Roaring Fire – Toy Robot Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1981
Director: Norifumi Suzuki
Writers: Shinsuke Inoue, Masakazu Shimura, Norifumi Suzuki
Cast: Hiroyuki Sanada, Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Etsuko Shiomi, Mikio Narita, Toshiaki Minami, Tatsuo Endô, Shunji Sasaki, Rikiya Yasuoka, Seizô Fukumoto, Abdullah the Butcher

Release Date: September 7th, 2026 (UK), September 8th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £15.99 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"On the death bed of his adoptive father, Texas-raised rancher Joji learns a shocking family secret - he has a twin brother and sister he never knew about. Determined to find his brother, Joji travels to Japan only to discover he has been mysteriously killed. As he stays with his sister and digs deeper, Joji uncovers his uncle's involvement in criminal enterprises, including plans to obtain a priceless 130-carat diamond known as the Queen of Sheba. Betrayal and vengeance unfold as Joji confronts his corrupt uncle and fights to avenge his family." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Roaring Fire comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

There is no information provided about the source used for this release transfer; it is in line with most of Toei’s off-the-shelf HD transfers. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity is strong, black levels fare well, and there are no issues with compression. That said, there are times where the image does not retain an organic look and there appears to be some digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. It should be noted that there is some dialogue that is in English. The track sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and action sequences sound robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles for Japanese dialogue.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a US TV spot (31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), two theatrical trailers (3 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Clément Rauger titled A Buffet of Comedy and Action (24 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic James Mudge titled A Roaring Success (20 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Japanese film clips), an interview with pro-wrestling critic and film writer Chris Lines, who provides a career retrospective of Abdullah the Butcher titled A Roaring Success (16 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Japanese film clips), an interview with Japanese film critic Akihiko Ito titled Fire-Storm! Sonny Chiba, the Man, the Actor, and the Legend (23 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Brian Bankston, three art cards, reversible cover art, an obi sleeve, three art cards, and a slipcover.

Summary:

Norifumi Suzuki directed Roaring Fire. He’s known for The Lustful Shogun and His 21 Concubines, Sex and Fury, School of the Holy Beast, The Killing Machine, Star of David: Hunting for Beautiful Girls, and Shogun's Ninja. He also directed several films in the Girl Boss and Terrifying Girls' High School film series.

On his death bed, the man who raised Joji reveals that he is not his real father and that Joji’s real parents died tragically in a plane crash. Shortly thereafter, Joji goes to Japan in search of his sister and his twin brother, Toru. Joji quickly finds his sister Chihiro, who is now blind and lives with their uncle. Joji one evening accidentally overhears his uncle, who has ties to the criminal underworld, discussing his various illegal operations. His uncle discovers Joji's eavesdropping and offers him a chance to join the organization. Joji promptly turns his uncle’s offer down, which immediately puts his life in danger.

Roaring Fire is a melting pot of genres that leans heavily into action and exploitation elements. The initial setup does an excellent job laying out the main characters and there are an ample amount of surprises that ensures there is never a dull moment. A strength of the narrative is how well it balances action and exposition as it builds to an outstanding finale that perfectly brings everything together. 

When it comes to action sequences, Roaring Fire delivers and then some. The stuntwork throughout is impressive and many of the fights feature high-flying choreography. For a film where all of the action set pieces leave a strong impression, a scene between Joji and a character named Samson is arguably the most memorable. Samson is portrayed by Abdullah the Butcher, a former professional wrestler, whose imposing size makes for some fascinating fights. The scene in question takes place in a pool and Joji uses his speed to wear Samson down.

While action is front and center, Roaring Fire has many wonderful comedic moments, like the scene where Joji returns to his family's home. When he arrives, there is a group of girls hanging out at the pool in bikinis who confront him after his monkey steals one of their tops. Things escalate; his hand accidentally rips off another girl's top. Another humorous moment of note is a scene where Joji is being chased by ninjas who are not that skillful. Other humor comes from Shunsuke Tachikawa, an undercover narcotics agent who’s posing as a magician.

Hiroyuki Sanada (Rush Hour 3) is the star of Roaring Fire. He’s cast in two roles, twin brothers Joji and Toru. In the case of the latter, he dies in a hellfire of bullets that opens the film. A frequent collaborator of Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Roaring Fire gives him the opportunity to lead a film instead of his usual supporting role. That said, he delivers an excellent performance that features some of his best fight scenes.

