Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976, Ruggero Deodato)

Directed by Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust and Last Cannibal World) and written by Fernando Di Leo (Milano Calibro 9, The Italian Connection, The Boss), Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man takes the already violent Italian crime genre and takes it to a new level.  Just released by Raro Video USA, this film is finally available in the states, providing us with another missing piece in the director's varied filmography.  Deodato has done everything from the aforementioned Cannibal films, Disaster films (Concorde Affair), Sword and Sorcery films (The Barbarians) and Revenge films (House on the Edge of the Park) so it is only appropriate that he dipped into Italian crime films too.

Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man follows Fred (Marc Porel) and Tony (Ray Lovelock), two cops who believe that the only way to fight crime is with violence.  Though their boss (Adolfo Celi) doesn't approve of this method, he still assigns them to the new special force where they try to catch dangerous gangster Roberto "Bibi" Pasquini (Renato Salvatori).  Fred and Tony use every method they can, from blowing up a parking lot full of cars to "seducing" Bibi's sister Lina.  But will their dangerous tactics pay off or end up getting them killed?

Definitely the most violent polizioteschi I have seen, Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man is also one of the best I have seen.  Porel and Lovelock do a great job as the carefree cops who not only ride together on one motorcycle and share an apartment but also share and try to seduce the same women.  From a surprisingly vulgar conversation with their boss's secretary to the previously mentioned "seduction" of Bibi's sister, the duo's clean cut, pretty boy image proves to be the complete opposite of their tough, misogynistic demeanor.  The action begins with an epic motorcycle chase (right after the title song sung by Ray Lovelock) and doesn't let up for more than a few minutes at a time throughout the film.  The only flaw I really found with the film was some of the dialogue, which was a little campy and over the top.  On the other hand though, I feel that without this break from the violence and action, the film may have been a little too dark and wouldn't have allowed the audience to breathe.  Included on this disc from Raro Video is a new 35mm transfer, a documentary on the film with director and star interviews, as well as some early commercials by Deodato.

RATING:  9/10




                                                                                                                              

Last Cannibal World (1977, Ruggero Deodato)

When discussing, Ruggero Deodato's first foray into Cannibal cinema, Ultimo Mondo Cannibale (Last Cannibal World), comparisons to Cannibal Holocaust are inevitable.  Cannibal Holocaust is one of the most notorious films of all time for its brutal depictions of inhumane acts against humans and animals.  Last Cannibal World however is much less known and was an early entry in the Italian Cannibal craze started by Umberto Lenzi's Man from Deep River.  According to Deodato, Last Cannibal World paved the way for him to make Cannibal Holocaust which alone makes it an important film.

Ultimo Mondo Cannibale is the supposed true story of Robert Harper (Massimo Foschi), an oil prospector who travels deep into the jungles with his associate Rolf (Ivan Rassimov), pilot Charlie and Charlie's girlfriend Swan.  They land the plane to find that the colleagues they were supposed to meet are nowhere to be found.  Soon after, Swan disappears and Charlie is killed by a trap set up in the jungle.  Robert and Rolf find Swan being eaten by a cannibal tribe and get split up.  Robert is captured by the cannibals and soon realizes if he doesn't escape, he'll end up as lunch.  He seeks out one of the female tribe members to help him escape.

Last Cannibal World, known to many Americans as Jungle Holocaust (which is the title on Shriek Show's DVD, probably to cash in on Deodato's more famous cannibal epic), is an interesting film.  Though not as brutal as Cannibal Holocaust, it has its fair share of gross out and just plain weird scenes.  First of all, Foschi's character is naked through most of the film and when he is first captured and stripped by the natives, they poke and prod his uncircumcised weiner in wonderment.  In fact, most of the natives are naked throughout as well.  This film, like most cannibal films of the era, has several scenes of animals being slaughtered or animals killing other animals.  Never a fun thing to watch unless you are fucked in the head, the worst scene of which showed an alligator (or crocodile, I can never get them straight) being cut open while still alive.  They are even nice enough to show its heart beating from the inside.  According to Foschi and Deodato, all of the animal scenes were filmed by the producers after principal photography was completed.  Considering the number of scenes in the film that have animals being killed is so high, this claim is suspicious.  Overall though the story and the remaining scenes were actually quite watchable and entertaining.  Foschi's character trying to find a way out of this mess without becoming cannibal chow is definitely the highlight of the film and his slow deterioration into savagery was well done.  It was a solid film that had its flaws but was still entertaining.


RATING:  6/10

Cannibal Holocaust (1980, Ruggero Deodato)

My cannibal film festival has come to an end with Cannibal Holocaust, the holy grail of cannibal films and one of the most infamous shock films in history.

An anthropologist, in search of three filmmakers who disappeared in the South American jungle while making a documentary, sets up an expedition and finds more than he bargained for. He is trusted by the local natives and escapes with the film reels from the missing film makers, who we learn were killed. After returning from his search, the film reels are viewed and the truth about who the real savages are is revealed.

Ok, so if you haven't seen this film already, I'm sure you've heard of it. If not, then you were probably looking for "Bed Bath and Beyond blogspot" or something. Definitely the sickest cannibal film I've seen and probably one of the sickest films period. This is perhaps the most banned film of all time and one of the most notorious as well. Because many of the killings looked so real, the director (Ruggero Deodato) was even arrested on murder charges (which were eventually dropped when he had the actors appear in court). Still, above all the brutal murders (decapitation, cannibalism, castration and the famous impalement) is those fucking animal killings. I'll admit, this movie wouldn't have nearly the impact it does if it weren't for the animal torture but even Deodato regrets and is embarrassed by these scenes. The muskrat and the turtle scenes are so cruel and nauseating that it just brings the film to a whole new level, for better or worse. The one completely positive thing I can say about this film is Riz Ortolani's music score. Not only is it beautiful but it contrasts the subject matter so much that it just makes the film even more of an experience.

So if you were curious about seeing this film, hopefully this review will help you decide. I can appreciate it as a work of art, but would say it's more of a love/hate relationship.

RATING: 4/5