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Thanks for the memories!

A different way of telling a story

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This Italian giallo film contains a tremendous musical score: that is the first thing I noticed. Luciano Michelini's funky, jaunty soundtrack permeates throughout, bringing to life scenes of police procedure and making the action sequences even better. There are even moments of comedy in here. Are they successful? Not in the slightest, in my view, although other opinions are equally justified. To me they undermine the atmosphere without adding anything extra that is successful.Where Sergio Martino's direction really shines, however, is in the chase and shooting set-pieces, the best being a tremendous shoot-out on a roller-coaster ride. The fusion of calamity and the rattling soundtrack guarantees enjoyment. A shame that such urgency isn't injected into more of the 100 minutes, or that some pruning couldn't have been done. For however energetic certain moments are, the film is a little too long and could have done with perhaps losing 15 minutes.Is Martino's mixture of styles a success? Partially, I'd say. But ultimately, I prefer my giallo more consistently dark and without the flights of comedy. It is good, but not great. Whilst it is pleasing to see the director experiment with an established style, his crowning achievement remains 1971's untouchable 'Strange Case of Mrs Wardh.'

When looking into this film before watching it I kept seeing it referred to as a giallo film, those Italian films that featured a killer being hunted by police or more often someone affected by their murders. While watching it I found it felt less like a giallo and more like one of the police action films that seemed to pour out of Italy in the 70s known as Poliziesco (police thriller). The end result will be up to each viewer to decide.The film opens with a young woman on the run, a prostitute who is followed and found and quickly killed by a sunglass wearing killer. A man she bumped into at a dance hall begins looking into her death and it isn't until later in the film we discover he is police detective Paolo Germi (Claudio Cassinelli). Recruiting the help of a street thief named Giannino he begins a rather strange investigation of the situation.Germi is unlike most detectives in that he has his own way of doing things. He inserts himself into the criminal world and isn't averse to opening fire when need be or slugging his way out of a situation. While not quite the vigilante style that audiences have come to associate with characters like Dirty Harry he does tend to ignore a number of laws while seeking out who the killer is.Along the way Germi learns that there is more to the case than a simple murder of a prostitute. It all revolves around a teenage prostitution ring and the powerful man behind it all. You know that a face off will eventually come, the only question being who will walk away from it unscathed? The film features two items that fill a lot of screen time, one different than most and the other part and parcel of the genre. The humor in the film is what is unusual, even more so when it's not limited to Germi's sidekick but includes him as well. A running gag about him constantly breaking his glasses is a nice twist. The second and more common item is a lengthy car chase and this film has more than one. One of them brings these two elements together as Germi and Giannino toss the doors of Germi's car at a pursuing police car since Germi is undercover.In the end the movie is an enjoyable film to watch and entertains from the beginning to the end. The end itself is quite satisfying after having watched the rest of the film. Cassinelli never had the chance to make his way to starring in U.S. films because his life was cut short in a tragic helicopter crash 10 years after this film was made. He shows the potential to become a world class star here and it's sad he never had the opportunity.Arrow Video has done their usual bang up job for this release. To start with they're offering a brand new 2k restoration of the film from the original camera negative meaning you get the best picture quality for this film ever. Extras include a new commentary track by Troy Howarth (the author of SO DEADLY, SO PERVERSE: 50 YEARS OF Italian GIALLO FILMS), new interviews with director Sergio Martino and cinematographer Giancarlo Ferrando, a reversible sleeve with newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon and with the first pressing only an illustrated collector's booklet with new writing by Barry Forshaw.

A young prostitute is found brutally killed and is up to detective Germi (Claudio Cassinelli) the investigation of the case, as the search progress he uncovers a girls trafficking ring with connections to powerful people.The script comes from Ernesto Gastaldi, possibly the most prolific writer in the Italian film industry. He wrote scripts for Bava, Fulci, Leone and more. If he has not written an autobiography, he really should... few scribes can claim to have put so many trashy masterpieces on the screen. Director Sergio Martino claims he added to the script and "changed it radically", though it is evident that the vast majority is Gastaldi's work.Martino was responsible for possibly the best-named giallo film out here, "Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key" (1972). This one is also usually called a giallo, though it may blur the line with a police procedural. Typically, a giallo protagonist is a common person, or at most a journalist, but rarely a police officer -- someone who should actually be involved in a mystery.Sergio and his brother, producer Luciano Martino, were the grandsons of director Gennaro Righelli, who directed the first Italian sound film, "The Song of Love" (1930). While the Martino brothers worked heavily in cult and genre films, there is no denying they had a deep family history in cinema.This may be Claudio Cassinelli's best-known film. He did go on to appear in "The Mountain of the Cannibal God" (1978) and "Hands of Steel" (1986), both directed by Martino. In fact, he tragically died in a helicopter crash while making the latter film, an event that Martino talks about in length on the Blu-ray.The 2017 Arrow Blu-ray has a brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative, with the sound either mono Italian or English (your choice). We get a new audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of "So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films". And, last but certainly not least, a new 42-minute interview with co-writer/director Sergio Martino. Oddly, Barbara Magnolfi was not interviewed, despite her being generally accessible.

I have to say that before I comment on this title that I am a fan of Sergio Martino's films. Particularly 'Torso', which I rate as one of the greatest of all Italian horror films. Therefore, my enthusiasm for this film and my high rating should be taken with a pinch of salt by anyone looking for a classic giallo. This is no 'Solange'. In fact, this film could easily slip into the comedy-action-thriller genre. In its defence, I would say that it does have gorgeous topless girls savagely murdered in fantastic close-up and a catchy score too. Therefore, there is enough to keep fans of the genre interested. But, and it is a big but, there is no mystery element as we see the killer's face in all the death scenes. Are you still keen? Then read on.The plot: A young hooker is discovered savagely murdered by inspector Germi, played by Claudio Cassinelli. He then embarks on a rather unorthodox investigation in search of the killer. Along the way, he happens to enlist the services of Giannino, a little pickpocket, and they both proceed to uncover a teenaged girl trafficking ring with connections that lead all the way up to the top.There are some fine comedy moments in this film. How about this little exchange between Germi and a young woman he is questioning, to wet your appetite? "I'm collecting Stamps." – "Oh yeah? Far out. Then stick one on your ass and send yourself to New York 'cause you're getting on my nerves." If this is your kind of comedy then there is plenty more where that came from. I only wish that the jokes and slapstick could have continued throughout the film.Sazuma present the film restored and in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen. You get the original Italian language soundtrack with English, German and Dutch subtitles; along with a feature commentary by film critics Christian Kebler and Robert Zion. A featurette titled 'Crime Scene Milan', the Italian trailer and a poster gallery complete the package.The bottom-line? Yes, it is a peculiar film and in no way can it rank alongside 'Torso', 'Excite Me' or 'The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh'. Nevertheless, for Sergio Martino fans and must-see-every giallo types, this has to be a must-buy DVD.