Hiroyuki Sanada is surrounded by a solid supporting cast of familiar faces from 1970s and 80s Japanese action cinema. Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba (The Street Fighter) delivers a memorable performance in the role of Shunsuke Tachikawa. He takes his limited screentime and creates a character that steals every moment he’s in. Another performance of note is Etsuko Shiomi (Sister Street Fighter) in the role of Chihiro, Joji’s sister. Her character is blind and she uses the sound around her to defend herself against all attackers. Her fighting prowess is impressive, and unable to beat her, the bad guys use music to cover up their movement as they attack her.

When it comes to exploitation elements, Roaring Fire pushes the extremes. The main bad guy is a drug kingpin with a Nazi fetish. Besides having a portrait of Adolf Hitler and swastikas, he has a room that's rigged like a gas chamber. That said, these Nazi-related moments add shock value and nothing more. Norifumi Suzuki was one of the best Japanese filmmakers when it came to down-and-dirty exploitation cinema and with Roaring Fire, he delivers another gem. Ultimately, Roaring Fire is a highly entertaining mix of action, exploitation, and mayhem.

Roaring Fire gets a first-rate release from Toy Robot Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Inugami Family: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1976
Director: Kon Ichikawa
Writers: Norio Nagata, Shinya Hidaka, Kon Ichikawa
Cast: Kōji Ishizaka, Yoko Shimada, Teruhiko Aoi, Mieko Takamine, Mitsuko Kusabue, Ryoko Sakaguchi, Takeo Chii, Akiji Kobayashi, Kyōko Kishida, Hideji Ōtaki, Eitaro Ozawa, Takeshi Katō, Rentarō Mikuni

Release Date: September 14th, 2026 (UK), September 15th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 146 Minutes 10 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.50:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"When the wealthy patriarch of the Inugami dynasty dies, he leaves his fortune to Tamayo (Yoko Shimada, Shogun), a young woman from outside the family. There is one condition: she must marry one of his grandsons. As the family gather in the stately mansion to discuss the situation, grisly murders occur. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives to investigate the case and uncovers the secret history of the family’s bloodline." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "The Inugami Family was digitally restored in 4K by the Kadokawa Corporation and provided to Radiance Films as a digital file."

The Inugami Family comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.7 GB

Feature: 35.4 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, an LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical teaser (53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), The Path of the 4K Digital Restoration—an archival documentary on the 4K restoration process (11 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Koji Ishizaka titled The Birth of Kosuke Kindaichi (15 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival making-of documentary titled Verification: How The Inugami Family Was Made, featuring interviews with director Kon Ichikawa, Koji Ishizaka, and editor Chizuko Osada (30 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), The Secrets of Kon Ichikawa's Visual Style—an archival interview with Kon Ichikawa, recently re-edited and produced by Yuuki Mori (44 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), Off Shots – The Day of Filming “The Secrets of Kon Ichikawa’s Visual Style"—outtakes from Kon Ichikawa's interview, produced by Yuuki Mori (8 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Aaron Gerow, who discusses the film’s impact on the Japanese film industry (23 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and a 40-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Seeing Through Tamayo's Eyes written by Midori Suiren, an essay titled Haunted Houses and the Rediscovery of Japan written by Akihiko Ito, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Kon Ichikawa directed The Inugami Family. His notable films are The Burmese Harp, The Key, Ten Women in Black, Fires on the Palin, An Actor’s Revenge, The Devil’s Island, and The House of the Hanging.

A dispute over a family's inheritance leads to bloodshed.

The opening setup does an excellent job establishing the main characters. After the death of the patriarch of the family, all the relatives and a woman named Tamayo, an outsider who became close to the patriarch in his final years, are present. There is a stipulation: to inherit all of his wealth, she must marry one of the three grandsons. Before she’s able to make her choice, someone kills off the grandsons.

The narrative is driven by a detective character named Kosuke Kindaichi, an outsider who’s been hired by the family lawyer to conduct an investigation that runs parallel with the police’s investigation. While there are a handful of gory kills, calling The Inugami Family a horror film is misleading. That said, The Inugami Family is a crime drama that’s equal parts murder mystery and detective story.

At almost 2 ½ hours in length, the narrative is always engrossing. The well-crafted narrative does a phenomenal job concealing the killer's motivation and identity. Another strength of the narrative is how it effectively builds momentum with a series of tense moments that culminate with an exemplary finale that pulls everything into focus.

