{"id":31710,"date":"2019-08-06T18:28:04","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T22:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=31710"},"modified":"2019-08-06T18:31:03","modified_gmt":"2019-08-06T22:31:03","slug":"the-tough-ones-rome-armed-to-the-teeth-roma-a-mano-armata-deluxe-edition-1976-2-blu-ray-cd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2019\/08\/06\/the-tough-ones-rome-armed-to-the-teeth-roma-a-mano-armata-deluxe-edition-1976-2-blu-ray-cd\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tough Ones (Rome Armed to the Teeth\/Roma a Mano Armata): Deluxe Edition (1976) [2 Blu-Ray\/CD]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201cThe Tough Ones\u201d is one of the pair of films that Umberto Lenzi directed that spotlighted the character Tanzi, a man almost driven mad by his need to thwart crime at every corner.\u00a0 Tanzi is something of a great scale anti-hero who spends a lot of his time tracking down a petty thug who is very much a creep and noting very spectacular. Tanzi inspects this crime and chases the criminals like his life depends on it. He spends a majority of the film talking through gritted teeth and shouting at just about everyone and he almost always is on the verge of hurting someone. Tanzi is not meant to be a hero or even a heroic vigilante so much as he\u2019s the corrupt law that\u2019s hell bent on taking down the larger criminal element including Tony Parenzo (Ivan Rassimov) and his efforts to create an underground criminal network.<\/p>\n

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Along the way there are sub-plots involving a hit and run driver, a motorcycle thief and a lot of overtones about how the system failed them. The narrative becomes even more complicated when The Police Commissioner (Giampiero Albertini) is introduced and establishes himself at yet another terrible criminal element. Despite the inherent novelty of seeing Umberto Lenzi\u2019s thriller on Blu-Ray, \u201cThe Tough Ones\u201d is not a very good movie. It\u2019s over the top, rough around the edges, and makes fodder like \u201cDirty Harry\u201d and \u201cDeath Wish\u201d look subtle. The Blu-ray release from Grindhouse Releasing features an exclusive new 4K restoration of the Unrated Director’s Cut of The Tough Ones<\/em>, 94 minutes in length.<\/p>\n

This new release from Grindhouse Releasing is packed to the brim, as Disc One comes with a new commentary by Mike Malloy, director of Eurocrime, who discusses the characteristics of \u201cThe Tough Ones,\u201d the film\u2019s distribution history, and much more. \u201cAll Eyes on Lenzi: The Life and Times of the Italian Exploitation Titan\u201d is an eighty five minute documentary amassing the body of work by Umberto Lenzi that he left, and his defining qualities in his work and cinematic style. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with the late director, academic\/critic Dr. Calum Waddell, academic Mikel Koven (University of Worcester), and critic John Martin, amongst others. \u201cMusic for Mayhem\u201d is a thirty four minute filmed (and very informative, in depth) conversation with Umberto Lenzi and composer Franco Micalizzi, both of whom discuss their professional relationship, their work on \u201cThe Tough Ones.”<\/p>\n

They discuss how the soundtrack emphasizes the narrative and suspense. Subtitles included. \u201cCitta’ Frpntale\u201d is a twenty two minute archival documentary focusing on the role of big Italian cities in the film, and the classic genre films included in various Italian films over the century. There\u2019s the international trailer, the home video trailer for the VHS, and the two minute \u201cSybil Danning\u2019s Action Videos Intro,\u201d a great vintage promo from the VHS era for violent genre entries promoted the one and only Sybil Danning. Finally there\u2019s the Grindhouse Reel with a large collection of classic films from the Grindhouse Releasing catalog.<\/p>\n

Disc Two includes \u201cUmberto\u201d a fifty six minute segment with Lenzi who reveals some of the directors and films that inspired him to director. There are also a lot of details about his popular films, including \u201cThe Tough Ones.\u201d The eighty nine minute \u201cThe Rebel Within\u201d is a segment with late cult actor Tomas Milian who discusses his childhood years in Havana, the influence of big stars like James Dean and Marlon Brando on him, escaping Cuba, becoming an actor, and the characters he\u2019s played over the years. \u201cThe Merli Connection\u201d is an archival documentary paying tribute to the late actor Maurizio Merli who played character Inspect Tanzi in Lenzi\u2019s \u201cThe Tough Ones\u201d and \u201cThe Cynic,\u201d The Rat and the Fist.\u201d and many other films considered cult classics today.<\/p>\n

There are archival interviews with Enzo G. Castellari (Street Law), director Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), and director Marco Manetti (The 17th Floor), amongst others, Subtitles included. \u201cBack Story\u201d is a six minute archival interview from 2011 with Tomas Milian who discusses the nasty character he played in \u201cThe Tough Ones,\u201d the hunchback Vincenzo Moretto. \u201cBeauty and the Beasts\u201d is a new video interview with Maria Rosaria Omaggio who played character Inspector Tanzi\u2019s girlfriend in \u201cThe Tough Ones\u201d and recalls how she entered show business, film business, working witnh Lenzi, and the rest of the cast. \u201cCorrado Armed to the Teeth\u201dis a new forty six minute video interview with Corrado Solari who played Albino and recalls his experience with director Lenzi during the shoot of the film, and his comments on Tomas Milian\u2019s preparation including his dependence on vodka and cocaine.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrutal City\u201d is a new fifteen minute video interview with Maria Rosaria Riuzzi who plays Paola; she discusses her short time in the Italian film industry, genre films, and shooting \u201cThe Tough Ones.\u201d \u201cThe Rebel and the Bourgeois\u201d is a new twenty minute video interview with actor and costume designer Sandra Cardini who discusses Tomas Milian, how he helped her get her part in the film, his working methods, and private life. \u201cVodka Cigarettes and Burroughs\u201d is a new forty minute interview with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti who discusses his professional relationship with Umberto Lenzi, and their collaboration on \u201cThe Tough Ones.\u201d Next there\u2019s \u201cThe Godfather of Rhythm\u201d a new thirty seven minute video interview with composer Franco Micalizzi who discusses his musical background, his work in the film industry, and the soundtrack he created for \u201cThe Tough Ones.\u201d There are a large collection of promotional materials for \u201cThe Tough Ones\u201d all of which come from Italy, Spain, Germany, the United States, and many more countries.<\/p>\n

Among the physical extras, there\u2019s a bonus CD soundtrack from the film with Franco Micalizzi’s original soundtrack for The Tough Ones, which has been fully remastered by Eliot Kissileff. There are a total of 17 full tracks. Licensed by Beat Recrords Company Srl. There\u2019s a ten page illustrated booklet with critic Roberto Curti\u2019s essay \u201cRoma a Mano Armata\u201d as well as credits for the film. There\u2019s a reversible cover with new cover art, and art from the vintage poster for the US reissue of the film retitled \u201cAssault with a Deadly Weapon.\u201d Finally the first 2500 units will get a shiny, custom, collectible 30-caliber metal bullet pen that comes packed in the Blu-Ray case.<\/p>\n