digitalconquest

Under discussion:

The Columbian Connection  (1991)

O’Keeffe is a specialist military warrior chosen to lead an elite squad of three soldiers into the jungle so that they can capture a notorious drug kingpin and bring him to justice. The plan is to grab him while he meets an undercover agent posing as an important buyer. When Bull (O’Keeffe) and his men arrive at their destination they find the agent murdered and themselves in the middle of an ambush! With their method of evacuation demolished and no way out of the jungle, they head towards the criminal’s jungle fortress with an entire army close behind! From this point on it’s virtually non-stop violent action all the way! There are splashy bullet wounds aplenty, people are stabbed, impaled, blown up, and then you have Henry Silva as his usual over-the-top villainous self! There’s even a gory piranha scene thrown in just for good measure! The soundtrack by Luigi Ceccarelli is lively and full of energy; it suits the film well. It’s all bloody good fun and though it may be lacking in depth, things never slow down long enough for you to care! Bull and his mercenaries have a seemingly impossible job ahead of them and they’re going to get it done the only way they can… The Hard Way!

Under discussion:

La Casa Del Tappeto Giallo  (1983)

Don’t let the date put you off of this ultra-rare giallo which is massively hard to come by… Especially uncut and in English! Lizzani is a fine director and this is yet another work of which he can be proud. Franca and her husband, Antonio, have advertised in a local paper that they are trying to sell a large and valuable carpet, a wedding gift from Franca’s mother and stepfather. While Antonio is out handling some business, the first responder to the add arrives to have a look at the goods. Franca is soon trapped in an inescapable nightmare as this mad stranger begins to terrorize her both physically and psychologically! Franca’s tormentor claims to have murdered his wife on that very same rug years earlier and comes dangerously close to reliving the moment again in the present! Lots of very intense and uncomfortable scenes lead to a violent and bloody confrontation with the mysterious stranger! Needless to say, this is nowhere near the end! This little known yet excellent Italian thriller is very engaging, it contains many shocking surprises, a soundtrack by maestro Stelvio Cipriani, and the prerequisite nudity and violence! A very highly recommended film and if you are a gialli enthusiast then you’ll definitely not want to miss this claustrophobic classic! It was released a long time ago on domestic VHS and was missing a couple minutes of footage.

Under discussion:

I Cacciatori del Cobra d'Oro  (1982)

Antonio Margheriti gets in on the Indiana Jones action, throws in a dash of 007, and mixes it up Italian Jungle style! Warbeck plays Bob Jackson, adventurer extraordinaire with a penchant for danger! After World War II, Jackson and Special British Intelligence Officer Captain David Bracken (John Steiner doing David Niven to the hilt!) head back into enemy territory to recover the stolen Golden Cobra, believed to have supernatural powers and possibly the key to a hidden treasure! Along the way, hundreds of secret Golden Cobra worshippers try and assassinate them, but its nothing compared to the danger that's in store! Luciano Pigozzi brings his hidden agenda along for the ride while posing as an anthropologist. His niece Julie (Fulci favorite Almanta Suska) is the twin sister of long lost April, the beautiful goddess of the Golden Cobra! Sound crazy? Well, it is! Lots of violence, action and mayhem ensue. Throw in the active volcano and excitable natives and you've got yourself a pasta bowl full of big entertainment! Even with all of that, we also get an amusing score by gialli and Italian Crime composer Carlo Savina and a dash of make up effects from Cataldo (Cannibal Holocaust) Galliano!

