Colt 38 Special Squad (Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973–1977) – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1976
Director: Massimo Dallamano
Writers: Franco Bottari, Massimo Dallamano, Marco Guglielmi, Ettore Sanzò
Cast: Marcel Bozzuffi, Carole André, Ivan Rassimov, Riccardo Salvino, Giancarlo Bonuglia, Fabrizio Capucci, Francesco Ferracini, Daniele Gabbai, Antonio Marsina

Release Date: June 21st, 2021 (UK), June 22nd, 2021 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 102 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £59.99 (UK), $99.95 (USA)

"renegade cops battling against red tape and political corruption turn to new and morally dubious methods to dispense justice." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Scanning and restoration work was completed at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 2K resolution. The film was graded at R3Store Studios, London. All original materials used in this restoration were made available from Rewind."

Colt 38 Special Squad comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.5 GB

Feature: 22.6 GB

Though Arrow Video gave No, the Case is Happily Resolved it’s own disc. The other four films in the Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973–1977 box set are two films on a disc. Arrow Video pairs Colt 38 Special Squad with Highway Racer.

Colt 38 Special Squad is the only film in the Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973–1977 box set that comes from an existing source. This transfer looks great, colors and flesh tones look correct, black levels and image clarity look strong throughout. Needless to say this transfer is a massive upgrade when compared to No Shame’s DVD.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Italian and a LPCM mono mix in English. Both audio mixes are in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and action sequences are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for Colt 38 Special Squad include reversible cover art for Highway Racer, a poster gallery, a trailer for Colt 38 Special Squad (3 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with English subtitles), an archival introduction by composer Stelvio Cipriani (45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with English subtitles), an archival interview with Stelvio Cipriani titled Always the Same Ol’ 7 Notes (25 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with English subtitles) and an archival interview with editor Antonio Siciliano titled A Tough Guy (9 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with English subtitles).

Colt 38 Special Squad is part of Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973–1977 a box set released by Arrow Video. The other films in this box set are No, the Case is Happily Resolved, Savage Three, Highway Racer and Like Rabid Dogs. This box set comes with a sixty-page booklet that comes with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Don’t Trust The Man: No, the Case is Happily Resolved and Italian Genre Cinema Written by Troy Howarth, an essay titled Animal Instinct: Savage Three and the Ideology of Violence written by Michael Mackenzie, an essay titled Fighting Fire with a Colt 38: Law and Order in Colt 38 Special Squad written by Rachael Nisbet, an essay titled Like Rabid Dogs: Class, Privilege, and Sadeian Women written by Kat Ellinger, an essay titled The Car’s the Star: Highway Racer, Tribute Elegy and a Whole Lot of Burning Rubber written by James Oliver and information about the transfers.

Extras from No Shame’s DVD release not carried over for Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release include a booklet with essays about Colt 38 Special Squad and The Big Rip Off. No Shame’s Colt 38 Special Squad also contained a second feature film The Big Rip Off and extras related to that film are an introduction and an interview with cinematographer Sergio D’Offizi titled Back to Life.

Summary:

Colt 38 Special Squad is one of three Poliziotteschi directed by Massimo Dallamano. The other two films are Mafia Junction and What Have They Done to Your Daughters?, a Giallo/Poliziotteschi hybrid.

Content wise, Colt 38 Special Squad has all the elements that have become synonymous with Poliziotteschi cinema. The well-executed evenly balances the cops and the robbers screen time. Colt 38 Special Squad’s two main characters Inspector Vanni and his criminal counterpart Marsigliese is driven by revenge. Composer Stelvio Cipriani’s main theme is one his best compositions and the rest of his superb score features compositions that do a superb job reinforcing the mood.

The action sequences are fast and furious with plenty of violence like suspects getting their kneecaps shot off or being shot in the head. That said, the action sequences deliver and then some. With a scene later in the film being arguably one of the most insane car chases ever filmed. The scene in question involves a police inspector who steals someone’s car speeds through town. Then he goes off-road with the car down treacherous dirt roads and when the dirt roads ends. He then jumps the car on to the back of a moving train driving the car on top of the train until the car reaches the front of the train and then he jumps the car off the train. Needless to say this jaw dropping sequence defies logic.

All around the acting is solid. With the standout performance being Ivan Rassimov cold-blooded portrayal of Marsigliese. Another memorable performance is Riccardo Salvino in the role of Nico, one of the special squad officers. This character is a badass who lives on the edge and his accuracy with guns is deadly. Ultimately, Colt 38 Special Squad is a first-rate Poliziotteschi film and fitting swan song from Massimo Dallamano one of Italy’s most underrated directors’.

Though four of the five films included as part of Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973–1977 have already had solid English friendly Blu-ray releases. This collection from Arrow Video is a solid release that gives anyone who missed out of Camera Obscura’s releases a chance to get them in a very affordable collection, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer