Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection coming from Severin

[whiteberry]

Italian director Umberto Lenzi had recently completed a landmark string of kinky gialli with Hollywood outcast Carroll Baker. Cuban-born/Actor’s Studio-trained Tomas Milian had become one of Spaghetti Westerns’ most popular stars. But when these two notoriously mercurial talents came together for a series of shocking Poliziotteschi –reactionary crime films that reflected the political and sociocultural violence of 1970s Italy – they grabbed audiences by the throat, gunned down the conventions of the genre and changed the emotional velocity of action cinema forever. This collection presents Lenzi & Milian’s five greatest collaborations, now restored uncut and uncensored from the original negatives for the first time ever.

Disc 1: ALMOST HUMAN (1974)

Released in Italy under the title MILANO ODIA: LA POLIZIA NON-PUÒ SPARARE (MILAN HATES: THE POLICE CAN’T SHOOT), this first collaboration between director Umberto Lenzi and star Tomas Milian remains both “a degenerate treat” (Mondo Digital) and “definitive Eurocrime” (DVD Talk): When a small-time criminal (a fearless performance by Milian) kidnaps a wealthy industrialist’s daughter, he’ll trigger a depraved spree of class warfare, sexual violence, mass murder and the rage of a police commissioner (Henry Silva) determined to end the carnage. Anita Strindberg (YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM…) and Ray Lovelock (LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN) co-star in “one of the peaks of the genre” (Indiewire) written by Ernesto Gastaldi (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) with a classic score by Ennio Morricone, now scanned uncut from the original negative.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi
• Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi
• Violent Milan – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi
• Milian Unleashed – Interview With Actor Tomas Milian
• A History Of Violence – Interview With Ernesto Gastaldi
• Italian American Gangster – Interview With Actor Henry Silva
• Trailer

Disc Specs:

• Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
• Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
• Closed Captions / English Subtitles
• Region A
• Run time: 99 mins

Disc 2: ALMOST HUMAN CD Soundtrack

Disc 3: SYNDICATE SADISTS (1975)

In their second collaboration – released in Italy as IL GIUSTIZIERE SFIDA LA CITTÀ (THE VIGILANTE CHALLENGES THE CITY) – Tomas Milian stars as a biker named Rambo (the actor borrowed the name from David Morrell’s 1972 novel First Blood) who avenges a friend’s murder by orchestrating a war between rival crime families. Director Umberto Lenzi and screenwriter Vincenzo Mannino (HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK) pack the running time with a barrage of beatings, shootings, kidnappings and chases that raised the bar for ‘70s EuroCrime and “put modern action flicks to shame” (DVD Drive-In). Luciano Catenacci (KILL, BABY… KILL!), Femi Benussi (BLOODY PIT OF HORROR) and Joseph Cotten (CITIZEN KANE) co-star in this “non-stop exciting thriller” (European Trash Cinema) – also released as ONE JUST MAN and RAMBO’S REVENGE – now scanned uncut from the original negative.

Special Features:

• First Blood – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi
• Family Affair – Interview With Actress Ida Galli
• Kidnapped – Interview With Actor Alessandro Cocco
• Interview With The Fascist – Interview With Actor Bruno Di Luia
• Trailer

Disc Specs:

• Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
• Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
• Closed Captions / English Subtitles
• Region Free
• Run time: 93 mins

Disc 4: SYNDICATE SADISTS/BROTHERS TILL WE DIE CD Soundtrack

Disc 5: FREE HAND FOR A TOUGH COP (1976)

Following THE TOUGH ONES, this fourth collaboration between director Umberto Lenzi and star Tomas Milian – released as IL TRUCIDO E LO SPIRRO (THE CROOK AND THE COP) – introduced Milian’s iconic character of ‘Monnezza’ and served as the unacknowledged template for 48 HOURS: When a scheming convict (Milian) is sprung from prison by a hard-nosed cop (Claudio Cassinelli of WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS?), they’ll team up to hunt down Monnezza’s former crime partner (Henry Silva) who’s kidnapped a critically ill child. Robert Hundar (CUT-THROATS NINE), Nicoletta Machiavelli (NO WAY OUT) and a murderer’s row of EuroCrime’s most recognizable character actors co-star in this “classic politziottesco packed full of fun action” (Starburst) co-written by Lenzi and Dardano Sacchetti (THE BEYOND), now scanned in 2K from the original negative.