Under discussion:

The Instructor  (1983)

Absolutely unique martial arts action movie has no point of reference; there just isn’t any other movie quite like this one. You’ll meet characters like Cookie, Bud, Thumper, Chooch, and a semi-retarded white guy ninja with male pattern balding who proves himself to be homicidally insane. Early fight scenes feature swords and trashcan lids while later exchanges showcase an axe and even a chainsaw! The soundtrack is like the film; you just have to experience it for yourself. The main thrust of the plot concerns an honorable instructor who demonstrates considerable restraint while continually running up against his violent arch-nemesis, a man who raped and killed his wife! When that restraint caves beneath the force of a desire for vengeance all hell’s gonna break loose and God help anybody that stands in his way! The fantastic (and LONG) car chase slash motorcycle chase is impressive, as are the numerous scenes of people getting their asses handed to them, but this is definitely not for everybody. You enjoy Kill And Kill Again and its ilk? The Instructor is the epitome of that kind of film! How this isn’t already a cult classic is beyond us, but we’re hoping to change that right now! American trash cinema (and we mean that most respectfully) of the highest order!

Directed by Mario Bianchi in 1989 (not listed on SPOUT).

Ambitious Italian adventure movie about a man named Mark and his quest to find the ‘City of Emeralds.’ It’s a place he remembers having been before, though not very clearly as something took place there that left him unconscious. Mark was saved thanks to local natives and was then chased from their village by a madman in a helicopter. There are others who want him to remember also and if he doesn’t guide them to the riches they’ll kill him and his female companion. Worse yet, the more Mark is able to remember the more he realizes how wrong things have really gone! There’s a little violence, a little nudity, and plenty of scenic adventure throughout this little known and competently made movie.

Directed by Ferdinando Baldi in 1988 (not listed on SPOUT!)

A group of highly trained mercenaries breaks into a guarded base and steals a literal truckload of unrefined gold that they then give to friendly revolutionaries in exchange for good old-fashioned cash. The man in charge of the operation is moved beyond anger by this act of outright insult and is ready to use an entire army for revenge if necessary! As fate would have it the two men at odds have years of hatred between them already and there is only one possible outcome when they meet; somebody will have to die! Surrounding the story is ferocious non-stop action and pyrotechnics – all leading to a truly impressive body count! Mark Gregory is as cool as always and there is such an abundance of action that you rarely get a chance to catch your breath! Elio Polizzi’s score is so upbeat and lively that it’s nearly a contradiction to the massive amounts of carnage taking place on the screen.

Under discussion:

Killer Cop  (1976)

Cassinelli is Commissioner Matteo Rolandi, Killer Cop! While on a routine narcotics detail in a high-class motel, a bomb explodes killing several delegates and important politicians that were attending a summit. Seen as an act of terrorism perpetrated by rebels, the officials put Judge Arthur Kennedy on the case since he has no known political leanings. When Matteo's best friend and fellow officer gets a lead on the bomber, and is killed for it, our hero goes into Killer Cop mode… even after being told to stay off the case. Despite the warnings from officials (Not to mention the witnesses being killed one by one!) Matteo seems to stay one step ahead of everyone else, that is, until he gets too close to the truth! Corruption, assassinations, and deadly killers seem to be in every aspect of the case not to mention several plot twists, secret agendas and double agents playing both sides! This is one very cynical Italian crime thriller that should not be missed by aficionados of the genre. Luciano Ercoli's pessimistic direction, along with Stelvio Cipriani's incredible soundtrack, help create a very dark and sinister atmosphere with a powerful message about the mixing of crime, power, and politics.

Directed by Fabrizio De Angelis in 1990 (not listed on Spout!)

A young girl is vacationing on a tropical island with her boyfriend when a bag of drugs is planted in her luggage. As she tries to get through the airport security dogs sniff out the narcotics and she is placed in a filthy prison run by Silva. Her dad is a football hero from the states, but that just seems to make things worse when he is trying to get people to help him free his daughter. When he has nowhere else to turn, he still has his team and his coach! Yep, they all fly down to help their buddy and they have come armed to the teeth! Machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, helicopters, and Ernest Borgnine! The attack on the prison is amazing to watch! They all get in uniform, helmets and all, and essentially bum rush the place (grunting hut hut hut) with the coach calling the plays! Yeah, this is crazy stuff, but it sure is entertaining! Watch for the scene where a grenade is placed in a football and kicked at a helicopter! Classic! You aren’t going to want to miss this unique film!

