The Killer Must Kill Again: 50th Anniversary Edition - Rustblade (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1975
Director: Luigi Cozzi
Writers: Adriano Bolzoni, Luigi Cozzi, Daniele Del Giudice
Cast: George Hilton, Antoine Saint-John, Femi Benussi, Cristina Galbó, Eduardo Fajardo, Tere Velázquez, Alessio Orano, Carla Mancini, Sydne Rome

Release Date: November 11th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $25.95

"The story follows Giorgio, a greedy adulterer who strikes a deadly bargain with a professional killer to eliminate his wealthy wife, Nora. But the plan unravels when a reckless young couple steals the killer's car, unaware that Nora's corpse lies hidden in the trunk. Their flight takes them to a decaying seaside villa, setting off a tense game of pursuit as the killer closes in." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 0/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Presented here for the first time in a fully restored transfer, this definitive edition preserves the director's original vision and stands as a must-have for giallo enthusiasts and fans of 1970s Italian thrillers."

The Killer Must Kill Again comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21 GB

Feature: 17.8 GB

Although this release claims it's a fully restored transfer, the excessive digital noise reduction eliminates anything that looks remotely filmic. That said, the result is a transfer that can be difficult to watch most of the time.

Audio: 1/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 1.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English and a DTS-HD stereo mix in Italian. Both audio tracks have background hiss and other audio imperfections, and range-wise they are anemic. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a locations featurette hosted by Alessandro Zito (6 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an analysis of The Killer Must Kill Again by Federico Frusciante (14 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an interview with director Luigi Cozzi (31 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Luigi Cozzi, whose other notable films include Starcrash, Contamination, Paganini Horror, The Black Cat, and a pair of Hercules remakes. Before becoming a director, Cozzi also worked on Dario Argento’s The Cat o’ Nine Tails and Four Flies on Grey Velvet.

A husband having an affair makes a deal with a serial killer to kill his wife.

Although Luigi Cozzi is most known for his work in the sci-fi and fantasy film genres, his two forays into the giallo genre often are overlooked. These include The Neighbor episode of the Door Into Darkness TV series and The Killer Must Kill Again. While the latter features elements that are more synonymous with the giallo genre, they are both missing the black-gloved/masked killer, and there is no surprise who the killer is in both these films. That said, Luigi Cozzi’s plays out more like a Hitchcockian thriller than an Argento giallo.

In The Killer Must Kill Again, a scenario reminiscent of Strangers on a Train unfolds when a husband accidentally witnesses another man disposing of a murdered woman's body, which he then uses to coerce that man into killing his wife. Although there is no crisscross element like in Strangers on a Train, the unfolding events produce a similar impact. Additionally, both films feature a significant piece of evidence: a cigarette lighter.

The cast is filled with recognizable faces that fans of 1970s Eurocult cinema are sure to recognize. When it comes to the performances, they are all excellent, especially Antoine Saint-John (A Fistful of Dynamite), who portrays an unnamed killer. His character is characterized by a sparse use of dialogue, and his performance features a physicality that enhances his menacing presence. Notable cast members are George Hilton (All the Colors of the Dark) in the role of the husband having an affair, Cristina Galbó (The House That Screamed), whose boyfriend steals the killer's car, and Femi Benussi (Hatchet for the Honeymoon), who portrays a ditzy hitchhiker.

The narrative excels at creating and sustaining tension. The scenes featuring the boyfriend and girlfriend driving around in the killer's stolen car, with the dead wife's body in the trunk, serve as the primary source of this tension. Although there are two killings in the first half of the film, it is not until the last 14 minutes that any notable carnage occurs. The disturbing moment is a scene that juxtaposes the boyfriend making love with a hitchhiker while the killer rapes his girlfriend. Another strength is the visuals, which are filled with arresting moments that greatly enhance the mood. Ultimately, The Killer Must Kill Again is a very effective thriller that giallo fans should thoroughly enjoy.

This release's packaging is bilingual, in English and Italian.

This release is truly one of the most disappointing that I have encountered in a very long time; it comes with a solid collection of insightful extras, which are unfortunately undermined by an abysmal audio/video presentation.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer