neorealist" what sort of neorealism did they represent as to the sound?

Flashman (1967)

Rambling poor Italian film

[3/10 · 20 August 2009]

Flashman finds out about a serum, discovered by an English doctor, which make people invisible. Kid take possession of a serum before Flashman does and makes himself and Helen invisible in order to wrest money from an influential emir. The timely interposition of Flashman has the stolen money recovered; but the emir is killed.

This is a ghastly Italian science fiction with a rambling and not clear plot. Flashman who has his base in London, goes in to action with an absurd dressing-up: a mantle like the one of Superman and a mask like the one of Batman. But these two respectable strip cartoons carachters and Flashman have nothing in common. In fact Flashman, is an odd and clumsy character and in some scenes he is taken with an accelerated speed. This film is played by secondary actors, hidden under false American names. I think this is the worst film of its genre. There are some Italian production like "agente 007 dall'oriente con furore" and "rapporto Fuller base Stoccolma", which are an imitation of 007 English films: although they cannot compete with them, they are better than this one. Although the lenght declared by IMDb is 96 minutes, the commercial DVD lasts 89 minutes.

Lust of the Vampire (1957)

Fantastic visual effects in the 60s

[5/10 · 12 August 2009]

This is a good film directed by Riccardo Freda who sometimes signed his names as Robert Hampton. Although in the headlines the make up is by Francesco Freda, it is clear there is a collaboration of M. Bava especially as regard the transformation of Gisele Du Grand, that is simply fantastic. She begins old within three seconds all in the same frame. It was an excellent example of visual effects. Unfortunately the film was a disaster from the economic point of view due to secondary unknown actors, except G. M. Canale in the role of Gisele Du Grand. Somebody said she was Freda's girlfriend in the sixties.

Although the story is set in Paris many scenes have been shot in the studios. Freda was a good director but as many Italians he had few resources available. It is important to remember him for "I giganti della Tessaglia" too, that inspired Don Chaffey's "Jason and the Argonauts", but unfortunately he sank low with horror B films in the sixties. As it often happens the film was dubbed in post production with the following voices: Police inspector: E. Cigoli, Pierre the journalist: G. Locchi, Laurette's father: G. De Angelis

Siamo tutti in libertà provvisoria (1971)

Good example of politic corruption

[5/10 · 18 July 2009]

In the seventies the judge Langellone (Noiret) open the Virgizio (Garrone) case, a minister who died a few years before by hearth attack. Virgizio's wife asks to a judge to open the investigation believing her husband a honest man and a good father. The magistrate finds out that Virgizio used to meet some tramps during his free time ( ministers used to meet tramps, as the newspapers wrote in those years). When Langellone found out his wife is involved in this matter as Virgizio's lover, the case was closed so avoiding a scandal.

This is the only film directed by Scarpelli . Even though the story is a little complicated (too many characters and names are involved), it is a good example of politic corruption. The story especially point out the omnipotence of the judges and their right of make mistakes. We can see a lot of secondary actors like Umberto Raho, Sergio Garrone and Lionel Stander (in the role of hard lawyer), who were famous in the Italian comedy of sixties and seventies. Riccardo Cucciolla plays an employee but he was famous in Italy as a dubber.

Requiem for a Gringo (1968)

Poor western, good actors

[4/10 · 27 June 2009]

During Mexican revolution a cowboy called Logan (Jeffries), meets Carranza (Sancho) the famous Mexican boss, and asks him to have a duel with Charlie (Sambrell) his right-hand man. Carranza is surprised for an unknown guy having such a confidence with him but he answers Charlie has disappeared since days. When Logan tells to Carranza who killed Charlie, he gets furious and orders his man to kill the cowboy. Instead the cowboy a very good gunfighter, kills all the members of the band including Carranza at last. Arizona is safe and begins shining again after several days of darkness.

A poor Italian-Spanish western directed by Luis Merino a Spanish director proving to be not very good as far as western films are concerned. The story is simply and even boring, it is a pity because there are many good actors such as Fernando Sancho, acting as a bandit, Aldo Sambrell (an excellent character who worked in the American productions too) and so on. Jeffries is an American actor famous in Italy for his Mithological films. I didn't understand why he rides a mule instead of a horse, a cowboy with a mule what kind of cowboy is? It sounds strange but the film was shot in Italy even if Spanish scenarios are more suitable.

I guappi non si toccano (1979)

boring Italian film

[3/10 · 2 January 2009]

Tony Lo Bianco (G. Tinti) an American cop transferred to Italy, becomes Maurice's right-hand man. Maurice is a famous "camorra " boss. He is planning an assault to a post office near Naples. During the robbery, another boss called "the panther" shots over Maurice's band wounding Lo Bianco. Fortunately Lo Bianco does not die and he starts to investigating about Maurice's past. He finds out that the boss is protected by the Italian Secret Service because he has some important documents regarding drug traffics where Italian minister are involved. Lo Bianco finds the documents and he is ready to give it to a magistrate but he is killed before leaving Italy.

This is the worst Italian crime film that I have seen. Acting is poor and actors too. The careful viewer will notice that sometimes the actors look at the camera during their dialogues. Even if the film has been shot in Italian the dubbing is simply shoddy, with false Neapolitan accent. The action is slow and boring. The director Mario Bianchi is worth mentioning only as far as his erotic films are concerned.

Passa Sartana... è l'ombra della tua morte (1969)

poor Italian western

[4/10 · 31 July 2008]

Sartana (Jeff Cameron) is an outlaw wanted for 1000 dollars. He is called by a judge in a small town in Texas. The judge with two assistants hire Sartana to free the territory from some dangerous outlaws, especially Randall's band. First of all he finds the sheriff Logan (Dino Strano), who many years before had wrongly accused him of theft of horses. Thus, Sartana kills Logan in a duel. Sartana give his way back and begins to kill all the bandits of the territory. At the end, he takes a fight with Randall (Dennis Colt), who dies accidentally (by himself gun) during the scuffle. Finished his task Sartana goes back to the judge, and he gives him the amnesty.