Under discussion:

The Laughing Dead  (1989)

First, the bad news… The acting is horrible, the dialogue delivery in almost unbearable, the cut-out characters are beyond annoying, and listening to the music is about as pleasant as a testicle massage with a rusty cheese grater. Now, the good news! If you can get past all of that garbage in the first half of the movie you’ll be treated to some seriously splatterific entertainment! A priest (whose faith has long since been shaken) leads an archeological tour (?) that features an introduction to the celebrations of a festival of the dead. Aside from a bunch of irritating nobody-in-particulars, there is a woman on the tour that used to be a nun… a nun that the priest impregnated years ago! She’s brought her son Ivan along because she felt it was time for everybody to get together and know the truth… or something. So yeah, you’ve got the love story to further grind away at you. Things get exciting when the priest becomes possessed and people begin to die in a myriad of graphic ways! There’s monsters, splashy decapitations, zombies, heart removals, crushed heads, chest tearing, and there’s even one character whose arm is ripped off and shoved down his own throat! This all leads to a demonic game of basketball where everybody’s soul is at stake. Just so there are no misunderstandings, this is not a very good movie. You’ve been warned!

Under discussion:

La Polizia Interviene: Ordine Di Uccidere  (1975)

Leonard Mann is Inspector Murri, a very complex man is many ways and definitely an anti-hero. This man, though passionate about what he believes in, is very clearly flawed. You get mad at him, you root for him, and you identify with him. There is one aspect of his life in which he is extremely forthright and successful… his career as an officer. He’s the captain of a special crime squad made up of highly skilled individuals trained for nearly every eventuality. Two of these men are caught off guard during an unexpected kidnapping by a group of machine-gun wielding extremists and are killed in the midst of the ensuing car chase. This event sends the special squad into action in a huge way. Murri becomes a driven man, constantly risking his life as he pursues the truth; a truth that reaches higher than he could have imagined and counting on assistance from is not something that’s found to be as dependable as it should be. When the blood of the innocent begins to run in the streets Murri changes into an ice-cold, steely, walking incarnation of vengeance! Unstoppable and single of purpose, he will find the truth… no matter what the cost! And you can be sure that in the end the price paid will be great! This masterpiece should be considered required viewing for Italian crime fans. Mann’s performance is absolutely outstanding in a film that is able to be suspenseful, inspiring, intense, surprising, violent, moving, and damn exciting all at the same time. I sincerely hope that some sort of soundtrack release is planned for the future because Paolo Vasile’s musical contributions to this film are nothing short of outstanding. Make-up is credited to Giuseppe Ferranti. A personal favorite of ours!

Directed by Stelvio Massi in 1976 (not listed on Spout!)

Gasparri returns again in this third and final installment of the Mark The Narc series! Mark finds himself doing what could essentially be called grunt work these days. A series of coincidences leads him to a couple of terrorists who believe he has the potential to aid them in their cause. Even when given a chance to leave it behind by his superiors, Mark decides that a little of the deep cover he is famous for might be the only way to put an end to the activities of these political extremists. John Steiner is the head of the group and is a lot of fun to watch as he spouts off excitedly about helping the regular guy through violent rebellion and anarchy. In other words, he’s as crazy as ever! Saxon is a cop with a hidden agenda of his own and he may not be all that he seems! Things get way out of hand fairly quickly and Mark is once again neck deep in trouble and that’s just the way he likes it! Besides, we know if anybody can get the job done its Mark! This is a weird one and, though solidly entertaining, is clearly out of sync with the original two movies. The soundtrack is cool but seems at times more fitting for one of Laura Gemser’s Black Emanuelle films! Also, there are entire story sections that recall popular American action/thrillers of the time. For example, scenes in the middle feel like an abridged retelling of Three Days of the Condor. Right after that fans of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three may find themselves experiencing a quick flashback. Still, when all is said and done, this is Massi, Gasparri, and Mark! The ending feels right and wraps up the serious on a definite high note. Plenty of action, violent gunfights, John Saxon, and even Malisa Longo!

