BY DARREN ALLISON
Cineploit continue to help feed the healthy
appetite for European cult film classics with their two latest Region-Free Blu-ray media
book releases, Mark Colpisce Ancora aka The .44 Specialist aka Mark Strikes
Again (Italy 1976) (CP 05) and Brothers
in Blood aka Savage Attack (Italy 1987) (CP 06).
Police Inspector Mark Terzi (Franco Gasparri)
works undercover as Mark Patti. He is assigned to apprehend a hardened group of
terrorists. Terzi has already narrowly escaped a murderous attack at a location
where he was meant to be in Vienna, which leads to suspicions. Soon after,
clues lead Terzi to begin thinking that his own superiors may also be involved
in the plot.
This was the final film in director Stelvio
Massis’s ‘Mark trilogy’ and is considered by many commentators to be the best. Massis
appears to have accumulated his collective skills, experiences and shooting techniques
from the previous two films and put them to very good use for the final entry.
Whist the plot and narrative are pretty straight forward, there is plenty of
action to enjoy. Crashes, car chases, an air escape and plenty of bullets
litter the screen, and given that this was probably something of a low-budgeted
affair, it all comes off as both exciting and hugely enjoyable. The film looks
good. too, making the most of its locations based mainly in and around Milan
and Vienna. As with a great deal other Poliziotteschi films, Mark Colpisce
Ancora also boasts an American actor in its cast. It’s usually no more than an
extended cameo, but worked well, especially in reaching out to the American
market. John Saxon appears here, Saxon had an uncanny knack of choosing and
turning up in so many cult films. It would have been great to have seen him
appear longer, but more often than not these Western world, star contracts
arguably stipulated a week or so scheduling, and in the process Saxon no doubt
collected a healthy fistful of Lira (and probably a return ticket to Europe for
his troubles). The film marks its worldwide 2K Blu-ray premiere, and looks
incredibly clean (the disc includes a restoration comparison) and free of any
major defects. Euro film favourite, composer Stelvio Cipriani also keeps the
suspense thumping along nicely with another memorable score.
As to be expected from Cineploit, their
package is again highly impressive. Their media book style (as with their
previous four releases) is beautifully produced with 28 pages of detailed
information. The company also offer the media book in a choice of three
different cover variations, (two Italian and one German) in numbered and
limited editions of 400/300/300. Cineploit’s continued use of partial UV spotting
also adds an edge to the covers overall presentation. Leading the bonus
material is Part 2 of Cineploit’s exclusively produced career interview with
composer Stelvio Cipriani. Cineploit teasingly split this excellent interview (part
1 was included on their debut release, La Polizia Ha Le Mani Legrate). There’s
another 41 minutes here, which, with part one, totals some 92 minutes and makes
it something of a defining overview on the composer. There’s also two further
exclusive featurettes with son and assistant Danilo Massi and cameraman Roberto
Girometti (20 and 16 minutes). Also included is an international picture
gallery lasting some 8 minutes. Cineploit fashionably round the whole package
off by including a reproduction double-sided poster with the Italian locandina
and Manifesto. Wonderful stuff!
Click here to order