This western is the third directed by Demofilo Fidani, though in my opinion, it is difficult to understand which of them ("straniero… fatti il segno della croce, "One Damned Day at Dawn... Django Meets Sartana!" and "Sartana and His Shadow of Death") was shot first. I remember that Fidani in an interview, said the films were prepared one after the other. The plot is not bad and the actors either. Unfortunately the screenplay is weak. Sartana goes from one side to the other and when he meets the outlaws he kills them, even if they are more numerous than him. The story goes on with scuffle and gunfights, using the same scenarios (one of this seems to be "il canale della Tolfa" near Rome). The soundtrack is the same in the aforementioned films and the editing is poor. Following the fashion of the period all the actors are Italians with English pseudonymous. If we pay attention we can see some errors. In the film the same actor (D. Colt) appears in three different roles: as a one-eyed Mexican, as a kidnapping cowboy and above all, as Mr Randall himself!! Again when Sartana kills the sheriff, he goes down with his arms open. In the next scene the arms are closer.

Counselor at Crime (1973)

good acting and good locations

[6/10 · 30 March 2008]

Antonio Macaluso (Balsam) is the boss of a well-known family affiliated to the "mafia" in S. Francisco, who looks over all illicit trade. Macaluso called Don Antonio by his "piccioti", looks for the early release of Tomas Accardo (Milian) a famous lawyer and a gold son of him. As agreed, the day of his release Macaluso waits for the young boy just outside the prison, but he is greatly astonished at hearing he does not want to be affiliated to the mafia anymore. Macaluso minds him that his resolution cannot be accepted since he is still upset because of the imprisonment. As Tomas hides himself for a long time Vincenzo Garofalo (Rabal), the second man of the family, fights his family. Garofalo should pretend to be at the head of "cosa nostra" and moreover complains about the way Don Antonio used regard to Tomas and his departure. Garofalo has got fellow enough to set himself against Don Antonio for this reason a great bloody fight takes up with more than one dead person. Tomas listened the piece of news on the radio, gets himself in touch with Don Antonio and just later (he) comes back home. Garofalo however is still alive since he gains the friendship of the police in San Francisco. Thus Macaluso, Tomas and few others to avoid some more bloodshed, decide to move to Polizzi, a village near Palermo, where Garofalo got in for a holy day and where he was shot by Tomas himself.

This interesting film, which belongs to the mafia kind is supervised by Alberto DeMartino, an Italian director who oddly signs the headings avoiding the trend of passing Italian films as American ones, with the use of false names for the actors as well as for the directors. The film which is really filmed in S. Francisco (in the famous Lombard street are some chasing scenes) boasts of international cast, in fact almost the actors are American except Milian and Rabal. Unfortunately the film is a bit weak in the rhythm but the acting and the locations fill up this lack. The dialogues are in English and just the dubbing is Italian but with a Sicilian accent. Probably the version in direct sound does not exist for the home video and this is really a pity, since all the actors, Milian included, speak a good English. All contemporary films of the same subject, directed by DeMartino, are certainly lower in quality than this one (for example "i familiari delle vittime non saranno avvertiti")

Angel's Leap (1971)

A French detective story rich in rhythm

[6/10 · 17 November 2007]

The story sets in Marseill in the seventies. Di Fusco (G. Mitchell) engaged as killer by Forestier (G. C. Sbragia) kills Marc Orsini his own rivals in the oncoming general elections. Another of Orsini's brother, Luis, still lives in Thailand. Apparently he has severed every link with his "mafiosa" family. Anyway Di Fusco is sent there all the same to kill him who is Forestier's latest possible rival in elections, but reaching the place, he mistakes Orsini for his wife and kills her. Luis at once spreads his followers all over the country to locate the killer. Di Fusco is caught and forced to reveal the name of the instigator. Luis leaves immediately for Europe intending to harm Forestier by himself even if he doesn't know him. In Marseill he meets Mason, an officer in FBI and moreover an old friend of him, who is just cooperating with the local police about the murder of Orsini. He tries to persuade Luis to leave off because Forestier is tough guy, firmly tied up with politics and police. But Luis doesn't pay attention and tries to find Alvarez (R. Pellegrin), the right-hand man of Forestier. After finding him he orders his Thais adepts to stab him. Not later they are killed in a police shooting. Meanwhile Luis succeeds in finding Forestier and this one threatened with death, says that the murderer is Silvane (S. Berger), the wife of Marc Orsini, that thinks she could have the heritage of her husband. At the end Luis meets the woman and forced her to give herself up to the police but she not to fall into the hands of the law, kills herself.

A French detective story directed by Yves Boisse, rich in rhythm and played with a masterly skill by a group of actors mostly of French origin. The only foreign actors are Gordon Mitchell, Senta Berger and G. Carlo Sbragia. Mitchell seems to be there by chance, maybe because the film is an Italian-French co-production, since in that time the actor was living in Italy. The dialogues are played in French language and the only actor speaking English is Mitchell himself, who however has an Italian-American accent, that which the dubbing of the Italian production wanted him to have. Regarding to the dubbing I think that the synchronization is quite weak and the accent of the actors often sham. I suggest to watch the original film which probably, has the direct sound, for those who can understand French of course. At the 14th minute (from the beginning) when a Willis jeep runs, we see on board Luis, Mason and a Chinese guy. Watching thoroughly, we notice that the scene is obtained by a documentary or by a repertory image since the passengers in the car are not those we know and moreover the third passenger isn't a Chinese but a mulatto (man).