The film, as I said from the outset, is hugely enjoyable — but as a genre film I believe it could disappoint quite a few people. It isn’t scary, it isn’t particularly sexy and their is very little action. But what it presents is a thick fat slice of seventies style, with a groovy pop soundtrack, slick visuals and characters that keep you guessing. The plot won’t keep you guessing, but the characters are just a bit off kilter — enough to make this film not seem like an also ran. If your a Lenzi fan, it’s worth checking out.

Directed by Umberto Lenzi
Maurizio Merli, Van Johnson, Biagio Pelligra, Mario Erola
Music by Franco Micalizzi
From Corleone To Brooklyn is slightly different to most of Merli’s poliziotteschi – but not too much. Firstly he is still one tough cop, who’ll go to extreme lengths to stop crime dead in it’s tracks. He is still determined to [...]

Here’s a quick look at another cop thriller from Italy. This poliziotteschi (as Italian cop thrillers are called), features Maurizio Merli as Dectective Leonardo Tanzi, a tough cop in the Dirty Harry tradition. As an actor, Merli was often derided as being a Franco Nero wannabe, but this probably has more to do with his [...]

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 tough [...]

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 shame [...]

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 Violent [...]

1980, Italy. Starring Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Lorraine De Selle, Danilo Mattei, Zora Kerova, Walter Lloyd, Meg Fleming, Robert Kerman, John Bartha, Venantino Venantini. Directed by Umberto Lenzi.
Hey kids, it’s another Italian cannibal film! Collect ‘em all! Just like a Pokemon, they’re all basically the same, with very minor alterations to keep the boys and [...]