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The 1970s were a time of intense uncertainty and instability in Italy. Political corruption and widespread acts of left and right-wing terrorism, alongside a breakdown in social cohesion and a loss of trust in public institutions such as the government and police, created a febrile atmosphere of cynicism, paranoia and unexploded rage. Throughout this period, these sentiments found expression in a series of brutal, often morally ambiguous crime thrillers which tapped into the atmosphere of violence and instability that defined the so-called Years of Lead. This box set gathers five films from the heyday of the "poliziotteschi" - the umbrella term used to describe this diverse body of films. In Vittorio Salerno's Savage Three (1975) and Mario Imperoli's Like Rabid Dogs (1976), random acts of violence committed by vicious young sociopaths threaten the fragile fabric of respectable society. In Massimo Dallamano's Colt 38 Special Squad (1976) and Stelvio Massi's Highway Racer (1977), renegade cops battling against red tape and political corruption turn to new and morally dubious methods to dispense justice. Finally, class dynamics are explored in Salerno's No, the Case is Happily Resolved (1973) as an innocent man finds himself under suspicion for a savage crime committed by a highly respected member of society. Decried by critics for their supposedly fascistic overtones, the poliziotteschi were in fact more ideologically varied and often considerably more nuanced than such superficial readings would suggest, and proved a huge hit with theater goers, who responded to their articulation of present day social concerns. Featuring an impressive line-up of Euro cult stars, including Joe Dallesandro, Ivan Rassimov, Maurizio Merli and Enrico Maria Salerno, this collection of stylish, hard-hitting Euro-crime thrillers showcases the range and breadth of the genre and is a must-have for newcomers and grizzled veterans alike.

Media

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Bonus Materials

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all five films, restored from the original negatives
• Original lossless mono Italian audio on all five films
• Original lossless mono English audio on Colt 38 Special Squad and Savage Three, with optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks
• Poliziotteschi: Violence and Justice in the Years of Lead, visual essay by critic Will Webb exploring the themes of the genre
• Rat Eat Rat, interview with writer/director Vittorio Salerno and actress Martine Brochard on Savage Three
• The Savage One, interview with actor Joe Dallesandro on Savage Three
• When a Murderer Dies, interview with cinematographer Romano Albani and film historian Fabio Melelli on Like Rabid Dogs
• It’s Not a Time for Tears, interview with assistant director Claudio Bernabei on Like Rabid Dogs
• Music sampler for Like Rabid Dogs
• Always the Same Ol’ 7 Notes, interview with composer Stelvio Cipriani on Colt 38 Special Squad
• A Tough Guy, interview with editor Antonio Siciliano on Colt 38 Special Squad
• Archival introduction to Colt 38 Special Squad by Stelvio Cipriani
• Faster Than a Bullet, interview with film historian Roberto Curti on Highway Racer
• Mother Justice, interview with writer/director Vittorio Salerno on No, the Case is Happily Resolved
• Alternate ending to No, the Case is Happily Resolved
• Original trailers for Like Rabid Dogs, Colt 38 Special Squad and No, the Case is Happily Resolved
• Poster galleries

Sales Points

• Hyperviolent, 70s Italian Crime films for fans of Bullitt, Dirty Harry, Falling Down, The Fugitive and Romper Stomper

Press Quotes

Arrow's Years of Lead may not exactly be offering Oscar worthy outings in this set, but in a way that actually may be a better way to understand the idiom, since Poliziotteschi frequently featured gritty storylines and unvarnished characters. As with most Arrow releases, technical merits are solid and the supplementary package very enjoyable. Recommended.

     —Blu-ray.com

Arrow's Years of Lead set does an amazing job of reflecting all of the many facets of what a what a 'crime' movie is

     —Nerdist

Arrow Video once again does what it does so well with boxed sets like these: highlight films that many don't know about or have forgotten. In the case of Years of Lead, many are bound to discover a set of important films with excellent presentations

     —The Digital Bits

Compiles crime and poliziotteschi films released in Italy during the socially and politically tumultuous early 70s… reflects the overarching (and unfortunately, still accurate) theme [that] the cops are no better than the crooks, and honesty will get you killed.

     —Paul Gaita, The Los Angeles Beat