BY DARREN ALLISON
Austrian
label Cineploit continues to steadily add to their impressive list of cult European
titles. 2020
has been another successful period for the independent label and they round off
this somewhat testing year with a couple of highly enjoyable and much
anticipated movies. I must begin with Tecnica di un Omicidio aka
The Hired Killer (1966), an incredibly unappreciated film that, in many ways,
has escaped general recognition for far too long. From a personal perspective,
The Hired Killer has been high on my ‘most wanted’ list for several decades. It
was one of those films that first captured my attention by way of a simple
poster that caught my eye on an otherwise unspectacular stall at a London film
fair back in the 1980s. It was one of those rare instances where you simply made
an unconscious link; you just knew this was a film that you were going to
connect with. Several years on, I also came across a set of lobby cards and for
me, it provided another 8 great images that continued to whet my appetite and
raise my expectations. This was all before the days of the internet of course,
an eventual pathway that would widen the access of film images to a much easier
degree. A very rough VHS would eventually come my way and confirmed my initial
anticipation- it was a film I loved.
The superb and much missed Robert Webber
plays Clint Harris, an experienced hired assassin who is employed by the
Organisation. Tired with the lifestyle, Harris wants to leave the business. The
Organisation requires his services for one last job - to eliminate a traitor.
Harris is usually a one man outfit. However, on this job he has the added
burden of working with a partner and his potential replacement,Tony Lo Bello, is
an early role for eventual cult favourite Franco Nero. Their target is proving
hard to locate due to plastic surgery as well as several plot twists that
undermines Harris’s trust.
Italian director Francesco Prosperi’s Italian
/ French co-production works exceptionally well on many levels. It is far from the typical
looking Euro crime thriller and ‘balls to the wall’ action- orientated style
that would follow into the 1970s. Regardless of several locations such as
Lisbon, Paris and Italy’s Cinecittà Studios in Rome, the film makes good use of
the bleak urban landscapes of New York and as a result, retains the look of a
more mainstream American production. The film’s pacing also works to its
advantage, it’s a cool, slow burner which never wanes but instead gradually
builds in a positive way. The Hired Killer can easily be compared with several
other films such as Jean-Pierre Melville’s French neo-noir crime film Le
Samouraï (1967) or perhaps more closely with Michael Winner’s Charles Bronson
action thriller, The Mechanic (1972). However, where The Hired Killer really
exceeds is in its depiction of the loneliness associated with the assassin, the
discipline of the lifestyle and the removal of any normal form of socialising.
The Hired Killer is a bleak observation, a harsh, raw reality check without the
aid of Hollywood gloss. Robert Webber is superb. If ever there was a film that
reflected his ability to dominate the screen as a leading man, this is it. So
often underused in supporting character roles or employed as a Peckinpah heavy
sidekick, Webber truly shines as Clint Harris - it’s just a shame that it took
a move to Europe to fully confirm this.
Cineploit has delivered a solid transfer of
this forgotten gem and marks its worldwide 2K Blu-ray premiere. The colour
pallet is muted but natural and fits in perfectly with the film’s overall urban
atmosphere. The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 (Techniscope) frame
and the DTS-HD 2.0
audio is clean throughout. The film is also
presented with optional German and Italian audio with a choice of German or
English subtitles. As always, Cineploit has produced another beautiful package.
Extras include an exclusive featurette hosted by Eurocrime genre expert Mike
Malloy, who examines the contrasting American and European films through the
1960s and 70s. At 13 minutes, it is both fascinating and absorbing and
something you could watch for a dedicated hour or so without ever missing a
beat. The disc also contains an impressive picture gallery lasting some 10
minutes.
Perhaps best of all, Cineploit have also
included (in a separate chapter) Robby Poitevin’s complete film score.
Presented in track-by-track or play all options, it’s basically the full CD
thrown in for good measure. Poitevin’s score is a great piece of crime jazz in
itself, and proves to be an irresistible addition.
All of this is contained within a stylish 28
page hardcover mediabook with UV Spot. The book contains an essay by Udo
Rotenberg in German and English and is filled with Italian, French, American
and German promotional material and photos. Cineploit’s generous standards are
maintained with the inclusion of a double-sided poster with the two Italian
locandina poster designs. There is also a choice of four different cover
variations including two Italian, one German and one American poster designs -
all in a numbered and limited edition of 250, 200, 300 and 250 respectively. A
truly inspired choice of film, perfectly executed.
