I'm an film soundtrack junkie, an unapologetic, card carrying, raving and drooling addict. And seeing as my cinematic fixations lean toward vintage European genre films – horror, crime, western – it's an easy guess that the bulk of my rather substantial CD and vinyl film score collection tilts toward this passion too.
Which is why I'm so mad for BEAT records, that Rome based label that specializes in gorgeous re-releases of obscure and celebrated Italo-exploitation soundtrack classics. And as every student of Eurotrash knows, no matter what genre the Italians dabbled in during that heady golden age, they seemed to belong to a genre unto themselves. Whether it be the Goblin driven black glove choking shockers of Dario Argento, the Morricone fuelled nihilistic twang of a Sergio Corbucci or Sergio Leone western, or the Fabio Frizzi steered psyche rock that bleeds over the films of Lucio Fulci , 70's Italian exploitation was universally strong, violent, sleazy and damn-near operatic; magnificent, culturally unique pulp filmmaking that took the germs of commercially popular American movies and twisted them, standing tall and sounding just as tough.
Some days ago I received a brilliant release from BEAT that serves as textbook aural odyssey through that grim, glorious offshoot of Italian cult cinema known as the Polizioteschi – graphic, urban Italian crime thrillers that usually delve deep into organized crime, police corruption and vigilante mythology. The score is - as typical of most soundtracks during this period - brash, funky, melancholy and far more beautiful than the gritty and grimy picture it supports.
Let's have a look:
MILANO ROVENTE (aka GANG WAR IN MILAN) - 1973
Veteran genre craftsman Umberto Lenzi, whose output veered wildly between brutal Polizioteschi's like the brilliant ALMOST HUMAN, sexually charged soft-core thrillers like ORGASMO and notorious exploitation pictures like CANNIBAL FEROX , directed this wonderfully lowbrow piece of GODFATHER meets DIRTY HARRY gang- war mayhem. The music is composed by the prolific Maestro Carlo Rustichelli, he of such legendary Mario Bava masterpieces as THE WHIP AND THE BODY, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE and KILL, BABY KILL. And while MILANO ROVENTE is not a horror film, it boasts the leering, nihilsitic sensibilities Lenzi is famous for; Rustichelli's music matches his approach.
Careening wildly between sax soaked, sleazy, lounge jazz (reminiscent of the title cue from BLOOD AND BLACK LACE) , bouncy, spaghetti sucking tarantella- twisted love themes and dark, tension filled string-savaged suspense cues, this is a great, full blooded landscape that works just as well alone, without the film it was designed to support. I actually drove around some of the dodgier East end areas of downtown Toronto after midnight recently while blaring this and was stunned at how eerie and cinematic the whole outing was. I literally felt like I was a mustache sporting Tomas Milian cruising for rough trade or something…
BEAT's deluxe CD release features full color digi-packed reproductions of the various original promotional art plus a fold out booklet giving an entire history (in both Italian and English) of both the production and Maestro Rustichelli himself. As an added bonus, you can slip this sucker into your computer nd watch an exclusive interview with Lenzi where he discusses the genre at large and relates his beliefs as to why his picture doesn't quite fit the traditional Polizioteschi mold as the protagonist (Antonio Sabato) is just as despicable as the films antagonist.
Which is why I'm so mad for BEAT records, that Rome based label that specializes in gorgeous re-releases of obscure and celebrated Italo-exploitation soundtrack classics. And as every student of Eurotrash knows, no matter what genre the Italians dabbled in during that heady golden age, they seemed to belong to a genre unto themselves. Whether it be the Goblin driven black glove choking shockers of Dario Argento, the Morricone fuelled nihilistic twang of a Sergio Corbucci or Sergio Leone western, or the Fabio Frizzi steered psyche rock that bleeds over the films of Lucio Fulci , 70's Italian exploitation was universally strong, violent, sleazy and damn-near operatic; magnificent, culturally unique pulp filmmaking that took the germs of commercially popular American movies and twisted them, standing tall and sounding just as tough.
Some days ago I received a brilliant release from BEAT that serves as textbook aural odyssey through that grim, glorious offshoot of Italian cult cinema known as the Polizioteschi – graphic, urban Italian crime thrillers that usually delve deep into organized crime, police corruption and vigilante mythology. The score is - as typical of most soundtracks during this period - brash, funky, melancholy and far more beautiful than the gritty and grimy picture it supports.
Let's have a look:
MILANO ROVENTE (aka GANG WAR IN MILAN) - 1973
Veteran genre craftsman Umberto Lenzi, whose output veered wildly between brutal Polizioteschi's like the brilliant ALMOST HUMAN, sexually charged soft-core thrillers like ORGASMO and notorious exploitation pictures like CANNIBAL FEROX , directed this wonderfully lowbrow piece of GODFATHER meets DIRTY HARRY gang- war mayhem. The music is composed by the prolific Maestro Carlo Rustichelli, he of such legendary Mario Bava masterpieces as THE WHIP AND THE BODY, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE and KILL, BABY KILL. And while MILANO ROVENTE is not a horror film, it boasts the leering, nihilsitic sensibilities Lenzi is famous for; Rustichelli's music matches his approach.Careening wildly between sax soaked, sleazy, lounge jazz (reminiscent of the title cue from BLOOD AND BLACK LACE) , bouncy, spaghetti sucking tarantella- twisted love themes and dark, tension filled string-savaged suspense cues, this is a great, full blooded landscape that works just as well alone, without the film it was designed to support. I actually drove around some of the dodgier East end areas of downtown Toronto after midnight recently while blaring this and was stunned at how eerie and cinematic the whole outing was. I literally felt like I was a mustache sporting Tomas Milian cruising for rough trade or something…
BEAT's deluxe CD release features full color digi-packed reproductions of the various original promotional art plus a fold out booklet giving an entire history (in both Italian and English) of both the production and Maestro Rustichelli himself. As an added bonus, you can slip this sucker into your computer nd watch an exclusive interview with Lenzi where he discusses the genre at large and relates his beliefs as to why his picture doesn't quite fit the traditional Polizioteschi mold as the protagonist (Antonio Sabato) is just as despicable as the films antagonist.
For more information on this and other fantastic releases, visit www.beatrecords.it
Alexander out.
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