Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Mad Dog Killer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 26, 2016

Sergio Grieco's "Mad Dog Killer" a.k.a. "La belva col mitra" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors 88 Films. The only bonus feature on the disc is a restoration featurette with technical information and visual comparisons. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Giuliana

Sergio Greco’s final film Mad Dog Killer is not about the life of Renato Vallanzasca. It is true that it was partially inspired by his bloody legacy, but the character that Helmut Berger plays in it does not have much in common with the legendary Milanese gangster. (A good and quite accurate film about Vallanzasca is Michele Placido’s Angels of Evil, which is available on Blu-ray via Curzon Artificial Eye).

In Mad Dog Killer four gangsters escape from an Italian prison and then quickly disappear in the countryside. Their hyper-violent leader, Nanni Vitali (Berger), routinely risks their lives but they remain loyal to him and whenever possible even try to imitate his style. In a remote area they kill the man that betrayed them and then Vitali convinces his beautiful wife, Giulianna (Marissa Mel, Gang War in Milan), to help them rob a big bank. (The 'convincing' takes place after he brutally rapes her and she quickly realizes that helping is her one and only option if she wants to stay alive). But after they split Giulianna heads back to the city where she contacts Inspector Santini (Richard Harrison, Secret Agent Fireball) and warns him that Vitali and his men are preparing to do a big hit. Santini vows to protect her and put the gangsters behind bars again, but in a matter of days Vitali proves to be a much more serious opponent that he had initially expected.

Though most critics have argued otherwise, Greco’s best films come from the late 1960s when he directed the various Eurospy spoofs with Ken Clark. These were modest but quite colorful, frequently very energetic films that copied the formula that made the James Bond films box office hits. Greco’s films did not have the same finesse, but instead of trying to hide that they actually made its absence one of their key qualities.

Mad Dog Killer embraces the poliziotteschi genre in a fairly similar fashion -- by copying the structure and energy of the very best films that defined it but without a clear ambition to deliver a relevant social message. So it works a bit like a rough exploitation crime film, but without the shocking over-the-top material that the classic exploitation films are typically known for.

The best moments are the ones where Vitali goes berserk. There is some pure, unfiltered energy on display that makes the title of the film most appropriate. The problem is that these violent outbursts do not build much of a climax and the finale where Vitali and Santini meet actually feels rather underwhelming. The film would have been a lot more effective if it ignored all genre rules and became a lot more nihilistic, like Jan Kounen’s Dobermann, or if it went in the exact opposite direction and evolved into an edgy, ultra-realistic crime drama, possibly like Maurice Pialat’s Police.

There is an excellent synth-driven soundtrack from Italian composer Vittorio Bernini that reminds of the fabulous work that the German electro/ambient group Tangerine Dream and Giorgio Moroder did for such classic films as Michael Mann’s Thief and Alan Parker’s Midnight Express.

*Mad Dog Killer has appeared under a number of alternative titles. In the United States, it was also distributed as Ferocious and Beast with a Gun. This recent Blu-ray release from 88 Films features the original, fully uncut version of the film, which has been restored in 4K.

Mad Dog Killer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sergio Grieco's Mad Dog Killer arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films.

The release is sourced from a recently completed 4K restoration, which according to information provided in the only bonus feature on this disc presented a number of serious challenges because the original elements for this film were in very poor condition. An unnamed lab in Italy apparently mishandled these elements some time in the early 2000s, and various portions of the original camera negative suffered serious deterioration; an internegative that was accessed was also damaged, and even had sections that were replaced with footage from a positive print. So while the restorers tried to use as much of the OCN, in the end they basically ended up with a full reconstruction that likely saved the film from extinction.

I sense that the technical information from the featurette was provided because someone was concerned that the end result would be criticized because there are still some light traces of fading, vinegar syndrome effects, and minor density fluctuations, but I actually am very impressed with the work that was done. Indeed, after viewing the restoration/reconstruction I have to say that this is the best and most convincing presentation of an Italian genre film that I have seen from 88 Films' catalog to date. Yes, occasionally it is easy to notice where time has left its mark or where damage must have occurred as a result of the poor handling of the original elements -- see the density drop in screencapture #15 which is likely coming from an insert; see the discoloration on the left end of the frame in screencapture #7 -- but the entire film has a consistent organic appearance. This is very, very important. To be honest, everything that I see here tells me that the people that worked on this project were absolutely determined to bring back to life as many of the film's original qualities as possible, and leave everything that time had irreversibly damaged untouched so that at the end the film had that all-important organic appearance. To sum it all up, while some native source limitations remain, this is a very high-quality, competent presentation of Mad Dog Killer that will surely remain the film's definitive home video presentation. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Mad Dog Killer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and Italian LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided, but they can be used only for the Italian track because they do not match the overdubbing of the English track. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the film with the English track. As it is the case with many of these Italian genre films from the 1960s and 1970s, the cast spoke their lines in different languages and then official English and Italian dubs were created. I think that the English dub is clearly preferable because Helmut Berger, Richard Harrison and Marisa Mell speak their lines. Depth is far from impressive and there are some minor fluctuations in terms of dynamic movement, but I am fairly certain that these are part of the original dub track. On the other hand, it is very clear that work was done to remove background hiss, crackle, and other purely age-related imperfections.

Mad Dog Killer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Restoration Featurette - provided here is information about the recent 4K restoration of Mad Dog Killer and some visual comparisons. (13 min).

• Reversible Cover Art - reversible cover with original Italian poster art. Please see the screenshots provided with our review.

Mad Dog Killer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Renato Vallanzasca's name is mentioned a lot when Sergio Greco's Mad Dog Killer is discussed, but this isn't a film about the legendary Milanese gangster. It is a fictional crime thriller that is comparable to the many such films that Fernando Di Leo directed during the 1970s. It has an impressive cast and top-notch soundtrack, but it will appeal primarily to folks who already like these types of violent films rather than newcomers who might be looking to explore the genre they represent. The Blu-ray release is sourced from a recent 4K restoration of the film that I like a lot. It is the best presentation of an Italian genre film that I have seen from 88 Films' catalog to date. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.