Special Features:

• In The Asphalt Jungle – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi
• Tough Guy Corrado – A Look At The Career of Corrado Solari
• The Father Of Monnezza – Interview With Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti
• Hand-Held Camera For A Tough Cinematographer – Interview With Cinematographer Nino Celeste
• Making Movies – Interview With Producer Ugo Tucci
• Extended Bank Robbery Scene Sourced From The Original Negative
• Trailer

Disc Specs:

• Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
• Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
• Closed Captions / English Subtitles
• Region A
• Run time: 92 mins

Disc 6: THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST (1977)

For their penultimate collaboration, Umberto Lenzi and producer Luciano Martino (EATEN ALIVE!) brought together Tomas Milian as a cold-blooded crime boss known as ‘The Chinaman,’ John Saxon as a sadistic American mobster looking for his own piece of the action and Maurizio Merli as hot-headed rogue cop Leo Tanzi – first introduced in Lenzi’s THE TOUGH ONES – gunning for them both. Renzo Palmer (STREET LAW) and Gabriella Lepori (5 WOMEN FOR THE KILLER) co-star in this “fantastic piece of Italian genre cinema and a definitive statement to the craftsmanship of Lenzi” (Cinezilla) co-written by Lenzi, Dardano Sacchetti (THE NEW YORK RIPPER) and Ernesto Gastaldi (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) featuring an oft-sampled score by Franco Micalizzi (DEATH PROOF, DJANGO UNCHAINED), now scanned uncut in 2K from the original negative.

Special Features:

• Merli vs. Milian – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi
• A Man Of Action – Interview With Umberto Lenzi
• Me, Milian And Merli – Interview With Umberto Lenzi on His Iconic Characters
• The Writer, The Director And The Actor – Interview With Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti
• Here Comes The Fist – Interview With Actor John Saxon
• Trailer

Disc Specs:

• Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
• Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
• Closed Captions / English Subtitles
• Region Free
• Run time: 99 mins

Disc 7: THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST CD Soundtrack

Disc 8: BROTHERS TILL WE DIE (1978)

For their final collaboration, Umberto Lenzi directs his own razor-sharp screenplay while Tomas Milian delivers a brilliant dual performance reprising the roles of scheming lowlife Sergio ‘Er Monnezza’ Marazzi from FREE HAND FOR A TOUGH COP as well as his twin brother, hunchbacked sociopath Vincenzo ‘Il Gobbo’ Marazzi from THE TOUGH ONES. With Milian providing his own characters’ dialogue, it’s a potent odyssey of trans prostitutes, armed robberies, double crosses, randy Albanians, angry cops, insane asylums and some of the most startling pathos and politics in the history of the genre. Isa Danieli (SWEPT AWAY), Guido Leontini (EMERGENCY SQUAD) and Solvi Stubing (STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER) co-star in the long-unseen Lenzi/Milian swansong, now scanned uncut in 2K from the original negative.

Special Features:

• Tomas And Tomas – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi
• He Called Me 'The Tamer' – Interview With Editor Eugenio Alabiso
• Music And Bullets – Interview With Composer Franco Micalizzi
• Heart Of Rome – Interview With Composer Antonello Venditti
• Trailer

Disc Specs:

• Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
• Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
• Closed Captions / English Subtitles
• Region Free
• Run time: 99 mins

PLEASE NOTE: THIS TITLE IS A PRE-ORDER WITH A WIDE STREET DATE OF 3/28/23. WE HOPE TO BEGIN SHIPPING THIS PRE-ORDER SOMETIME AROUND THE END OF FEBRUARY.

https://severinfilms.com/collections...nt-streets-box

Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection (Official Trailer) - YouTube

[By_His_Strypes]

I love Lenzi, but I've never seen any of these. Any Good?

