Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man

Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man

Genre: Poliziottesco, Crime

Original title: Uomini si nasce poliziotti si muore

Director: Ruggero Deodato

Year: 1976

Fred and Tony are members of an elite 'special squad' of police in Rome, Italy whom are licensed-to-kill, undercover cops whom thrive on living dangerously.

Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man took me all of about 30 seconds to win me over. It starts with with two guys on a motorbike brutally killing a women whilst trying to steal her bag. Our anti-heroes with the blandest names ever (Fred & Tony) played by Marc Porel & Ray Lovelock are part of Rome's Special Squad and begin to chase the thieves on motorbikes. This turns into a 10 minute chase sequence through the streets of Rome. It's a thrilling beginning that sees some high risk stunts with cafés being destroyed, cars being used as ramps & a brutal, yet somehow hilarious murder of a guide-dog. With this kind of action from the get-go it wasn't hard for me to fall in love with this film.

The characters of Fred & Tony are pretty much as anti-hero as you can get. They have no problem whatsoever killing criminals (often before they've commuted a crime), using torture, stealing & abusing women to get what they want. It's like a complete bastardised version of Riggs and Murtaugh! Despite this, the pair are highly entertaining & their general attitude of doing anything they damn well please to get the job done provides many a thrill during its lean 90 minute running time. 

Director Ruggero Deodato shows off a degree of the brutal violence, sleaze & general grittiness that he'd show in later pictures such as The House on the Edge of the Park & Cannibal Holocaust. though here it does occasionally come off a tiny bit cartoonish in its outrageousness. Also the film benefits from the brilliant screenplay from the director of the Milieu Trilogy, Fernando Di Leo, whom is arguably the genre's most famous filmmaker. You also get a decent score from Ubaldo Continello, though the use of a couple of Ray Lovelock's Bob Dylan-esque folk numbers feel completely out of place. Perhaps he agreed to do the film if they'd use his music but either way its a very unwelcome distraction. 

Also in the cast is Bruno Corazzari (a character actor who seems to always play shady character's in Italian genre films), Adolfo Celi (as the boss of the Special Squad) & Marino Masé 

Overall its a tight, explosive & thrilling piece of Italian crime-cinema with plenty of memorable scenes, harsh violence & contains possibly the two "badest" cops that you'll ever see on screen.

Rating: ★★★★

Fred & Tony, make Dirty Harry look like a pussy.

Man Without a Memory

Man Without A Memory

Genre: Giallo, Mystery

Original title: L' uomo senza memoria

AKA: Puzzle

Director: Duccio Tessari

Year: 1974

A man can't remember who he is and now thugs are after him for something he hid... and he doesn't know where it is, let alone what it is

Luc Merenda who is known mostly by Gialli fans for his role in Sergio Martino's Torso plays a man named Edward who has lost his memory in a near fatal car crash in London. He is linked back to his wife who lives by the coast in Italy by some bizarre circumstances. Other characters come into the picture and claim to know Edward but we can never be sure if what we are hearing is the truth. 

There are only six main characters in this film yet they are all well written & integral parts to this picture. Legendary Italian character actor Bruno Corazzari (who appeared in so many Italian productions in the 60s & 70s) plays a real menace & then there's Anita Strindberg who whilst isn't on screen a great deal plays a big part in moving this picture forward. Elsewhere there's a straight talking child actor who is pretty hilarious with his responses at times, a rarity for Gialli as quite often child actors can be incredibly annoying.

Man Without A Memory (more commonly known as Puzzle in most parts of the world) has Gialli elements but those who like their Gialli to have plenty of violence, blood & flesh may be disappointed. This picture decides to take it's time seeing out a well written script with some fleshed out characters. It's a slow burner, yet is always engaging & builds up nicely to a really explosive final few minutes with its thrills & reveals. An overlooked gem which is almost Hitchcockian in it's delivery.

Rating: 

★★★★

The Italian Chainsaw Massacre