Eurocrime: Limited Edition Boxset (Fear in the City/Double Game/Convoy Busters/Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s) – Koch Media (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1976 (Fear in the City), Italy, 1977 (Double Game), Italy, 1978 (Convoy Busters)
Directors: Giuseppe Rosati (Fear in the City), Carlo Ausino (Double Game), Stelvio Massi (Convoy Busters)
Cast: Maurizio Merli, James Mason, Raymond Pellegrin, Silvia Dionisio, Fausto Tozzi, Mario Novelli, Franco Ressel, Cyril Cusack (Fear in the City), George Hilton, Emanuele Cannarsa, Giuseppe Alotta, Annarita Grapputo, Franco Nebbia, Laura Ferraro, Rino Moggio, Pier Giuseppe Corrado, Cinzia Arcuri (Double Game), Maurizio Merli, Olga Karlatos, Massimo Serato, Nello Pazzafini, Mario Feliciani (Convoy Busters) 

Release Date: October 18th, 2018
Approximate Running Times: 98 Minutes 54 Seconds (Fear in the City), 84 Minutes 41 Seconds (Double Game), 100 Minutes 44 Seconds (Convoy Busters), 126 Minutes 57 Seconds (Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Fear in the City, Convoy Busters), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Double Game), 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s)
Rating: FSK 12+ (Germany)
Sound: LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono German (Fear in the City/Double Game/Convoy Busters), LPCM Stereo English/Italian (Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s)
Subtitles: German subtitles for Italian language (Fear in the City/Double Game/Convoy Busters), German, Burnt-in English subtitles for Italian language (Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: 49,99 EUR

"Italian metropolises and their criminal organizational structure form the unifying foundation of the "Eurocrime" entries: Be it Rome as the "Fear in the City" (directed by Guiseppe Rosati), which is terrorized by a gang of serious criminals who have escaped from prison and has to rely on the services of a gun-mad Commissario (Maurizio Merli). Or the brutal Turin, which in "Double Game" (directed by Carlo Ausino) becomes the scene of rape, murder and drug crime. Finally, once again the Italian capital for "Convoy Busters" (directed by Stelvio Massi), in which Maurizio Merli once again has to deal with a few particularly unscrupulous arms dealers: The crime always shows its dirtiest side, which the police have to counter with such means. Welcome to the wonderfully morally free zone of the "Poliziotteschi!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Fear in the City, Double Game), 3.5/5 (Convoy Busters)

Fear in the City comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.7 GB

Feature: 30.5 GB

Double Game comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.7 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

Convoy Busters comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Feature: 31.1 GB

Though there’s no information provided about the sources used for Fear in the City, Double Game and Convoy Busters transfers, the sources used for this transfer are in great shape. Colors and flesh tones look correct, while image clarity and black levels look strong throughout. That said, Convoy Busters is the weakest of the three transfers. It has some digital noise related issues.

Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 19.3 GB

Feature: 17.7 GB

This documentary utilizes sources that vary in quality. The best looking footage is the newly shot interviews. That said, this HD transfer is a marked improvement over Cinema Epoch’s DVD.

Audio: 4/5

Fear in the City, Double Game and Convoy Busters each come with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English, a LPCM mono mix in Italian and a LPCM mono mix in German. The English language track is in great shape, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and ambient sounds/the score are well-represented. Included with this release are removable German subtitles for the Italian language track.

Eurocrime The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English and Italian. The audio sounds clear and balanced throughout. It should be noted that there are burnt-in English subtitles for the Italian language. Included with this release are removable German subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for Fear in the City include an image gallery (9 images – posters/stills), Italian trailer for the film (3 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles) and a featurette titled Merli Armed to the Teeth with film historian Pier Paolo Duranti (21 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable German subtitles).

Extras for Double Game include an image gallery (8 images – posters/stills), Italian trailer #1 (3 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles), Italian trailer #2 (3 minutes, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles) and a featurette that previously appeared on NoShame’s DVD, an interview with Carlo Ausino titled Double Game, One Player (22 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with German removable subtitles).