Under discussion:

Master of the World  Production Year

Hundreds of thousands of years ago man was forced to fight for everything he had and desired to keep. Food, a place to live, women, or just simply surviving another day, it all had to be earned. In the midst of the dawn of man we meet Bok, a man who is simply trying to find the place where he belongs. After nearly dying due to some severely infected injuries a young girl from a less advanced tribe stays with him to nurse him back to health. They bond and begin to travel together across the mountains and plains. Again and again they meet up with vicious foes that would like nothing better than to decapitate our heroes! Soon the two travelers become three and a different kind of attraction between Bok and his new companion begins to manifest. Lots of problems and obstacles are left as Bok and his friends look for a home, a people, a purpose, and if the chance presents itself, revenge. Master of the World is a surprisingly good movie. Beautiful locations and cinematography are necessary successes for a movie such as this and both are achieved. Aside from the impressive look is the tangible sense of desperation, the electronic soundtrack is very cool and the graphic effects you’ll see peppered throughout the running time (designed by Rosario Prestopino) are damn convincing! Those fake heads are some of the best we have seen around here in a long time! The bear-fighting scenes are also worth mentioning. Terrific entertainment is abundant to be sure! Now you can enjoy this very rare movie totally uncut and in the widescreen format! The only dialogue in Master of the World is the narration that opens the film and it’s presented in English.

Under discussion:

Miami Cops  (1989)

The story begins when two partners who are staking out the docks for smuggler activity end up in a life threatening gun battle. Just when one of them gets the upper hand, the other arrives to shoot everybody (including his partner) and keep all the drugs and cash for himself! Five years later the son of that officer who was betrayed has joined the force and requests the narcotics division in an attempt to find the one responsible for the death of his father. He is paired up with a cop nicknamed P.O. (That stands for Pissed Off – Played by Richard Roundtree.) who’s reluctant, to say the least, to take on a rookie partner. The new guy, Robert, slowly proves himself as the two would-be heroes follow a trail of heroin all the way to the top dog himself, the criminal ex-cop who did Robert’s father in! If Robert and P.O. have anything to say about it, this traitorous villain will pay the highest price possible for the wrongs he has done! At first glance this may seem like just another cash-in and little else. The truth is that Miami Cops is a pretty cool movie with a great car chase, some serious ass kicking (it’s always cool to watch Roundtree bust some heads), and a few surprisingly graphic moments of violence in the final reels! Watch for the chainsaw scene specifically! (Paolo Ricci provides the effects.) Though it can’t be referred to as a classic by any stretch of the imagination (even some of the calmer music is lifted from the Shocking Dark soundtrack), Miami Cops is still a lot of action-packed fun!

Under discussion:

Blood, Sweat and Fear  (1975)

A classic! Gasparri owns the role of Mark Terzi, a cop from the Dirty Harry school of thinking. Inspector Terzi has been working a long time on a case that has led him close to the top narcotics handlers in Milan. The problem is that he can’t break the case open by conventional methods so he begins to handle things his way. When Terzi starts making notable progress very bad things begin to happen to the people around him. Also, he has a young woman named Irena at his apartment that he essentially rescued near the top of the film. She was high on heroin and in shock when the police arrived while the guy she started out with floats in the pool, murdered via the introduction of some tainted drugs. Irena is also indirectly connected to what Terzi is involved with and that leads to yet more trouble. Cobb is the bad man at the top and he has no intention of letting any fired-up inspector stand in the way of his investments! There’s a lot more to it, but we won’t ruin it here. The Narc is a true high-point in the Italian crime genre. It features blazing action, intense drama, biting suspense, plenty of serious ass kicking, a top-of-the-line musical score courtesy of Maestro Stelvio Cipriani, and some impressively stylistic direction from Stelvio Massi. A new favorite around here for all these reasons and more… One exceptional highlight (of many); Terzi unloads his magnum into a carload of bank robbers as they try to make their escape, when the car loses control and is flipped it begins to slide down the street towards our hero who simply steps aside and watches the wreckage go by! Fantastic!