Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine 1/21/16 - Kiss the Ring: Italian crime cinema

This week on Weird Scenes - we're setting sails for sunny Italy! Among the many subgenres of cult film the Italians co-opted and proceeded to perfect was one of the wildest, most consistently entertaining and grim of the bunch: the poliziotteschi. Marked by extreme violence, gorgeous women, corrupt politicians and police and stylish if dangerous mobsters with a code of ethics all their own, the Italian crime film surpassed its Stateside, UK and French forebears by amping up the action, the body count, the speed and explosiveness of it all.  Packed to the gills with wild car chases, stunt-filled shootouts on crowded streets and abandoned industrial complexes and backroom double dealings, there is quite literally nothing else like them in cinema! With directors (Lenzi, Damiani, DiLeo, Massi, Castellari, Sollima) and stars specializing in and rising to fame mainly based on their efforts herein (Maurizio Merli, Thomas Milian, Gian Maria Volante, Luc Merenda, Fabio Testi) and others establishing deep roots in the genre (Martin Balsam, Adolfo Celi, John Saxon, Telly Savalas, Henry Silva), the Italian crime film has finally achieved reappraisal late in the DVD era, with many of its key efforts only now making their way to domestic shores. Join us as we try to cozy up to the right people and pay proper respect to the people who matter, to get things done (if you know what I'm saying, capisce?) Week 20 Kiss the Ring - Italian poliziotteschi and crime cinema   Your hosts "Doc" Savage and Louis Paul www.facebook.com/WeirdScenes1