Euro-crime: policier, polar, poliziesco all'italiana, poliziottesco/poliziotteschi

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

I wasn't sure how much I'd like the more serious euro crime pics but in some ways I like them more, the themes and the tone stick with me longer.

Totally agree with you, Scott. A prime example is EXECUTION SQUAD, that film has a gravitas you simply don't find in the majority of these poliziotteschi. The ending of that one haunts you long after the film is over. There are tons of more straight forward action ones that are great fun but they don't leave a lasting impact.

It's like how DEATH OCCURRED LAST NIGHT is so far removed from the typical giallo.

[Scott Intellectual Carrot Find all posts View Profile Close Scott]

Totally agree with you, Scott. A prime example is EXECUTION SQUAD, that film has a gravitas you simply don't find in the majority of these poliziotteschi. The ending of that one haunts you long after the film is over. There are tons of more straight forward action ones that are great fun but they don't leave a lasting impact.

It's like how DEATH OCCURRED LAST NIGHT is so far removed from the typical giallo.

Yeah, watching EXECUTION SQUAD, STUNT SQUAD and KILLER COP back to back really opened my eyes. They were completely opposite in tone from the Lenzi/Merli and Enzo G type flicks but equally great in their own way.

And DEATH OCCURRED LAST NIGHT is just as different from those. Something about those hybrid giallo/poliziotteschi that really sings to me. WITHOUT TRACE was another revelation along with PLOT OF FEAR. That may have been the best thing that happened to me during the outbreak, diving headfirst into all these great films.

Thanks again for all the fantastic recommendations gents!

[Scott Intellectual Carrot Find all posts View Profile Close Scott]

Finally got around to watching HOW TO KILL A JUDGE this weekend. It was fantastic and I shouldn't have put it off for so long.

[Mr. Deltoid Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mr. Deltoid]

New British label Fractured Visions have just announced they are releasing Free Hand For A Tough Cop sometime later this year. Anyone here seen this one? It's Lenzi and Milian so definitely on my 'to watch' list!

https://mobile.twitter.com/FracVis/s...72462051610626

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

New British label Fractured Visions have just announced they are releasing Free Hand For A Tough Cop sometime later this year. Anyone here seen this one? It's Lenzi and Milian so definitely on my 'to watch' list!

https://mobile.twitter.com/FracVis/s...72462051610626

Good news! It's a good film (imo).

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

Finally got around to watching HOW TO KILL A JUDGE this weekend. It was fantastic and I shouldn't have put it off for so long.

Just seen this post, Scott. I agree. This is an excellent film.

I deeply regret not picking up the German BD of LA POLIZIA RINGRAZIA/EXECUTION SQUAD when I saw it for sale online for 8 Euros last year. (Luckily, I have the German DVD release, but still...)

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

New British label Fractured Visions have just announced they are releasing Free Hand For A Tough Cop sometime later this year. Anyone here seen this one? It's Lenzi and Milian so definitely on my 'to watch' list!

https://mobile.twitter.com/FracVis/s...72462051610626

As Paul said, it's a good film. I would rate it a bit lower than the best Lenzi/Milian crime films (crude comedy starts to intrude a bit and Milian nibbles on the scenery now and then). Still very much worth seeing though and Henry Silva is his typical badass self.

[Mr. Deltoid Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mr. Deltoid]

As Paul said, it's a good film. I would rate it a bit lower than the best Lenzi/Milian crime films (crude comedy starts to intrude a bit and Milian nibbles on the scenery now and then). Still very much worth seeing though and Henry Silva is his typical badass self.

Cheers both! Have to support any label that releases Poliziotteschi!

[Derrick King Waterfall Puncher Find all posts View Profile Close Derrick King]

Arrow is releasing a boxset of Italian crime pictures:
Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973-1977

The 1970s were a time of intense uncertainty and instability in Italy. Political corruption and widespread acts of left and right-wing terrorism, alongside a breakdown in social cohesion and a loss of trust in public institutions such as the government and police, created a febrile atmosphere of cynicism, paranoia and unexploded rage. Throughout this period, these sentiments found expression in a series of brutal, often morally ambiguous crime thrillers which tapped into the atmosphere of violence and instability that defined the so-called Years of Lead.

This box set gathers five films from the heyday of the “poliziotteschi” - the umbrella term used to describe this diverse body of films. In Vittorio Salerno's Savage Three (1975) and Mario Imperoli's Like Rabid Dogs (1976), random acts of violence committed by vicious young sociopaths threaten the fragile fabric of respectable society. In Massimo Dallamano's Colt 38 Special Squad (1976) and Stelvio Massi's Highway Racer (1977), renegade cops battling against red tape and political corruption turn to new and morally dubious methods to dispense justice. Finally, class dynamics are explored in Salerno's No, the Case is Happily Resolved (1973) as an innocent man finds himself under suspicion for a savage crime committed by a highly respected member of society.

Decried by critics for their supposedly fascistic overtones, the poliziotteschi were in fact more ideologically varied and often considerably more nuanced than such superficial readings would suggest, and proved a huge hit with theatergoers, who responded to their articulation of present-day social concerns. Featuring an impressive line-up of Euro-cult stars, including Joe Dallesandro (The Climber), Ivan Rassimov (Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), Maurizio Merli (Violent City) and Enrico Maria Salerno (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage), this collection of stylish, hard-hitting Euro-crime thrillers showcases the range and breadth of the genre and is a must-have for newcomers and grizzled veterans alike.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all five films, restored from the original camera negatives, including a brand new 2K restoration of Colt 38 Special Squad exclusive to this release

- Original lossless mono Italian audio

- Original lossless mono English audio on Colt 38 Special Squad

- English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks

- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack on Colt 38 Special Squad

- New visual essay by critic Will Webb

- Interview with director Vittorio Salerno and actress Martine Brochard on Savage Three

- Interview with actor Joe Dallesandro on Savage Three

- Interview with cinematographer Romano Albani and historian Fabio Melelli on Like Rabid Dogs

- Interview with assistant director Claudio Bernabei on Like Rabid Dogs

- Like Rabid Dogs music sampler

- Interview and introduction by composer Stelvio Cipriani on Colt 38 Special Squad

- Interview with editor Antonio Siciliano on Colt 38 Special Squad

- Interview with historian Roberto Curti on Highway Racer

- Interview with director Vittorio Salerno on No, the Case is Happily Resolved

- No, the Case is Happily Resolved alternate ending

- Trailers

- Poster galleries

- Reversible sleeves featuring original artwork for all five films

- Booklet featuring new writing by Troy Howarth, Michael Mackenzie, Rachael Nisbet, Kat Ellinger and James Oliver

[BW Haggar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BW Haggar]

I believe this calls for a "FUCK YES".

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

I'll get this for sure, though I already have LIKE RABID DOGS and NO, THE CASE IS HAPPILY RESOLVED via the Camera Obscura discs. And the films range from good to excellent.

[killer must kill again Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close killer must kill again]

finally! castellaris high crime is coming from filmart - release date: 12/17/2021.
english-friendly, original theatrical cut + different cut with alternate ending (HD)

... as long as we get the uncut version this time I'm fine.

[Alison Jane Girl Boss Jane Find all posts View Profile Close Alison Jane]

Would love to see more of these movies. We have plenty but there's just never time.