The Big Racket

Ok...this isn't horror, but it made me SO FRIGGIN' HAPPY that I had to write a little bit on it. 

James Hancock posted a scene from the film on Twitter and it was brilliant. It showed Fabio Testi (What Have You Done To Solange?) being rolled down a hill in his car by an angry mob. But, they don't just show the car rolling down the hill. They have cuts to Testi in the car rolling with debris flying around in the car as he rolls! It was amazing. I had to see the film.

The plot is classic crime gialli. A good cop named Nico Palmieri is tracking down these hoods that are shaking the store owners in a small town down for protection money. He's trying everything in his power to get this racket dealt with, but he's not getting any support from his department. And, if people happen to brave the mob and come forward to help Nico, horrible things happen to them and their loved ones. Tensions run high as things don't get any better. Finally, he needs to take things to another level.

This movie was so much fun! I found myself cheering for the good guys and booing the bad guys. As things escalate, I thought I had an idea about just where the film was going, but it took it to a whole new level and kept upping the thrills until the bullet ridden conclusion.

I need to see more of Enzo G. Castellari films. I've heard a lot about his work, but after doing some looking i found out that this was the only film of his that I've seen. I've heard of others like The Inglorious Bastards, 1990: The Bronx Warriors, and The House by the Edge of the Lake, but I have not seen a single one. After seeing his work on this film, I'm going to seek more out right away. And the guy is still making movies! Amazing.  I just saw that he did a film called The Heroin Busters in 1977 with Testi and David Hemmings. I think that might have moved to the top of my list.

It took me a minute to place Testi. I loved him in Solange, but there he was rocking this wondrous beard. I don't recall seeing him in anything else. I've heard that Contraband is a good one. I'll have to seek it out. He has this super cool, tough guy thing going in this film that I loved. At one point - after the car rolling - he has a cast on his arm. He goes to arrest some of the hoods and gets into a fight where the cast turns out to be a super solid shield and weapon! Just fun, fun, fun through and through.

We have a classic cast of characters in the film as well. All the hoods are grand, flat, bad guy bad guys. There are some other folks who take on roles as victims that have various sides to them from vengeful spirit to sad broken man to one foot out the door and they are work really well.

If you love crime thrillers along the lines of The French Connection, gun fights, and classic good guys verses bad guys, this film is a must view. I plan to own it in the near future. I can tell that this will be in rotation often! WELL worth a viddy!