The skeleton costume looks a bit ludicrous, but even Glenn Danzig could never really pull a skeleton body stocking off. Within the context of the film, set in such a bizarre universe as the one inhabited by all the fumetti anti-heroes, we can quickly learn to accept the skeleton costume. Plus, as goofy as it looks, it’s also sort of awesome. I mean, he puts on a skeleton costume, throws daggers at people, steals from the Queen of England, and makes love to gorgeous Italian women. Truly, Kriminal leads THE LIFE.

1976, Italy. Starring Maurizio Merli, John Saxon, Barry Sullivan, Elio Zamuto, Maria Grazia Spina, Silvano Tranquilli, Massimo Deda, Guido Alberti, Pino Ferrara. Directed by Umberto Lenzi. Written by Vincenzo Mannino. This post brings us full circle, back to the beginning of the article and the film that sparked my initial interest in poliziottechi and the [...]

1973, Italy. Starring Antonio Sabato, Phillipe Leroy, Antonio Casagrande, Carla Romanelli, Alessandro Sperli, Franco Fantasia, Tano Cimarosa, Marisa Mell. Directed by Umberto Lenzi. Written by Franco Enna, Ombretta Lanza, Umberto Lenzi. Purchase from Amazon.com. Like Enzo Castellari, Umberto Lenzi is no stranger to followers of global cult and genre cinema. And like Enzo, it’s a [...]

1974, Italy. Starring Tomas Milian, Laura Belli, Henry Silva, Gino Santercole, Anita Strindberg, Guido Alberti, Ray Lovelock. Directed by Umberto Lenzi. You know, you think you’ve seen it all, and then along comes something like this to make you realize the world still has so much to offer you, so much worth living for. After [...]

As far as cannibal movies go, Cannibal Ferox is entertaining. It’s fast-paced, and the whole Mafia subplot is so silly you can’t help but admire Lenzi’s bizarre train of thought. It’s like he started out making one movie and ended up with another. And he actually manages to tie it all together, which is impressive in itself. If you can get past the animal scenes, this is a nasty little flick with great gore, a brisk pace, and plenty of gut eating. Ever wonder why all cannibals eat people in the same way, by just sort of mashing the innards on their face? You never see an organized cannibal meal. Just because you eat the same thing as a zombie doesn’t mean you can have the same table manners.