Colt 38 Special Squad

Italian cult cinema can be so deliciously rudimentary and effective from time to time. The whole basic concept of "Colt .38 Special Squad", for instance, is simply to exploit the immense success of the Hollywood classic "Dirty Harry" and expand it by throwing in an entire squadron of ruthless & trigger-happy coppers! Add to that an evil villainous character, a staggering soundtrack by Stelvio Cipriani and a handful of extremely violent sequences and we've got ourselves a bona fide Italian Poliziotteschi cult hit! Chief inspector of police Vanni is on the hunt for über-criminal Marsigliese and shoots his brother during a confrontation. Purely to make a statement, Marsigliese savagely executes Vanni's wife right before the eyes of his 6-year-old son. After this tragic incident, Vanni receives permission from his superiors to put together a special squad that doesn't have to follow the book of instructions and with the liberty of using heavier gun power. The squad immediately has its hand full, as Marsigliese's accomplices just stole a cargo-load of explosives and terrify the city with a number of bloody bomb attacks. "Colt .38 Special Squad" is a highly entertaining and action-packed Italian cop thriller, but personally I don't rank it alongside my absolute favorites of the genre. The reason for this is merely the lack of a monumental heroic character. Even though he starred in the popular blockbuster "The French Connection", lead actor Marcel Bozzuffi plainly doesn't have the tough and invincible charisma of other Italian cop characters such as Maurizio Merli, Luc Merenda or Franco Nero. He himself is a rather inconspicuous guy, and none of his squad team members are anything special either. In fact, they are so bleak and random that I often forgot their faces or mistook them for secondary petty thieves. Ivan Rassimov, on the other hand, is very memorable as Marsigliese and literally everything you expect from a devilish gangster boss! The film also contains multiple moments of uncompromising and shocking violence, like the aforementioned execution, a nasty hit-and-run accident and packages blowing up in people's faces. You can always count on Poliziotteschi movies for gratuitous bloodshed! This was – sadly - the last accomplishment of writer/director Massimo Dallamano before he died in a car accident. To me, Dallamano will always remain the genius creator of the greatest Italian giallo ever made ("What have you done to Solange?), but he also made the excellent psychedelic horror flicks "Devil in the Flesh" and Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

Captain Vanni(Marcel Bozzuffi)kills the brother of the vicious crime boss Marsiglese a.k.a. Black Angel(Ivan Rassimov)during warehouse shoot-out.Angry Marsiglese murders Vanni's wife in front of their kid.After the funeral his superiors decide to create special team of four motorcycle riding cops with Colt 38 pistols.Marsiglese returns to Torino with a gruesome plan which involves explosives hidden in suitcases plus plenty of ordinary people killed during detonations in public places.Very violent and exciting Italian polizioteschi flick with fantastic car/motorcycle chase sequences and some spectacular explosions.The acting by Marcel Bozzuffi and Ivan Rassimov is great as is the score of Stelvio Cipriani.8 Colt 38 pistols out of 10.

Colt 38 special squad is a rare breed in the poliziotteschi genre. Excellent shot and filled with great casting, cinematographer/director Massimo Dallamano really comes trough on this one. Known for his outstanding camera precision on the Sergio Leone trilogy Colt 38 grapes you all the way. Of course there are a lot good examples for movies in those Italian cop/crime films.Like Milano Calibre 9 or The big racket. But Colt 38 special squad belongs among those films. Rather than just focusing on the usual violence this one delivers also a other angle, those of the mental-pain and struggle. Like a real pro Massimo let's you get involved in those characters and start to care form them. With all well paced storytelling we follow French crime lord Ivan Rassimov as the Dark angel in his mad rage against the city and his cops. Expeccialy against Marcel Bozzuffi as hard boiled Capitan Vanni. An old beef is going on between the two of them. Personal as can be, Vanni and his special crew of cops now not only arresting the locals bastards but are also mix up in the personal vendetta between Vanni and the crew of Dark Angel. The result is well packed storytelling with some brutal, but subtle action. Colt 38 is a well crafted movie with memorable scenes. Think in the line of city bombing and care chases. Rassimov is one's of the most cool killers. But really, Vanni is stealing the show in my opine that is. Of course also in real life those guys competing. Both are die hard actors. Dirty rotten by all those amazing scripts in there carrier. Kinda like De Niro and Pacino in Heat. Do not make the mistake of thinking less about this movie in budget ways. It's great cinema and a prime example of Polliziotesschi madness. Not to be missed

In the gritty world of Italian crime cinema, Massimo Dallamano's "Quelli della calibro 38" (also known as "Colt 38 Special Squad") stands out as a stylish and hard-hitting gem. Released in 1976, this neo-noir thriller follows a group of renegade cops who take the law into their own hands, delivering a potent blend of action, suspense, and social commentary that still resonates today.

From the opening sequence, which features a daring bank heist and a pulse-pounding car chase, "Quelli della calibro 38" establishes itself as a no-holds-barred crime drama. The film's gritty realism is further enhanced by its authentic portrayal of the seedy underbelly of Milan, where the lines between cops and criminals often blur.

But what truly elevates "Quelli della calibro 38" is its stylish direction and killer soundtrack. Dallamano's masterful use of camera angles, lighting, and editing creates a visual language that perfectly captures the gritty essence of the story. Meanwhile, the pulsating score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis adds an extra layer of tension and cool to the proceedings.