All around, the cast are all outstanding in their roles. The most memorable is Kōji Ishizaka’s portrayal of Kosuke Kindaichi. In all, Kōji Ishizaka would portray Kosuke Kindaichi in six films, all directed by Kon Ichikawa. Another performance of note is Yoko Shimada (Shōgun) in the role of Tamayo Nonomiya.

Kon Ichikawa’s instincts as a filmmaker take The Inugami Family to a place few filmmakers could have. He uses a multitude of stylistic choices visually, which greatly enhance the mood: flashbacks in black and white, still photographs, and a most unusual aspect ratio of 1.50:1. That said, there are a handful of visually striking moments, most of which feature carnage. When discussing The Inugami Family, one should not overlook its use of sound and Yuji Ohno’s (Proof of the Man) score. Ultimately, The Inugami Family tale of blackmail and deceit quickly draws you in and it holds up extremely well on repeated viewings.

The Inugami Family gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Italo-Crime Collection: The Counsellor/Blazing Magnum/Weapons of Death – Kino Lorber (4K UHD)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy/Spain/USA, 1973 (The Counsellor), Italy/Canada/Panama, 1976 (Blazing Magnum), Italy, 1977 (Weapons of Death)
Directors: Alberto De Martino (The Counsellor, Blazing Magnum), Mario Caiano (Weapons of Death)
Cast: Tomas Milian, Martin Balsam, Francisco Rabal, Dagmar Lassander, John Anderson, Nello Pazzafini, Perla Cristal, Carlo Tamberlani, Manuel Zarzo (The Counsellor), Stuart Whitman, John Saxon, Martin Landau, Tisa Farrow, Carole Laure, Jean LeClerc, Gayle Hunnicutt (Blazing Magnum), Leonard Mann, Ida Galli, Henry Silva, Jeff Blynn, Massimo Deda, Adolfo Lastretti, Kirsten Gille, Massimo Vanni, Ottaviano Dell'Acqua (Weapons of Death)

Release Date: September 22nd, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 100 Minutes 51 Seconds (The Counsellor), 99 Minutes 37 Seconds (Blazing Magnum), 90 Minutes 37 Seconds (Weapons of Death)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 (The Counsellor), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 (Blazing Magnum, Weapons of Death)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (All Films), DTS-HD Mono English (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films), English SDH (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $79.95

"This three-film collection includes three action-packed Italo-Crime classics. The Counsellor (1973) – Martin Balsam (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) and Tomás Milián (The Big Gundown) blast the opposition in this crime saga from director Alberto De Martino (The Antichrist). When the godson (Milián) of the San Francisco syndicate boss (Balsam) asks permission to leave “the business,” Don Antonio agrees, but reluctantly. Such behavior by either man violates “the code,” and triggers a bloody mob war with underboss Garofalo (Francisco Rabal, Sorcerer). Blazing Magnum (1976) – When his sister is poisoned at a party, hardened Canadian cop Tony Saitta (Stuart Whitman, Sands of the Kalahari) embarks on a violent investigation that turns into a shocking whirlpool of revenge and betrayal. Featuring one of the decade’s greatest car chases and an arsenal of plot twists, this blend of fast-paced action film and tough police procedural from director Alberto De Martino. Weapons of Death (1977) – Leonard Mann’s (Cut and Run) hard-bitten cop goes up against Henry Silva’s (The Boss) flamboyant death-dealer in this blazing Italo-Crime gem. The action-packed thriller plunges the viewer into a Neapolitan cesspool of crime, as dogged Inspector Belli (Mann) and his task force fight against kingpin Salvatore Santoro (Silva), a stony-faced maniac who orchestrates a string of brutal robberies and insane car chases and massacres any cop, gangster or innocent bystander who gets in his way. Directed by Mario Caiano (Violent Milan) as a spin-off to Umberto Lenzi’s aptly titled Violent Naples." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (The Counsellor), 4/5 (Blazing Magnum), 3/5 (Weapons of Death)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, “Brand New UHD SDR Master—From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative."

The Counsellor comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 59.6 GB

Feature: 58.5 GB

Blazing Magnum and Weapons of Death come on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 92.7 GB

Feature: 45.5 GB (Blazing Magnum), 41.5 GB (Weapons of Death)

These three transfers have a lot in common; when it comes to their colors, they are inconsistent, with The Counsellor faring best of the three. While image clarity is generally strong, there are many times where the image looks too soft. That said, black levels and contrast fare well.

