The Mean Machine

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Audience Member Robert Mitchum's son Christopher is perfectly cast in this Italian crime drama from the 70's that have some totally over the top violence. Upon release from prison after a two year stretch a young man vows to kill those responsible for his father's death. Sleazy Italian gangster flick at it's finest has plenty of foxy ladies, but the gore will blow your mind. Must be seen to believe! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Can't reccomend this one despite some bright moments. It's tedious and, when the end does come, you might find yourself wondering why this story needed to be told. I know I did. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member 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 crime 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 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. Ricco infiltrates the gang with the help of an old friend (Eduardo Fajardo of THE MERCENARY) who turns out to be less than trustworthy 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 shoot them 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 moviemaking 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. The production lensed the action on location around Rome, Italy. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Mean Machine

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