Squadra Antiscippo aka Cop in Blue Jeans
(1976) is a much more typical example of an Italian production from the 1970s.
Bruno Corbucci’s highly entertaining film stars cult favourite Tomas Milian
with Benito Stefanelli and Maria Rosaria Omaggio. Jack Palance also pops up
here and there - and was the latest U.S. actor to make a customary appearance
in a small role. It was probably no more than a week's work for Palance, but
with a round trip ticket to Europe (along with a nice little pay cheque), it
was probably worth the trade off, and in return, the producers got to use a
‘star’ name on their poster…
Trick scams and thefts are part of everyday
life in Rome – a world undercover cop
Nico Giraldi (Tomas Milian) is very familiar. The full-bearded, long-haired
Giraldi appears to idolise and live his life in accordance to that of his
screen hero - Al Pacino’s Scorpio. As the son of a former prostitute, Giraldi
was raised on the streets of Rome. He knows the crooks and he knows how to get
to them. When two small-time thieves unknowingly snatch a briefcase from an
American crime boss Norman Shelley (Jack Palance), the seemingly minor crime
radically changes. Naturally, Shelley does not report the incident to the
police due to the sensitive contents of the case. When the thieves eventually
open the case, they realise they have entered into a whole new dangerous game.
Shortly after, one of them is discovered brutally murdered …
For anyone unfamiliar with the Nico Giraldi
series of movies (of which this was the first), it should be noted that these
were not exactly hard hitting, serious crime thrillers. In fact, they were
fairly light in comparison with large doses of humour and general silliness
injected into the film’s narratives. That said, they certainly didn’t hold back
when it came to the treatment of women; the slapping and general abuse is rife
- and something that was typically accepted of Italian movies back in the day.
On reflection, it’s incredible how startling and alien these short, sharp
bursts of violence look today. They’re both awkward, heavily dated and also of
course wholly out of place. Retrospectively, there isn't really too much one
can do about these scenes, other than trying not to let it overshadow the
otherwise enjoyable elements of the movie. The series of movies were without
doubt hugely successful - with the Nico Grialdi character featuring in eleven
films between 1976 and 1984.
Technically, the film is not without its
flaws, check out Corbucci’s quite awful day-for-night shots. There’s simply no
continuity involved - shots from the same sequence seem to vary between midday
sunlight to the break of dawn and it's completely laughable. The script often varies
in tone, flickering awkwardly at times between the dramatic and comedic - the
viewer is often left wondering if one should actually be laughing or not.
However, the film is great fun. Just rise above the minor flaws and you’ll find
there’s still plenty of meat on the bone to enjoy.
Cineploit’s worldwide 2K Blu-ray premiere
boasts a very nice, clean 1:85:1 transfer with good colour and contrast. Some
blacks appear a little milky, but this looks to originate from the camera and
original lighting sources. The DTS-HD 2.0 audio is clean throughout and is also
presented with optional German and Italian audio tracks alongside a choice of
German or English subtitles.
Cineploit’s package is again first rate, and
a further example of pure dedication from an independent label. Heading the
extras is a feature length (85 minutes) interview and retrospective career
overview with actor and co-star John P. Dulaney. Whilst Dulaney was never a top
billed actor, he’s certainly been around long enough to offer a unique and
entertaining perspective. The interview remains interesting and refreshing
throughout. Also included is a fascinating little 1973 extract (4 minutes)
featuring Bruno Corbucci and Tomas Milian during a post-production dubbing and
sound effects session. An original German trailer and a picture gallery round
off the contents rather nicely.
Everything is again contained within a
stylish 28 page hardcover mediabook with UV Spot. The book contains an essay by
Udo Rotenberg in German and English and is filled with international
promotional material and photos. Cineploit has maintained the inclusion of a
double-sided poster with the Italian locandina design and the Japanese poster
art. There is also a choice of five different cover variations including two Italian
and three German poster designs - all in a numbered and limited edition of 250,
200, 200, 200 and 150 respectively.
It’s becoming increasingly hard to find new
superlatives when it comes to Cineploit’s Blu-ray releases. They may be niche titles
and occupy a ‘specialised’ section of the general market, but there’s certainly
no limitation when it comes to dedication and seeing the job through.
Fans of the genre in particular must feel
that heaven has arrived on earth. Bask in the glory!
(Both titles are Region-Free and have German, English and Italian audio and English sub-titles options)
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