Sahara Cross

This gem is quite unusual for italian films of the area. It's a contemporary actionthriller taking place in the Tunisian desert. Franco and Co. is a team of oilprospectors working for a huge corporation. At the same time the region is plagued by Redarmy-style terrorists. Franco is great as usual, so is the rest of the cast. And the on-location direction by Tonino is spirited and features Steadycam-work (the first for an italian production?). And there's even a man to man battle with heavy machinery. The music, so essential to the flavour of italian films of the time, is by no other than Riz Ortolani and perfect for those selfmade bootleg soundtracks.