Extras for Convoy Busters include an image gallery (8 images – posters/stills), Italian trailer for the film (4 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles), English trailer for the film (4 minutes 1 second, in English, no subtitles), five featurettes that previously appeared on NoShame’s DVD, an interview with director Ruggero Deodato titled Bullet in the Closet (6 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable German subtitles), an interview with director Enzo G. Castellari titled The Protagonist (22 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable German subtitles), an interview with actor Ennio Girolami titled My Good Fella Maurizio (15 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable German subtitles), an interview with journalist Eolo Capacci titled A Star is Born (15 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable German subtitles) and an interview with Maurizio Merli’s son Maurizio Matteo Merli titled Merli on Merli (20 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable German subtitles).

Extras for Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s include a trailer for the film (5 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM stereo English/Italian with burnt-in English subtitles for Italian language) and deleted scenes & trims (6 minutes 46 seconds, LPCM stereo English/Italian with burnt-in English subtitles for Italian language).

Summary:

Fear in the City: A short-tempered cop who is constantly at odds with his superiors puts the mob in his cross-hairs because they tarnished his reputation.

Content wise, Fear in the City is a no-holds-barred action extravaganza that’s overflowing with elements that have become synonymous with Poliziotteschi cinema. The opening sequence revolves around a daring prison escape that’s followed by a flurry of bullets that leave a trail of corpses. The motive for this massacre has to do with snitches being paid back for being police informers.

Fear in the City’s protagonist Inspector Muri is a shot first, ask questions later, kind of guy. And when criminals refuse to comply, he goes into his "take no prisoners" mode. Inspector Muri is also a man with a vendetta against his family, who was murdered by one of the criminals he’s pursuing.

Though type-casting is something that’s plagued most actors, There are few actors who were more typecast than Maurizio Merli (The Tough Ones, Violent Naples), an actor who’s most remembered for his Poliziotteschi films. Though his career spanned three decades, it’s only the films that he made over a four-year span from 1975 to 1979 that he’s remembered for.

That said, in Fear in the City he once again delivers another machismo performance that’s on par with his other Poliziotteschi films. And in many ways, Inspector Muri's personality and character arch are very similar to that of Detective Olmi from Convoy Busters.

Performance wise, the cast is very good in their respective roles. Other notable cast members include James Mason (North by Northwest, Lolita) in the role of a prosecutor, and Silvia Dionisio (Waves of Lust, Terror Express) provides eye candy.

When it comes to action set pieces, Fear in the City delivers and then some. There are thrilling car chases, and during one chase, inspector Muri uses a motorcycle to catch the bad guys. Other standout sequences include a graveyard hit on Muri that explodes into a shootout and an outrageous finale where Inspector Muri scales a building wall, swings on a rope that crashes through a window, and then unleashes a flurry of bullets on criminals who were holding school children hostage.

Double Game: The streets of Turin are overrun by street punks who are robbing, raping and killing, with little if any recourse for their actions. Ugo Moretti will do anything to clean up the streets of Turin, even execute his own vigilante justice as' The Avenger ’. During the day, Inspector Moretti works by the book with his partner inspector Danieli, who believes that 'The Avenger' is just as bad as the rest of the scum and must be stopped immediately.Will Inspector Moretti be able to hide his secret identity from Danieli, or will his friend unmask him?

Double Game was made at a time when Poliziotteschi cinema was in decline. And though Double Game checks all the boxes when it comes to elements that have become synonymous with Poliziotteschi cinema, The result is one of the more underwhelming examples of what Poliziotteschi cinema has to offer.

Double Game’s clearly inspired by films like Dirty Harry and Death Wish. With its lead inspector, Ugo Moretti, a lawman who plays by the rules by day and becomes a vigilante by night. The opening moments of Double Game are a series of crimes told via a montage. Though these opening sequences serve as an introduction to Double Game’s protagonist, inspector Moretti, The overall ark of the narrative feels like a mishmash of ideas as there is really no attempt at developing characters. With Double Game’s main focus being its action set pieces.

Double Game was written and directed by Carlo Ausino, a director who’s filmography consists of unremarkable films. Though the action set pieces are well-executed, the bulk of Double Game’s cinematography is uninspired. That said, the highlight of the Double Game is Stelvio Cipriani’s (Execution Squad, Rabid Dogs) superb score.