Shadows in an Empty Room comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.7 GB

Feature: 19.4 GB

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - Weapons of Death, DTS-HD Mono English - Weapons of Death), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - The Counsellor, DTS-HD Mono English - The Counsellor, DTS-HD Mono English - Blazing Magnum), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - Blazing Magnum)

Each film comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both of Weapons of Death's tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. Blazing Magnum’s English-language track sounds noticeably more robust than its Italian-language track. The Counsellor's two tracks sound comparable. That said, the dialogue comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced on all audio tracks. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track and removable English SDH for the English-language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc with The Counsellor include an audio commentary with film historians Steve Mitchell and Troy Howarth.

Extras on the 4K UHD disc with Blazing Magnum and Weapons of Death include an audio commentary with Steve Mitchell and Troy Howarth for Blazing Magnum and an audio commentary with Steve Mitchell, Nathaniel Thompson, and Troy Howarth for Weapons of Death.

Extras on a Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer for The Counsellor (4 minutes 13 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Blazing Magnum (3 minutes 32 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Weapons of Death (3 minutes 30 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), Weapons of Death’s opening and closing English-language titles (3 minutes 9 seconds, DTS-HD mono), a video essay by William Webb for The Counsellor (6 minutes 17 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview for Blazing Magnum with film historian Kim Newman titled City Hunter (22 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio interview for Blazing Magnum with director Alberto De Martino titled Special Sentiments (13 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), a video essay by William Webb for Weapons of Death (5 minutes 25 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Leonard Mann titled Weapons of Death: Napoli Spara! Revisited (17 minutes 48 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Mario Caiano titled Weapons of Death: Naples Under Fire (15 minutes 10 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), and Shadows in an Empty Room, an alternate cut of Blazing Magnum released by American International Pictures (99 minutes 29 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono English with removable English SDH).

Other extras on the Blu-ray disc include trailers for The Taking of Pelham, One, Two, Three, Sands of the Kalahari, Assassination, and Violent City.

Other extras include a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

The Counsellor: Alberto De Martino directed The Counsellor. He’s a workman-like director whose films have no connecting element that links them. Notable films he’s directed are The Blancheville Monster, Django Shoots First, Bandits in Rome, The Killer Is on the Phone, and The Antichrist.

1970s Italian crime cinema primarily falls into two categories: films that were inspired by Dirty Harry and Death Wish and films that were inspired by The Godfather. The Counsellor falls into the latter category. Although most 1970s Italian crime films take place in Italy, many of the Italian crime films that are mafia-orientated take place in American locations. This is the case with The Counsellor; the bulk of the film takes place in San Francisco or New Mexico, while the finale takes place in Sicily.

The narrative revolves around a mafia don who inadvertently starts a war when he breaks the rules and lets his nephew walk away from the family. The Don’s inner circle view his letting the nephew walk away from the family business as a weakness, and they take the opportunity to take him out. When the Don survives an assassination attempt, things escalate into a full-on war between the Don and those who want to usurp him.

Recognizable faces stand out when watching Italian genre films from the 1960s and 1970s. Each genre had its set of actors who excelled in their respective fields. Tomas Milian (The Tough Ones) and Martin Balsam (Confessions of a Police Captain) are two names that are synonymous with Poliziotteschi cinema. They have been cast in the roles of Thomas Accardo, the nephew of the Don, and Don Antonio Macaluso. Both actors are given ample material to work with, as they tend to dominate every moment they are in. Another performance of note is Francisco Rabal (Viridiana) in the role of Vincent Garofalo, the man who wants to replace Don Antonio Macaluso.

While the narrative takes its time to establish who everyone is and what their motivations are, things really start to move when the killings start. There are two exemplary action sequences; the first one is a bloodbath shootout between Don Antonio Macaluso’s men and Vincent Garofalo’s men at a warehouse, while the other is a fantastic ending where Don Antonio Macaluso and his men use a parade to ambush Vincent Garofalo. Ultimately, The Counsellor takes familiar elements and makes them their own, creating a highly entertaining crime film that fans of Poliziotteschi cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Blazing Magnum: Alberto De Martino directed Blazing Magnum. He’s a workman-like director whose films have no connecting element that links them. Notable films he’s directed are The Blancheville Monster, Django Shoots First, Bandits in Rome, The Killer Is on the Phone, The Counsellor, and The Antichrist.

