More crime action

I have a double billing for you all today.

Earlier in the week I was in the mood for yet another poliziotteschi movie so I sat down and watched The Mad Dog Killer, aka Beast with a Gun (1977).

Mad Dog Killer is a weird movie. There is no mystery, no conspiracy, only rage and violence.

A vicious killer, Nanni Vitali escapes from prison with some of his henchmen. Nanni wastes no time and goes on a rampage immediately. Foremost in his mind is revenge against the man who testified against him. Police commissioner Santini is hot on the trail and that's the whole plot.

What makes Mad Dog Killer stand out is Nanni played by Helmut Berger. He brings an intensity and insanity that is reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter, if Lecter ran around savaging and killing people like a hungry dog in a sausage factory. A person who is willing to risk anything to get even with you is terrifying indeed and Nanni is just that.

As usual I'm avoiding spoilers as much as possible so this is all I can really say. The plot is paper thin but that is all it is aiming to be. Fair warning though, Mad Dog Killer has a lot of violence in it, some of it directed at women, so if you need a trigger warning, this is it.

Over all, The Mad Dog Killer was entertaining and fairly well made. The only complaint I have is that the police come across as pretty incompetent, but overall I had a good time. Fun fact: Tarantino showed a scene in his film Jackie Brown.

However, with Mad Dog Killer being so simple, I figured we needed a second movie. So I watched Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976).

Here we follow Fred and Tony, two cops who belong to a secret division of the police in Rome who have license to kill. They ignore due process and people's rights and brutally execute criminals with no second though. They thoroughly enjoy their job too.

We follow them as they chase down thieves on a motorcycle (for 8 minutes!), foil a robbery and free a hostage but the central plot revolves around the hunt for a reclusive gangster boss.

Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man is an odd movie. Sandwiched in between all the action and violence is an absurd sense of humor that almost pushes it into exploitation cinema rather than the poliziotteschi genre. In many ways it feels more American than Italian, and it could easily be remade without too much fuss. It felt almost like a down and dirty James Bond movie, with the casual machismo and remorseless killing before hitting on the bosses secretary again.

Do I recommend these movies? Yes, for fans of crime cinema and 70's movies. Both are products of their time, and it shows throughout. I'd recommend The Mad Dog Killer a little less than Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man however.

Having now seen a few poliziotteschi movies, it is fun to see the same actors return in different roles. Two of the police commanders in Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man play mafia bosses in films I've written about previously.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great and safe week!