[sb5]

Lenzi’s Poliziotteschi come highly recommended. Almost Human is a film that generally shows up in most “Best Poliziotteschi“ lists. Syndicate Sadists and The Cynic, the Rat, and the Fist (at the very least) are also generally highly rated.

If you like Poliziotteschi, you’ll almost definitely like the set.

[grahams76]

All state "now scanned uncut..." apart from Free Hand For A Tough Cop. Anyone know what that's all about?

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by By_His_Strypes

I love Lenzi, but I've never seen any of these. Any Good?

Almost Human is one of the best crime films ever made and Tomas Milian's best performance and Umberto Lenzi's best film. It's very good, but works much better in Italian. The previous US release had an audio issue in Italian for about 6 minutes, so hopefully that's fixed.

The other four are all very entertaining films.

[whiteberry]

Originally Posted by grahams76

All state "now scanned uncut..." apart from Free Hand For A Tough Cop. Anyone know what that's all about?

They are using the existing HD master except for the opening credits and an extended scene because those are the only sections that were usable from the original negative. From today's episode of their podcast:

[The original negative] was covered in mold and although the element was original negative...it was just not properly kept so it was in really rough shape where we couldn't use it.

I was able to use the opening credit sequences which were in okay enough shape that we could use them. Then I also included an extended bank robbery scene sourced from the original negative which is in the bonus features where you can kind of get a little glimpse of the quality of the element.

We ended up using the original finished master of that they had as a backup.

The discussion about the movie starts at 00:39:51
https://severin-films-podcast.libsyn...attack-force-z

[Rayjg]

Couldn’t they just...wipe the mold off

[Savage_Blu]

Nice, love me some Poliziotteschi.....really loved Arrow's Years of Lead boxset, so Severin's Violent Streets boxset looks right up my alley. Never seen any of the films included aside from Almost Human, of which I have Bill's release.
Considering the 5 films and other content, $95 isn't a bad price at all. Part of me want's to catch it on sale at some point down the road, but I wouldn't feel bad at all paying full price.
Totally in of this set!

[kosvines]

I do like these, but I have almost every one of them on blu-ray from 88 Films, so I will be skipping this one.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by whiteberry

They are using the existing HD master except for the opening credits and an extended scene because those are the only sections that were usable from the original negative.

As long as it's uncut and from the best sources that doesn't really bother me, a lot of old films are a mix of different sources anyway.

[Mr. Thomsen]

F### me, what a nice surprise! I love Lenzi's crime movies. Almost Human is great, and I am really looking forward to watch The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist again. And three soundtrack CDs, too! Count me in!

[Dvd Aficionado]

FWIW, Severin have added new extras to each of the five films.

If anyone's interested in upgrading and/or double-dipping, here's the NEW extras and the title with Italian language track not found on the previous (Code Red, 88 Films, and Fractured Visions) releases:

Disc 1: ALMOST HUMAN (1974)
NEW • Audio commentary with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi
NEW • Audio commentary with Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, author of Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi
NEW • A History of Violence – Interview with Ernesto Gastaldi
• Violent Milan – Interview with director Umberto Lenzi
• Milian Unleashed – Interview with actor Tomas Milian
NEW • Italian American Gangster – Interview with actor Henry Silva
• Trailer

Disc Specs:
Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
Closed Captions / English Subtitles

NEW Disc 2: ALMOST HUMAN CD Soundtrack

Disc 3: SYNDICATE SADISTS (1975)
• First Blood – Interview with director Umberto Lenzi
NEW • Family Affair – Interview with actress Ida Galli
NEW • Kidnapped – Interview with actor Alessandro Cocco
NEW • Interview with The Fascist – Interview with actor Bruno Di Luia
NEW • Trailer

Disc Specs:
Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
Audio: English Mono / NEW Italian Mono
Closed Captions / English Subtitles

NEW Disc 4: SYNDICATE SADISTS/BROTHERS TILL WE DIE CD Soundtrack

Disc 5: FREE HAND FOR A TOUGH COP (1976)
NEW • In The Asphalt Jungle – Interview with director Umberto Lenzi
NEW • The Father of Monnezza – Interview with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti
NEW • Extended Bank Robbery scene sourced from the original negative
NEW • Tough Guy Corrado – A Look at the Career of Corrado Solari
• Hand-Held Camera for a Tough Cinematographer – Interview with cinematographer Nino Celeste
• Making Movies – Interview with producer Ugo Tucci
• Trailer