The performances are best described as adequate. The only performance that leaves any lasting impression is George Hilton's (The Sweet Body of Deborah, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) in the role of inspector "Ugo Moretti". Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Emanuele Cannarsa’s bland portrayal of inspector Danieli. Ultimately, Double Game is an average crime thriller that keeps things interesting with plot twists until it’s stunning finale.

Convoy Busters: A pair of homicides lead detective Olmi (Maurizio Merli) to a suspect who gets off because of his friends in high places. Olmi is then reassigned from Homicide to Rome’s emergency squad. His tactics towards suspects get scrutinized by the press, which accuses him of police brutality. Olmi finally hits rock bottom when he accidentally kills a man. He then relocates to a small town on the Adriatic coast, where he finds love with a woman named Anna. Unfortunately, old habits are hard to break and Olmi returns to his old ways as he uncovers a massive gun smuggling operation.

By the time that Stelvio Massi directed Convoy Busters, he had firmly entrenched himself as one of the premier directors working in Poliziotteschi cinema. And though he directs Convoy Busters with the same style that’s become synonymous with his most celebrated Poliziotteschi films. Convoy Busters lacks the substance that defined his initial Poliziotteschi films.

Content wise, Convey Busters has all the cliches that have become synonymous with Poliziotteschi cinema. There are numerous shootouts, thrilling chase sequences (one suspect is pursued by a helicopter), and frustrated law enforcement officers who take the law into their own hands.

Speaking of Poliziotteschi cinema chase sequences, in Convoy Busters there’s a chase scene where Olni in a helicopter chases a suspect who’s running through an open field. This chase that ends with a slow-motion death shot from Olini is arguably one of the coolest shots you will ever see in any Poliziotteschi film.

The performances are best described as serviceable. With the main attraction being Maurizio Merli’s (The Tough Ones, Violent Naples) no hold barred portrayal of detective Olmi. He’s a no-nonsense character who kicks ass and asks questions later. Detective Olmi is similar to many of the anti-heroes like Dirty Harry and Paul Kersey (Death Wish) in that they are all fed up with how the law protects the bad guys while innocents are harmed or murdered. Overall, Convoy Busters is an action-packed film that fans of Poliziotteschi cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

(Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s): Italian cinema from the 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s was known for its cycles. These genre cycles often originated when there was a Hollywood film that was hugely successful at the box office, and from there, the Italians would make clones of these Hollywood films that they were liberally borrowing from.

After the decline of the spaghetti western genre, which is arguably the most successful genre when it comes to how well it performed here in the USA, The homegrown action scene looked like it had all but run its course in Italy. Outside of a few scattered action films involving crime and the police. The bulk of action cinema coming from this era was a more toned-down version of the Spaghetti Western that exchanged humor for violence. Fortunately, there were better days just around the corner.

In the early part of the 1970's, a new kind of action film emerged in Italian cinema, and these films are often referred to as "Poliziotteschi" films. And though the original inspiration for this genre can be linked back to such Hollywood films as Dirty Harry and The Godfather, These films often drew from real-life events that were unfolding in Italy then. A few of the subjects that these films explore include world crime, police corruption, terrorism, and kidnapping. And unlike their Spaghetti Western counterparts, there was an added level of realism when it came to the depiction of violence.

Content wise, this documentary divides its content into several subsections, which cover the origins of Italian cinema being inspired by Hollywood films, the decline of the Spaghetti Western genre, how films were often shot on the cheap and quickly, car chases, and how dedicated the stunt men in Italian cinema were, dubbing, this genre’s unflinching depiction of violence, especially towards most women in these films, this genre's lasting legacy, and so much more.

Ultimately, it's all about Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s is a first-rate documentary that tells the story of the Poliziotteschi film, and to guide us on this journey are a variety of contributors who helped shape this genre, which includes actors, directors, and stunt men.

One can never have enough Poliziotteschi. And though there is a lack of North American Poliziotteschi releases, Fortunately, for those who are not region-restricted, there is an abundance of English-friendly releases. That said, Koch Media’s Eurocrime box set is a must-have release if you're a fan of Poliziotteschi cinema.

Written by Michael Den Boer