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

[fatboyslim142]

He (Stefano Vanzina) was mostly known for comedies. I think EXECUTION SQUAD is his only true crime film. FLATFOOT combines crime with slapstick.

Enrico Maria Salerno is so great in the film, he brings a gravitas to the role that's unique. The Cipriani score is one of the best, probably my favorite.

There is Double Murder (1977) as well.

[Andrew Monroe]

Paul and Andrew, I got that German disc of EXECUTION SQUAD and gave a spin earlier, it was excellent! Thank you for nudging me to pick this up. I only wish I knew German, that second disc with all the extras looks amazing. I scrubbed through it just to look at the posters and film clips.

I know they aren't related but I've liked all the SQUAD movies I've seen. EMERGENCY SQUAD and STUNT SQUAD both surprised me by how much I liked them and how not silly either one is.

What else has Steno done?

He (Stefano Vanzina) was mostly known for comedies. I think EXECUTION SQUAD is his only true crime film. FLATFOOT combines crime with slapstick.

Enrico Maria Salerno is so great in the film, he brings a gravitas to the role that's unique. The Cipriani score is one of the best, probably my favorite.

[Scott]

Paul and Andrew, I got that German disc of EXECUTION SQUAD and gave a spin earlier, it was excellent! Thank you for nudging me to pick this up. I only wish I knew German, that second disc with all the extras looks amazing. I scrubbed through it just to look at the posters and film clips.

I know they aren't related but I've liked all the SQUAD movies I've seen. EMERGENCY SQUAD and STUNT SQUAD both surprised me by how much I liked them and how not silly either one is.

What else has Steno done?

[Scott]

I received PAURA IN CITTA (FEAR IN THE CITY) in the mail today via the Alan Young DVD. This was everything I want out of a Maurizio Merli movie! The shootout at the cemetery, the fight on the bus, and the ending at the rail yard were all fantastic! James Mason seemed to actually be drunk and the dumb cop who dies at the end was an emotional bit I wasn't expecting. I almost held off on getting this because reviews weren't so hot but I'm glad I didn't!

[fatboyslim142]

Oh I didn't know that, thanks for the heads up, fatboyslim. I do already have the US disc of PERFUME, but it's nice to know going forward.

Both have been released by 88 Films.

The following also have better UK releases:

Milano calibro 9 (Arrow Video) - Newer Transfer
Nightmare City (Arrow Video) - Better PQ all round & includes 2 presentations of the film (1 is a new 2k scan of the film's original negative; and the other is an older scan of a 4-perf dupe negative)
Conversation Piece (Eureka - Masters of Cinema) - 'The same extras as the Raro one but includes this "Luchino Visconti: The Quest for the Impossible" documentary' which the US release doesn't have
Body Puzzle (88 Films) - Because this is on BD in the UK whereas it is ONLY on DVD in the US

[Scott]

Oh I didn't know that, thanks for the heads up, fatboyslim. I do already have the US disc of PERFUME, but it's nice to know going forward.

[fatboyslim142]

How is MEET HIM AND DIE? It's one of the few Raro discs left that I haven't got.

Thanks fellas! I got some hunting to do now, cheers!

There are some UK releases that are better than the US raro ones especially 'The Perfume of the Lady in Black' (a much higher bit rate and superior encoding) & 'The Cold-Blooded Beast' (A Longer Cut).

[Andrew Monroe]

How is MEET HIM AND DIE? It's one of the few Raro discs left that I haven't got.

It's fairly good but I wouldn't call it essential. Aka RISKING. The BD is not one of Raro's better looking ones. I'd put it near the bottom of the "to buy" list.

[fatboyslim142]

Going via Wikipedia & Pollanet Squad (the latter is a Poliziotteschi database site) here you go:

1) Wiki:

Death Occurred Last Night (1970)
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974)
The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975)
Calling All Police Cars (1975)


2) Pollanet Squad (list http://www.pollanetsquad.it/scheda.p...eri&cod=GIALLO):