Disc Specs:
Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
Closed Captions / English Subtitles

Disc 6: THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST (1977)
• Merli vs. Milian – Interview with director Umberto Lenzi
• A Man of Action – Interview with Umberto Lenzi
• Me, Milian and Merli – Interview with Umberto Lenzi on His Iconic Characters
(These three might have been taken from the 2016 interview on the 88 Films release. I'll be happy if it proves to be otherwise, though )

NEW • The Writer, The Director and The Actor – Interview with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti
NEW • Here Comes The Fist – Interview with actor John Saxon
NEW • Trailer

Disc Specs:
Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
Closed Captions / English Subtitles

NEW Disc 7: THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST CD Soundtrack

Disc 8: BROTHERS TILL WE DIE (1978)
NEW • Tomas and Tomas – Interview with director Umberto Lenzi
NEW • He Called Me 'The Tamer' – Interview with editor Eugenio Alabiso
• Music And Bullets – Interview with composer Franco Micalizzi
• Heart Of Rome – Interview with composer Antonello Venditti
• Trailer

Disc Specs:
Aspect ratio: 2.35.1
Audio: English Mono / Italian Mono
Closed Captions / English Subtitles

So, is the box set worth upgrading/double-dipping? You betcha!

[barsalou]

Hell yes!! Seems like this one dropped out of the blue, had they hinted at this set before? I only own Almost Human, which is probably my favorite Euro-crime movie of all time, can't wait to get my hands on the rest!! Severin starting out the year with a bang.

[whiteberry]

Want to see more before pre-ordering VIOLENT STREETS: THE UMBERTO LENZI/TOMAS MILIAN COLLECTION? We pulled up some comparisons between our stunning new masters, scanned and restored from the original negatives, and the previous HD masters.

https://twitter.com/SeverinFilms/sta...47753397403649

The previous HD master on the top
The new scan on the bottom

[By_His_Strypes]

I'm just waiting to see what DeepDiscount has this for they are usually like $20-$30 cheaper than Severin on these sets. But, then again Severin will probably be shipping out pre-orders the end of February for this, while retailers the street date is 3/28. I know I'm buying it, just haven't decided from where just yet...

[DukeTogo84]

The new scan looks a lot better. I'm curious to see how Almost Human looks which actually already looked pretty good, minus the annoying wobble and the Italian audio issues. I can only see Severin improving it.

I hope this is only the start of Poliziotteschi films from Severin.

[By_His_Strypes]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

The new scan looks a lot better. I'm curious to see how Almost Human looks which actually already looked pretty good, minus the annoying wobble and the Italian audio issues. I can only see Severin improving it.

I hope this is only the start of Poliziotteschi films from Severin.

I hope so too, I'm fairly new to Poliziotteschi, I bought the 2 film arrow set w/ The Big Racket and Heroin Busters earlier in the year and loved those.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by By_His_Strypes

I hope so too, I'm fairly new to Poliziotteschi, I bought the 2 film arrow set w/ The Big Racket and Heroin Busters earlier in the year and loved those.

The Big Racket is a good one and one of the best. Almost Human is my favorite along with Violent Professionals and Contraband. I'd check those out if you can.

[By_His_Strypes]

I decided to just go ahead and order the set from Severin. I wanted to get all my pre-orders in through March (Minus The Abyss which is definitely NOT coming in March as Mr. Cameron said it was. But, that was very predictable.). I couldn't be more excited for this release, for me it's worth the extra $ in hopes of getting it sooner rather than later...

[Ruemorgue10]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

The Big Racket is a good one and one of the best. Almost Human is my favorite along with Violent Professionals and Contraband. I'd check those out if you can.

Just watched The Big Racket this weekend, can confirm it's awesomeness!

Also recommend Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man, Caliber 9, and The Tough Ones (The Cynic, The Rat, and The Fist is the sequel to this one).