- Director : Enzo G. Castellari
- Actors : Glauco Onorato, Marcella Michelangeli, Orso Maria Guerrini, Renzo Palmer, Sal Borgese
- Media Format : Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
- Run time : 3 hours and 18 minutes
- Release date : April 19, 2022
- Studio : Arrow Video
- Number of discs : 2
Well known is the
Italian western genre that was popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, even
resulting in Italy temporarily surpassing Hollywood in film production. While Spaghetti
Westerns were popularized worldwide, thanks in part to American stars like
Clint Eastwood, the poliziottesco (sometimes referred to as “Macaroni Crime”) films
were less successful exports. Often containing themes of corruption that had
parallels in modern Italian society, these crime films were more popular in Italy
than elsewhere, despite a high level of violence and similar exploitative elements
to those found in the Spaghetti Western genre.
Although there are certainly elements of corruption and political
instability in these two Italian crime films from Enzo G. Castellari, the
primary focus of the director seems to be thrilling storytelling. Violent action,
explosive showdowns, and creative camera work always seems to take priority
over a social message. These are distinctly Italian films, but one can see the
influence from American crime films like The French Connection within the
simple storylines.
The first film in the set is The Big Racket, a 1976 Italian
poliziottesco following Inspector Nico Palmieri (Fabio Testi) in his battle
against the organized crime racketeering schemes. Rather than just pushing the
larger institutions for protection money, the criminals of an Italian city
start going after the small shop owners. Palmieri does what he can to get to
those responsible, causing him to be attacked and eventually have his career
destroyed. Seeing the destruction caused by the criminal corruption in the
city, Palmieri decides to take matters into his own hands by forming a posse
made up of citizens victimized by the gang.
Although clearly a crime film, it is easy to see the influence
of the Italian western genre in The Big Racket’s plot, especially in the final
showdown. When local law and justice fail the people, they must use violence to
eliminate the threat themselves. As cynical as this depiction of society may
be, it makes for an explosive climactic showdown that Castellari considered
among the best in his career.
The Big Racket special features include:
- The
Years of Racketeering, a new video interview with co-writer/director Enzo G. Castellari
- Violent
Times, a new
video interview with actor Fabio Testi
- Angel
Face for a Tough Guy, a new video interview with actor Massimo Vanni
- King
of Movieola, a
new video interview with editor Gianfranco Amicucci
- The
Great Racket, a
new appreciation and career retrospective of composers Guido and Maurizio
De Angelis by musician and disc collector Lovely Jon
- Theatrical
trailer
- Image
gallery
The second film in the set is The Heroin Busters, a 1977 film
also starring Fabio Testi. In this slightly more convoluted story, Testi stars
as undercover cop Fabio, who is determined to break any rule to take down a
drug smuggling ring. Partnered with Interpol agent Mike Hamilton (David
Hemmings), the pair try to uncover the truth about the international criminal
organization based out of Rome.
Given that the film withholds the true motivations of multiple
characters and the way the narrative jumps from location to location, The
Heroin Busters lacks the straightforwardness of The Big Racket, and also lacks
the same emphasis on spectacle. There are some good chase scenes, but nothing
coming close to the action contained in the finale of The Big Racket. There are
simply too many characters and loose threads in The Heroin Busters, which can often
make it something of a chore to watch.
The special features on the disc include:
- Endless
Pursuit, a new
video interview with co-writer/director Enzo G. Castellari
- Drug
Squad, a new
video interview with actor Fabio Testi
- The
Drug Dealer, a
new video interview with actor Massimo Vanni
- How
They Killed Italian Cinema, a new video interview with editor Gianfranco Amicucci
- A
Cop on the Set,
a new video interview with retired poliziotto and criminologist Nicola
Longo
- The
Eardrum Busters,
a new appreciation and career retrospective of composers Goblin by
musician and disc collector Lovely Jon
- Theatrical
trailer
- Image
gallery
Box Set Special Features
- Brand
new 2K restorations of both films from the original 35mm camera negatives
by Arrow Films
- High
Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations
- Original
Italian and English front and end titles
- Restored
original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
- Newly
translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks
- Optional
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English
soundtracks
- New
audio commentaries on both films by critics Adrian J. Smith and David
Flint
- Illustrated
collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by Roberto Curti and
Barry Forshaw
- Limited
edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring original and newly
commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch
- Twelve
double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction art cards
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
Special Features: 9/10
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