7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A psychotic small-time criminal realizes that the everyday robberies, rapes and murders he commits aren't making him all that much money, so he figures to hit the "big time" by kidnapping the daughter of a rich man.
Starring: Tomas Milián, Henry Silva, Laura Belli, Gino Santercole, Mario PiaveHorror | 100% |
Foreign | 96% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 CD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Severin's Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection box set.
In one of several worthwhile supplements Severin has aggregated for Violent Streets, commentators Troy Howarth and Nathaniel
Thompson
make the case that director Umberto Lenzi may not have achieved the renown of some of his
contemporaries at least in part perhaps due to the fact that, at least according to Howarth and Thompson, his directorial style wasn't "flashy"
enough, though the fact that Howarth's book about Lenzi includes the word kinetic in its title might subliminally undercut this thesis, one
way or the other.
There is a certain stolid quality to some of Lenzi's work,
to be sure, but
there are also at least moments of flourishes, but one way or the other, when you have a star like Tomas Milián snarling in front of the
camera, how much additional "style" do you really need? Milián is a near feral presence in all five films Severin has aggregated in this appealing
new
collection culled from Lenzi's rather impressively long filmography. Some of the supplementary interviews with Lenzi included on the various discs
in
this set might suggest that his relationship with Milián may not have always been smooth sailing, so to speak, and in a way I was reminded
(perhaps
only due to it very recently passing through my review queue courtesy of a bonus feature on Arrow's release of Black Sunday) some remarks by John Frankenheimer speaking to his evidently
intermittently stormy relationship with Burt Lancaster, another leading man with a somewhat feral presence. One way or the other, much as with
the
Frankenheimer - Lancaster collaborations, Lenzi and Milián formed a viscerally compelling symbiotic unit for whatever reason, and the five films
collected here offer more than abundant proof of the energy the duo brought to some admittedly at times otherwise pedestrian efforts. Severin has
perhaps sweetened the pot for a certain demographic by including soundtrack CDs with some of the films.
Almost Human is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. The back cover doesn't offer much technical information other than "now scanned uncut from the original negative". This is an appealingly organic looking presentation that preserves a healthy layer of grain while also offering some generally commendable detail levels throughout both changing locations (interior and exterior) and lighting conditions. The color timing is just slightly variable on occasion, with some intermittent skewing toward browns that may indicate some slight fading. Some very minor age related wear and tear can be spotted by the eagle eyed, including some brief nicks and specs, but overall the transfer is without any significant damage.
Almost Human features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono options in either English or Italian. As with some of the other dual language tracks included in Violent Streets, to my ears there wasn't a huge difference between the two on this particular disc, though I'd argue that the English track has a brighter high end, something that's perhaps most noticeable during some of the underscore. Ennio Morricone's score is interesting, not necessarily what some might think of as "standard" for this often surprising composer, but its propulsive, percussive aspects are well represented on both tracks and the accompanying soundtrack CD. Dialogue is presented clearly and cleanly throughout. Optional English subtitles for both versions are available.
There are any number of pretty disturbing elements at play in Almost Human, but Milián's animalistic portrayal of bad guy Giulio Sacchi is unforgettable (for better or worse). Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements very enjoyable. Recommended.
The Death Dealer / Milano odia: la polizia non puň sparare
1974
The Death Dealer / Milano odia: la polizia non puň sparare
1974
Almost Human
1974
(Still not reliable for this title)
1987
מי מפחד מהזאב הרע / Mi mefakhed mehaze'ev hara
2013
Giallo in Venice / Giallo a Venezia
1979
Limited Edition | La sindrome di Stendhal
1996
La notte dei diavoli
1972
Non si sevizia un paperino
1972
Last Stop on the Night Train / L'ultimo treno della notte
1975
Come cani arrabbiati / Wie tollwütige Hunde
1976
Morte sospetta di una minorenne
1975
Profondo rosso
1975
Standard Edition
1982
Ta paidia tou Diavolou
1976
La casa della paura
1974
Casa d'appuntamento
1972
Les week-ends maléfiques du Comte Zaroff
1976
I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale / Carnal Violence
1973
Un gatto nel cervello | Glow in the Dark Cover & Mini Portrait of Lucio Fulci Limited Edition to 3000
1990
The Next Victim / Lo strano vizio della signora Wardh
1971
Il cartaio
2004
I vampiri
1957