British distributors 88 Films will add two classic Italian poliziotteschi to their Blu-ray catalog: Umberto Lenzi's
Rome Armed to the Teeth (1976) and
The Violent Professionals (1973). The two releases are expected to arrive on the market this summer.
Rome Armed to the Teeth a.k.a. The Tough Ones
Synopsis: Umberto Lenzi, legendary director of
Cannibal Ferox, kicked off the Italian police film craze with this hyper-kinetic, ultra-violent, brain-blasting action thriller. Maurizio Meril stars as an Italian Dirty Harry, punching and shooting his way through the sleazy drug, sex and crime infested cesspool of mid-'70s Rome, on the trail of a sadistic, machine gun-toting hunchback, played by Tomas Milian (star of
The Big Gundown).
The Violent Professionals
Synopsis: Tough cop Giorgio (Luc Merenda,
Torso) doesn't like to play by the rules, going as far as gunning down a ruthless criminal in broad daylight. After he's suspended from the force and his boss is murdered, he goes on a brutal undercover dive into the criminal underworld to expose a criminal organization with no respect for authority.
Starring Richard Conte (
The Godfather) with a powerhouse score by the great composers Guido and Maurizio De Angelis (
Street Law), this blistering Italian crime classic blazes onto Blu-ray with every car chase and gunshot more mind-blowing than ever. Directed by cult filmmaker Sergio Martino (
The Great Alligator).