Tag: gangster

Cinema Smorgasbord – Wild in the Streets – Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (1973)

One a very special REMOTE episode of WILD IN THE STREETS, Doug calls in from Newfoundland to discuss the mixed up crime comedy MEAN FRANK AND CRAZY TONY from 1973. Featuring Lee Van Cleef as a tight-lipped mobster and Tony Lo Bianco as the wannabe wise-guy who worships him, the two get into all sorts of trouble, including an impressive car chase (“Mon dieu!”), a factory shootout and more power drill mayhem than you can throw an apple core at. There’s plenty of action, Edwige Fenech and Jean Rochefort pop up in supporting roles, and you even get a horn-heavy score from Riz Ortolani. What’s not to love? Listen and find out!

Cinema Smorgasbord – Wild in the Streets – The Cynic, The Rat and The Fist (1977)

On this episode of WILD IN THE STREETS, Maurizio Merli is (former) Inspector Leonardo Tanzi, a retired cop constantly disciplined for his unusual (brutal) methods, which in this case involves faking his own death so he can take down the psychopathic Luigi ‘The Chinaman’ Maietto (Tomas Milian) and master criminal Frank Di Maggio (John Saxon) in Umberto Lenzi’s THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST. Full of two-fisted action, and a “laser” wall you have to see to believe, there’s plenty to like – and be confused by – here, but is it any good? We talk about the good, the bad and the ugly (and try to decide exactly which character is meant to be the cynic/rat/fist) and will let you know. Enjoy!