Cop in Blue Jeans – Cineploit (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1976
Director: Bruno Corbucci
Writers: Mario Amendola, Bruno Corbucci
Cast: Tomas Milian, Jack Palance, Maria Rosaria Omaggio, Guido Mannari, Jack La Cayenne, Raf Luca, Benito Stefanelli, Toni Ucci, John P. Dulaney

Release Date: September 15th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 33 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: 24,90 EUR

"Trick scams and thefts are part of everyday life in Rome - a world in which Nico Giraldi (Tomas Milian) is very familiar. The full-bearded long-haired man doesn't show that he is a policeman. But that is deceptive, because Giraldi, whose mother was a prostitute and who grew up in the streets of Rome, knows his crooks and knows how to get hold of them. But when two little thieves accidentally steal the briefcase from the American Norman Shelley (Jack Palance), the situation changes. Officially, Shelley does not turn on the police because there are supposedly only worthless things in the briefcase, but when the thieves open the case, they know it will be dangerous. Soon one of them will be brutally murdered ..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Worldwide 2K Blu-Ray Premiere!"

Cop in Blue Jeans comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.1 GB

Feature: 26.5 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels look strong throughout.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. The English and Italian language tracks are in great shape, there are no issues with distortion or background hiss, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and the score sounds robust. This release comes with two subtitle options, English and German and the English subtitles are for the Italian language track. Though subtitles are removable, you can only disable them via the setup menu. It should-be noted that there is a few brief snippets without English dialog which is no longer available for those parts and the subtitles translate the Italian dialogue for these snippets where you are watching via the Italian and German language tracks which come with subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a trailer for Cop in Blue Jeans (3 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German, no subtitles), an international picture gallery (35 images – posters/home video art/lobby cards), an extract from a synchronization process from 1972 with Bruno Corbucci and Tomas Milian (3 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian and German, no subtitles), an interview with actor John P. Dulaney titled Ballarin Talks (84 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable German subtitles), a double-sided poster with the italian Locandia and the Japanese poster and a media book packaging that contains a twenty-eight-page booklet with an essay written by Udo Rotenberg (text in German & English), an essay written by Alex Wank (text in German) and images from the film (lobby cards/posters).

Also, this release also comes with multilingual menus, English and German.

Summary:

Though there were many foreign actors who found success in 1960’s and 1970’s Italian cinema. Tomas Milian was a rare example of an actor who had multiple genres where he was one of the most in demand actors. That said, though Tomas Milian was a versatile actor who worked in just about every genre in 1960’s and 1970’s Italian cinema. He’s most remembered for his contributions to Poliziotteschi cinema.

This brings us to Cop in Blue Jeans, the film which Tomas Milian would portray for the first time Nico Giraldi, arguably his most iconic character. By the time that Tomas Milian portrayed Nico Giraldi, he had already firmly established himself as one of the premier actors working in Poliziotteschi cinema. And though most of his earlier forays in Poliziotteschi cinema was portraying sadistic bad guys. With Nico Giraldi proved equally capable of playing a character on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Any familiar with Poliziotteschi cinema knows that they are known for their moments of brutality and high-flying chase sequences. When it comes to these two elements Cop in Blue Jeans, delivers and then some, especially when it comes to the latter. With the most memorable chase being a scene where Nico Giraldi chases criminals riding his motorcycle up flights of stairs and a foot chase ensues on the rooftop.

Another thing that Poliziotteschi cinema is known for is the way which they introduce the protagonist. And Cop in Blue Jeans provides Nico Giraldi with a spectacular introduction that foreshadows his prowess on the motorcycle. He arrives on his motorcycle at a food market where a thief has just stolen a purse and when trying to apprehend the suspect the market gets destroyed in the melee.

As good as all the performances are in Cop in Blue Jeans. The cast is all left in the dust, by the star and main attraction Tomas Milian in the role of Nico Giraldi. He delivers a commanding performance that perfectly captures his character’s essence. Other performances of note is Jack Palance (The Big Knife, Marquis de Sade’s Justine) in the role of a crime boss behind a kidnapping and Maria Rosaria Omaggio (The Tough Ones, Nightmare City) in the role of Nico’s girlfriend.

Though, Cop in Blue Jeans has many elements that have become synonymous with Tomas Milian’s earlier forays into Poliziotteschi cinema. The result is a film that brings nothing new to the table. Ultimately, Cop in Blue Jeans is a highly entertaining ride that fans of Poliziotteschi cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Cop in Blue Jeans makes its way to Blu-ray via a strong audio/video presentation from Cineploit that comes with an insightful interview about the Italian film industry, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer