Street People Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Street People Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 30, 2019

Maurizio Lucidi's "Street People" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new video interview with actor Stacy Keach and vintage promotional materials for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

If you have seen and enjoyed any of Fernando Di Leo’s crime thrillers from the 1970s -- Shoot First, Die Later, Caliber 9, and The Italian Connection are all out on Blu-ray now -- then you need to check out Maurizio Lucidi’s Street People. This film has the same Italian genes that Di Leo’s crime thrillers carry. The only thing that makes it slightly different is the identity of its leads -- they are ‘imports’, not Italians.

In San Francisco, a big Mafia boss is confronted by a prominent minister after someone smuggles a large load of heroine as a gift for his church. But the boss immediately rejects the charge and then asks the heads of the local crime families to help him identify the person that is trying to tarnish his reputation. He also tasks his nephew, Ulisse (Roger Moore), a suave Anglo-Sicilian attorney, to launch a separate investigation, just to be sure that some of the other bosses are not secretly involved with the smear campaign. Soon after, Ulisse phones Charlie Hanson (Stacy Keach), a professional racer, with whom he has done a number of confidential jobs in the past. After Charlie’s fee is agreed on, he lands in San Francisco and the two begin digging for clues.

After Lucidi and a couple of other guys put together the script for Street People Ernest Tidyman was brought on board to polish up the dialogue. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to recognize his touch, and large chunks of the film where the Italians engage in discussions that are supposed to of importance actually sound very rough. (Just to be perfectly clear, this is a very different type of roughness that has absolutely nothing in common with the one that defines The French Connection, which Tidyman scripted).

The good news is that Moore and Keach do look quite good together, so the drama and the action benefit from their chemistry. For example, early on there is a rather long sequence in which the two meet three Italian goons and trick them to believe that they could sell their car to them for a decent price. Keach jumps in it to do a quick ‘test’ and in a matter of minutes destroys it in a truly spectacular fashion. (Comparisons with the type of wild driving Steve McQueen does in Bullitt are most certainly justified). The two stars also operate with a good sense of humor which has a positive effect on the film’s energy. A visit to a notorious hitman, for instance, jump-starts another crazy car chase that produces some of the best thrills in the entire film.

The Italian footage does not look good. It alters the rhythm of the film in a pretty awkward way which leaves the impression that it was part of a deal that required its existence. It is a mix of flashbacks and present day material that expands the story but, in the process, does plenty that hurts the credibility of Moore’s character as well. In San Francisco he almost passes for a man with Italian roots, but in Italy he is just a foreigner character that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Lucidi’s crew included cinematographer Aiace Parolin (Seduced and Abandoned, The Moment of Truth), special effects expert Celeste Battistelli (Gang War in Milan), and stunt coordinators Remo De Angelis (The Unholy Four) and Glenn Wilder (The Terminator).

*Kino Lorber’s release of Street People is sourced from a new 2K remaster of the film. The version of the film that is included on it is approximately 92 minutes long.

Street People Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Street People arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a new 2K master, but it does not look overly impressive. If I had to guess I would say that the master was struck from a source that is at least two generations away from the OCN because plenty of the visuals have the type of softer appearance that a 35mm print would produce. However, elsewhere some of the close-ups reveal decent, even good density and delineation. The bottom line is that the film could look better in high-definition, and in an ideal world it should. This being said, the current presentation is still quite nice. Yes, there is softness and in some areas it is quite easy to see that color saturation and balance ought to be better, but there are no traces of digital anomalies or serious age-related imperfections. A few white specks and scratches pop up here and there, but the rest looks decent and overall the film retains a stable organic appearance. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Street People Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and stable. Some of the exchanges between the Italians reveal unevenness, but I believe that this is exactly how the soundtrack was done. In the upper register there is room for light cleanup work, but there are no serious anomalies that will affect your viewing experience.

Street People Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Stacy Keach - in this new video interview, actor Stacy Keach recalls how he was approached with an offer to play the character of Charlie Hanson in Street People and what it was like to work with Roger Moore and director Maurizio Lucidi. There are also some very good comments about the action sequences that were shot in San Francisco, as well the Blu-ray format and the fact it is giving so many older films a new life. The interview was produced by Walt Olsen for Kino Lorber. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• Radio Spot - a vintage radio spot for Street People. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Street People. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Additional Trailers - additional trailers for the follo9wing titles from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. The Man Who Haunted Himself
  2. Gold
  3. ffolkes
  4. The Naked Face
  5. The Long Riders

Street People Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you enjoy old-fashioned action -- you know, real car chases done by incredible stuntmen and properly staged shootouts and melees -- Street People should be on your radar because it delivers plenty of it. However, I have to warn you that its two leads, Stacy Keach and Roger Moore, are surrounded by a sea of second-rate supporting actors. (There are a few good ones that have done quality work in popular Italian genre films, but they are pretty much unrecognizable here). As a result, there are plenty of rather awkward contrasts throughout the film that hurt the credibility of its story. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a decent new 2K master and has a very nice exclusive interview with Keach. RECOMMENDED.