The narrative revolves around an out-of-town and out-of-jurisdiction police captain who takes on a no-holds-barred approach to uncovering the identity of the person responsible for his sister’s death.

Blazing Magnum (Shadows in an Empty Room) is equal parts thriller and police procedural. Blazing Magnum (Shadows in an Empty Room) is a rare example of an Italian film that is devoid of things that have become synonymous with Italian genre cinema. Locations have always played a factor in Italian-style cinema, and in the case of Blazing Magnum (Shadows in an Empty Room), it was shot in Canada, a place that was never a prime location for Italian-made police procedurals or thrillers.

While Blazing Magnum (Shadows in an Empty Room) is a film that balances between two genres, it never fully commits to one. Blazing Magnum's (Shadows in an Empty Room's) thriller aspects have an air of familiarity when it comes to the depiction of the killer. The same cannot be said for police procedural moments, which come off as tame compared to other similar Italian-themed films. Nowhere is more evident than the protagonist, Captain Tony Saitta, a sanitized version of its Italian counterparts from the poliziotteschi genre.

Oddly enough, Blazing Magnum (Shadows in an Empty Room) excels during its most absurd moments. And without a doubt, there is no scene that fits this bill, except a scene where Saitta’s investigations lead him to an apartment where three transvestites live. And before he can get a word in, a trio of transvestites comes at him with murderous intentions. Another standout moment is an obligatory car chase, which magnifies this type of scene well beyond the reality of the situation.

Performance-wise, the cast ranges from adequate to good in their respective roles. The only performance that leaves any lasting impression is Stuart Whitman (Welcome to Arrow Beach) in the role of Captain Tony Saitta. He delivers a B-movie version of the type of character Charles Bronson portrays in the Death Wish films. Other cast members of note include Martin Landau (North By Northwest), John Saxon (Tenebrae), Gayle Hunnicutt (The Legend of Hell House), Carole Laure (Sweet Movie) in the role of Louise Saitta, and Tisa Farrow (Some Call It Loving) as Julie Foster, a blind girl who holds the key to the killer's identity. Ultimately, Blazing Magnum (Shadows in an Empty Room) is an entertaining mix of the Poliziotteschi and giallo genres that fans of Italian genre cinema are sure to enjoy.

Weapons of Death: Mario Caiano directed Weapons of Death. Notable films he’s directed include Bullets Don’t Argue, Nightmare Castle, Eye in the Labyrinth, Calling All Police Cars, and Violent Milan.

An out-of-control gangster tries to evade a police commissioner determined to bring him to justice and his underworld rivals who have turned against him.

Weapons of Death was made in the latter half of the 1970s when the Poliziotteschi started to lean heavily into violence and more exploitative elements. The premise revolves around a familiar scenario where criminals exploit the system, leaving law enforcement powerless. While many poliziotteschi feature cops who defy the system and take extreme measures to bring down criminals, the law enforcement officers in Weapons of Death rarely cross that line.

The narrative finds a satisfying balance between the criminals and the law enforcement. While it is light on exposition, it is never detrimental to the story that unfolds. Weapons of Death is an action-first film that has a lot of shooting and a high body, and it features one of Poliziotteschi's most original chase scenes, a little boy in a stolen race car. In Weapons of Death's most graphic moment, a scene shows a pedophile in prison having his genitals cut off by another inmate.

The area that I found most lacking was the performances, especially Leonard Mann (Death Steps in the Dark), who portrays police commissioner Belli and Jeff Blynn (a Maurizio Merli), who portrays an undercover cop posing as a taxi driver. The standout performance is Henry Silva (Cry of a Prostitute) in the role of Santoro, an out-of-control gangster who leaves a trail of destruction and death wherever he goes. Ida Galli (A White Dress for Marialé) is another cast member of note, as she portrays the only female character that receives any significant screentime.

Outside of Henry Silva’s scene-stealing performance, there are not many areas that standout. The narrative is effective at creating tense moments and building momentum to its justice-served finale. Francesco De Masi (The New York Ripper) delivers a strong score that reinforces the mood. Ultimately, Weapons of Death is a fairly routine Poliziotteschi that fortunately never overstays its welcome.

While audio tracks sound great and there is a wealth of extra content, the transfers for Kino Lorber’s Italo-Crime Collection are a mixed bag, making this a disappointing release.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer