Garv’s Pick of the Week: Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973-1977 (Arrow Video)
For the release week of June 22nd:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973-1977 [Blu-ray/ Arrow Video]: Italian genre cinema of the latter half of the 20th Century ran in fads. After the sword & sandal pics, the Spaghetti Westerns, and the gialli came the “poliziotteschi,” a genre that encompassed police thrillers, gangster dramas, and crime action flicks. This box set collects five lesser-known titles from the “poliziotteschi” period — No, the Case is Happily Resolved (1973), Savage Three (1975), Like Rabid Dogs (1976), Colt 38 Special Squad (1976), Highway Racer (1977). I haven’t seen any of these films, but Italian genre films tend to be fun overall, and they are often surprisingly artful.
Additional Titles of Interest —
The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection [Blu-ray / Severin]: This 9-disc box set (8 Blu-rays, a CD, and an 88-page book) collects five low-budget flicks and a television series that Christopher Lee made outside of England. Included are Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962), Challenge the Devil a.k.a. Katarsis (1963), The Castle of the Living Dead (1964), Crypt of the Vampire (1964), The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (1967), and Theatre Macabre (24 episodes. 1971-1972).
Fool for Love [Blu-ray / Scorpion Releasing]: This adaptation of the Sam Shepard play comes from Robert Altman’s “years in the wilderness,” when he was on the outs with Hollywood and was mainly producing low-budget adaptations of stage plays. However, all of Altman’s films are interesting, so I look forward to seeing it.
Chain Lightning [Blu-ray / Warner Archive]: Humphrey Bogart stars as a test pilot in the last film of his 20-year run at Warner Brothers.
Irezumi [Blu-ray / Arrow Video]: This Japanese female revenge thriller from director Yasuzô Masumura (Giants and Toys, Blind Beast) gets a 4K restoration.
Nobody [4K UHD / Universal]: This action flick with Bob Odenkirk as a badass looks like tons of fun.
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