Ricco (1974)

Simply A Masterpiece

Just perfect...

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Ricco Aversi (an amiable and acceptable performance by Christopher Mitchum) vows to get revenge on ruthless drug smuggler Don Vito (Arthur Kennedy in peak mean and slimy form) for not only killing his father, but also for stealing his girlfriend Rosa (ravishing busty brunette Malisa Longo, who spends the bulk of her screen time either nude or wearing some skimpy apparel). Brash and beautiful con artist Scilla (the divine Barbara Bouchet at her most saucy and desirable) helps Ricco out.Director Tulio Demicheli, working from an exceptionally gritty script by Mario di Nardo, Jose G. Maesso, and Santiago Moncada, keeps the entertainingly trashy story moving along at a brisk pace, maintains a tough seamy tone throughout, delivers oodles of tasty gratuitous distaff nudity (Bouchet's jaw-dropping late night striptease in the middle of a road rates as a definite scorching highlight), stages the stirring action with rip-roaring brio, and goes whole hog with the no-holds-barred brutal violence that includes a truly wince-inducing castration set piece. The ubiquitous Vic Israel pops up as wormy club owner Checana while Eduardo Fajardo does well as the slippery Cyrano. Nando De Luca's funky-grinding score hits the get-down groovy spot. Francisco Fraile's slick cinematography provides a nice glossy look. The surprise bummer ending packs a devastating punch. A supremely nasty and scuzzy treat.

Ricco, is the story of a man trying to find out who killed his father.... though it seems Extremely obvious who did it from the start.Along the way, every lady is naked at one point..... except for the wheel chair bound mother. Ricco Karate chops every goon Don Vito sends at him, and acid... lots of guys get thrown in acid! Yeah, sure, there is some extremely bad acting, poorly synced over dubs, and the editing is confusing at times. But it's got a killer soundtrack, and one of the most memorable uses of a switchblade ever!..Not quite your average revenge flick.A trashy, violent, and most of all, topless good time!

Originally, when "Ricco The Mean Machine" came out on VHS in America, it was an edited version, but the 2006 DVD release put all the footage back into it that makes it a violent, brutal movie. This contemporary Italian produced revenge thriller chronicles the last days of Ricco Aversi (Christopher Mitchum-the son of the legendary Robert Mitchum) after he gets out of prison where he served two years. He has been let out of jail a year ahead of time for good behavior. Ricco is coming home to see his married sister and invalid mother. Mom tries to thrust an automatic pistol into his palm because Mafiaso Don Vito (Arthur Kennedy) had his father, Gaspara Aversi (Luis Induni), murdered. Duty-bound Ricco assures his mom that he will handle things in his own way. Ricco infiltrates the gang with the help of an old friend (Eduardo Fajardo of "The Mercenary") who turns out to be pretty treacherous and his new girlfriend Scilla (Barbara Bouchet) who likes to hustle guys with her cleavage when she is trying to exchange funny money for genuine green.Basically, this is a violent shoot'em up crime movie with some tough, gritty action. The uncut version shows a mafia soldier getting dumped naked into a tub of acid after the villains have cut off his genitals--yes, you see a super hairy cock & balls slashed off and then shoved in his mouth before they tumble him into the acid bath. Rosa (Malisa Longo) joins him a moment later; Rosa was the girlfriend of Don Vito and she was cheating on him with one of his crime lieutenant because she wanted to have sex with young meat.This nimble European actioneer opens with the ambush of Gaspara Aversi. He is ambushed trying to get the night watchman to open a gate so that he can park his car. Three men open fire on him and wound him repeatedly but the mafia chieftain guns them down. Gaspara is not as lucky when the fourth gunman delivers a coup de grace to the him and blasts away his noggin. Amoral crime drama from start to finish with its own message that revenge begets killing and more killing until there is nobody left to kill, including the protagonist who dies in a duel with Don Vito. One interesting scene occurs about half-way through the movie when Ricco and Scilla rob two guys carrying protection collection money gathered by the Vito mob. Scilla walks in front of their car on a foggy bridge and strip-teases. When they get out of the car to approach her, Ricco surprises them from behind and sends them plunging into the river. The consequences for their ill-advised behavior is not good. An unhappy Don Vito has both of them thrown unceremoniously into an acid bath. The ironic thing about the Don Vito character is that he is a mobster who makes soap! If you crave exploitation European movie-making at its best, do not miss "Ricco The Mean Machine!" This movie was made when it was fashionable to zoom and pan with film cameras. Christopher Mitchum studied karate, too. The production lensed the action on location around Rome, Italy.

The title suggests that Cauldron of Death is going to be another Giallo-styled thriller (Italian marketing campaigns...), but it turns out that this film is actually a part of seventies Italy's other big export; the Dirty Harry-influenced cop flick! Cauldron of Death is a little more nasty than a lot of the genre, however, as it features plenty of grisly murders, including some unlucky victims that find themselves being thrown into a vat of acid, a la our featured criminals' favourite method of dealing with people that annoy them. The story doesn't actually focus on the police like a lot of these seventies Italian crime movies, and the centre of the plot is Rico; a young man recently released from jail and thirsty for revenge on the man that killed his father (which we see at the opening of the film). The guilty party is a mobster named Don Vito, and he's certainly an adversary to be reckoned with as Rico, two years since he was sentenced to jail, is forced to match wits and out everything on the line to get revenge on the vicious Don Vito.The film benefits from a good female duo. I'll watch anything that features the lovely Barbara Bouchet, and she doesn't disappoint here as we get treated to one of the best striptease scenes in Italian cinema! The film also features Malisa Longo, who adds to the eye candy. The men aren't bad either, as while Robert Mitchum's son Christopher is a little too naive looking for my liking; he still plays his part well. Arthur Kennedy rounds off a good central cast as the vicious Don Vito. Director Tulio Demicheli succeeds at generating a fetid atmosphere for the film to take place in, and the nasty death scenes certainly don't feel out of place considering the look and nature of the movie. The main problem with the film stems from the plotting. You'd be a fool to go into a cheapo seventies Italian thriller expecting a thoroughly well thought out plot; but this one veers off course a bit too often, and it can become distracting after a while. It's not a fatal problem; however, as Cauldron of Death is an entertaining and gritty little thriller that is well worth seeing if you can find it!