GAMBLING CITY (Sergio Martino, 1975) **
To begin with, this film presents the worst case of Panning & Scanning I've ever come across with the camera literally jittering across the frame to reveal some pertinent information!
It's not a typical poliziottesco but rather a mildly enjoyable take on THE STING (1973): Luc Merenda is practically the whole show here as the ultra-confident hustler - which isn't exactly a good thing as he's stubbornly failed to impress me (in the acting stakes) with every film he's done; he was at his most tolerable perhaps in the giallo TORSO (1973), incidentally also directed by Martino. Enrico Maria Salerno has a notable role, too, as a respected but crippled racketeer dubbed "The President".
While there are the requisite action sequences, the film spends too much time on Merenda's sentimental attachment to Dayle Haddon - even going so far as to include a ludicrous downbeat coda in which both she and her newborn baby die! As a matter of fact, the film's light-hearted first half fails to jell convincingly with the roughness of the second (in which Haddon is raped, Merenda is beaten to a pulp, Salerno is viciously disposed of, etc). Besides, the film's score - usually one of such Euro-Cult items' major assets - is at once corny and reminiscent of Isaac Hayes' classic SHAFT (1971) theme!
The film has received an unaccountable SE DVD release by No Shame but, despite the appalling video quality of the VHS copy I watched, I don't see myself picking it up for a possible reappraisal...
It's not a typical poliziottesco but rather a mildly enjoyable take on THE STING (1973): Luc Merenda is practically the whole show here as the ultra-confident hustler - which isn't exactly a good thing as he's stubbornly failed to impress me (in the acting stakes) with every film he's done; he was at his most tolerable perhaps in the giallo TORSO (1973), incidentally also directed by Martino. Enrico Maria Salerno has a notable role, too, as a respected but crippled racketeer dubbed "The President".
While there are the requisite action sequences, the film spends too much time on Merenda's sentimental attachment to Dayle Haddon - even going so far as to include a ludicrous downbeat coda in which both she and her newborn baby die! As a matter of fact, the film's light-hearted first half fails to jell convincingly with the roughness of the second (in which Haddon is raped, Merenda is beaten to a pulp, Salerno is viciously disposed of, etc). Besides, the film's score - usually one of such Euro-Cult items' major assets - is at once corny and reminiscent of Isaac Hayes' classic SHAFT (1971) theme!
The film has received an unaccountable SE DVD release by No Shame but, despite the appalling video quality of the VHS copy I watched, I don't see myself picking it up for a possible reappraisal...
- Bunuel1976
- Sep 1, 2006