6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Sadistic no-count killer Nanni Vitali and three other equally brutish hoodlums escape from prison. The foul foursome embark on a savage rape, murder, and robbery spree. Vitali even abducts and defiles frightened hapless lass Giuliana Caroli. Meanwhile, rugged police inspector Giulio Santini is determined to bag the despicable Vitali.
Starring: Helmut Berger, Marisa Mell, Richard Harrison (II), Marina Giordana, Luigi BonosForeign | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Italian: LPCM 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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
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).
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.
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.
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