While the film's pacing occasionally lags, and some of the plot points may feel familiar to seasoned crime thriller fans, "Quelli della calibro 38" remains a standout entry in the Italian crime genre. Its unflinching portrayal of police corruption and societal decay, coupled with its stylish execution and memorable characters, make it a must-watch for fans of gritty, hard-boiled cinema.

Quelli della calibro 38 (1976) turns out to be interesting and plenty of vivid action , suspense and thriller . Marcel Bozzuffi's nice performance as two-fisted Inspector Vanni, the brave and taciturn inspector who utilizing his long pistol kills baddies , acting as a judge , jury and executioner . It packs intrigue , violence, action-filled and being a really effective film. A nail-biting thriller in which Inspector Vanni (Marcel Bozzuffi) attempts to bring Turin's most powerful crime lord and psychotic murderer to justice. That's why the police commissioner forms a well-trained secret motorized brigade in order to fight a dangerous terrorist who is depositing bombs throughout the city of Turin. Vanni attepts to track down Marsigliese/Black Angel (Ivan Rassimov), his henchman Guido Pugliese (Antonio Marsina) and other hoodlums in an effort to catch them at whatever cost, as he'll stop at nothing to get it . Vanni pursues the revenge-obsessed series killer and encounters he has more problems with him than he expected and eventually taking the law into his own hands . Rule-breaking Vanni strides grimly throughout Turin in pursuit the murderous, including thrilling pursuits, motorcycles and car chases . Whatever your reservations about Vanni's expeditious methods we know he'll always vanquish, shooting in cold blood with his pistol: 'calibro 38'. Inspector Vanni makes Dirty Harry look like Mr. Clean! .He lives by the law - Vanni's Law .Vigilante enforcers - lurking in the dark... waiting to kill!

Effective installment in Poliziesco genre is still gripping and moving. 'Poliziesco' or Poliziottesco' was an Italian popular genre from Seventies , whose main representatives were: Maurizio Merli, Franco Nero, Fabio Testi or Tomas Milian, that include notorious films as Street Law (1973), High Crime (1974), Milano odia: la polizia non può sparare (1974), Free Hand For a Tough Cop (1976) , Brothers Till We Die (1978) , From Corleone to Brooklyn (1979), Poliziotto solitudine e rabbia (1979), Speed cross (1980), Speed driver (1980), they were the most successful and brutal of these kinds of thrillers. Quelli della calibro 38 (1976) stars Marcel Bozzuffi who plays adequately the two-fisted, rule-bending Inspector Vanni, while seeks vengeance, chases mobsters and a maniacal, trigger-happy assassin called Black Angel. Bozuffi already played a classic thriller: 'William Friedkin's French Connection', performing a nasty mobster. As iconoclast , tough cop Vanni/Bozuffi) tries to detain the vicious killer and other cronies who are kidnapping, exploding bombs in markets, bus station and other public places, he takes on criminals determined to bring them to justice, even if he has to break some rules. Co-starring as a ruthless villain is Ivan Rassimov. Italian of Croatian origin Ivan had a fruitful career until his early death, although he was often cast as villains, from Nazi soldiers and gunmen to tough guys suspected of murder. Rassimov also occasionally played the good guys and saw it as a novelty in his bad guy roles. From playing a police detective, a cowboy, an archaeologist and even a psychiatrist in Mario Bava's last theatrical film Shock or Beyond the Gate (1977). Ivan starred in Giallos: Perversa Señora Ward, Vicios Forbiddenes and some Spaghetti Westerns like Django If You Want to Live... Shoot, Cowards Don't Pray, Non Spettare Django, Spara and Cjamango. He was most often seen as a male hero of Italian cannibal films acting alongside Me Me Lai in three of them, the most notable being Man from Deep River, Jungle Holocaust and Eaten Alive. Fine main and support cast giving acceptable , tough some exaggerated interpretations . Good secondary cast -usual in B Italian genres- gives cool performance, such as: Carole André (of Kabir Bedi's Sandokan series), Riccardo Salvino, Antonio Marsina , Franco Garofalo and brief apperance from Grace Jones singing a a disco-song.

Quelli della calibro 38 (original title) or Colt 38 Special Squad(English) or Section de choc (France) (1976) is a formula thriller with plenty of action , crisply edition , tension, intrigue , suspenseful and lots of violence in exploitation style. There are images of strong violence, bone-chilling shootouts and impressive car and motorcycle chases, with spectacular races of vehicles bouncing through the air and a 'Sinca' car at full speed going through the fields and along a transport train. Special mention for the stinging , stabbing musical score by Stelvio Cipriani. As well as atmospheric and adequate cinematography by Gábor Pogány , shot completely in Turín, Italy and Monaco . The motion picture was competently written and directed by Massimo Dallamano or ¨Max Dillman¨ in his last one, after a long career both cameraman and director. Compellingly mafde by Massimo Dallamano , he turned to cameraman to director of Spaghetti Westerns and polizieschi , which rejuvenated his confidence and his popularity . He previously photographed ¨Fistful of dollars¨and ¨For a fistful dollars more. Dallamano managed to make a fluid , witty and agreeable Giallo titled La morte non ha sesso (A Black Veil for Lisa) . He also proved his experience in thriller and other Giallo movies , such as : "What Have You Done to Solange?" , "The Cursed Medallion" ,¨Portrait of Dorian Gray ¨ , "Mafia Junction" , "What Have They Done to Your Daughters?" or "The Coed Murders" , among others . "Colt 38 Special Squad" Rating 6/10. Well worth watching . The flick will appeal to Poliziesco enthusiasts.