Gli angeli del 2000 (1969)
Brucia ragazzo brucia (aka Burn, Boy, Burn) (1969)
So Sweet... So Perverse (1969)
Un detective (1969)
Perversion Story (1969)
The Weekend Murders (1970)
In the Folds of the Flesh (1970)
Senza via d'uscita (1970)
The Double (1971)
The Fifth Cord (1971)
Death Walks on High Heels (1971)
Web of Deception (1971)
L'uomo pií¹ velenoso del cobra (1971)
The Designated Victim (1971)
What Have You Done to Solange? (1972)
Short Night of the Glass Dolls (1971)
My Dear Killer (1972)
Death Walks at Midnight (1972)
The Bloodstained Lawn (1973)
Il vero e il falso (1972)
Torso (1973)
Puzzle (1974)
La donna della domenica (1975)
Istantanea per un delitto (1975)
Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975)
Plot of Fear (1976)
Watch Me When I Kill (1977)
Gli uccisori (1977)
Enigma rosso (1978)
La mazzetta (1978)
The Last House on the Beach (1978)
Giallo napoletano (1979)


Hopefully this will help you out.

Totally forgot to add this one to the list.

The Killer with a Thousand Eyes (1973)

[Scott]

How is MEET HIM AND DIE? It's one of the few Raro discs left that I haven't got.

Thanks fellas! I got some hunting to do now, cheers!

[Matt H.]

Another good straight up poliziotteschi is COME CANI ARRABBIATI (LIKE RABID DOGS), it's a particularly violent and sleazy one. Released on BD from Camera Obscura (I know you're not BD friendly yet, Scott, but it's one to keep in mind for when you are).

They released a DVD version as well (PAL only, of course). It's a good one.

[Andrew Monroe]

A few more I thought of that are well worth hunting down:

SILENT ACTION
YOUNG, VIOLENT, DANGEROUS
THE SICILIAN CONNECTION
CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN

[Andrew Monroe]

I'd agree with Matt and fatboyslim that SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A MINOR is a hybrid. It's got some unwelcome comedy bits in it and I rate it a fair bit under Martino's best stuff but it's worth seeing. The aforementioned CALLING ALL POLICE CARS is also an example. It was released on dvd as WITHOUT TRACE by Mya - that shady outfit. I haven't watched it in quite a while but I seem to remember it was at least acceptable in terms of quality.

Another good straight up poliziotteschi is COME CANI ARRABBIATI (LIKE RABID DOGS), it's a particularly violent and sleazy one. Released on BD from Camera Obscura (I know you're not BD friendly yet, Scott, but it's one to keep in mind for when you are). Lenzi's BROTHERS TILL WE DIE is another very good one.

[fatboyslim142]

Are there any others hybrid poliziotteschi/giallos out there?

Going via Wikipedia & Pollanet Squad (the latter is a Poliziotteschi database site) here you go:

1) Wiki:

Death Occurred Last Night (1970)
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974)
The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975)
Calling All Police Cars (1975)


2) Pollanet Squad (list http://www.pollanetsquad.it/scheda.p...eri&cod=GIALLO):

Gli angeli del 2000 (1969)
Brucia ragazzo brucia (aka Burn, Boy, Burn) (1969)
So Sweet... So Perverse (1969)
Un detective (1969)
Perversion Story (1969)
The Weekend Murders (1970)
In the Folds of the Flesh (1970)
Senza via d'uscita (1970)
The Double (1971)
The Fifth Cord (1971)
Death Walks on High Heels (1971)
Web of Deception (1971)
L'uomo pií¹ velenoso del cobra (1971)
The Designated Victim (1971)
What Have You Done to Solange? (1972)
Short Night of the Glass Dolls (1971)
My Dear Killer (1972)
Death Walks at Midnight (1972)
The Bloodstained Lawn (1973)
Il vero e il falso (1972)
Torso (1973)
Puzzle (1974)
La donna della domenica (1975)
Istantanea per un delitto (1975)
Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975)
Plot of Fear (1976)
Watch Me When I Kill (1977)
Gli uccisori (1977)
Enigma rosso (1978)
La mazzetta (1978)
The Last House on the Beach (1978)
Giallo napoletano (1979)


Hopefully this will help you out.

[Matt H.]

Now that I've seen more poliziotteschi and revisited this film I can see it more as a giallo now too. SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM and WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS are also good hybrids. Are there any others hybrid poliziotteschi/giallos out there?

I think Sergio Martino's THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A MINOR (1975) would qualify. It's out in a DVD/Blu-ray combo from Arrow.