Eurocrime time. Enzo G. Castellari's Il Grande Racket. An outrageously violent and unsympathetic tale of corruption and revenge. The plot involves Inspector Nico Palmieri (Fabio Testi - Massimo Dallamano's What Have You Done To Solange? (1972)) who is the toughest cop on the force. He's on the trail of a gang of organized criminals running a protection racket. Tensions rise when events become more violent and desperate as the gang builds a bigger repertoire and strength. Nico begins to feel the pressure on the force and no-one in town is talking as they are too frightened. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Nico is forced to use all his resources.
Eventually after too many 'slip ups' Nico loses his position as a police man and is out for revenge. So he goes to town and starts to round up people who've been personally targeted by the gang. Together they form a band of misfits who're all ready to take down this 'Big Racket'.

The finale culminates in a cacophony of gunfire, ricochets, explosions, slow-mo squences and brilliantly bloody squib effects. In my opinion one of the films most memorable sequences involves Nico trapped in his car while it's smashed to shit by members of the gang, right before being rolled down a hill, with him still inside. It not only conveys a message of the gang's power, but also the seemingly uselessness and frailty of the Police when pitted against them. The film's upbeat and funky soundtrack perfectly accompanies the slick visuals.



The extras on this release are minimal however the commentary by Enzo reveals an intriguing insight into his film. View it.

DVD: Blue Underground
Run Time: 106 Mins
Extras: Audio Commentary with Director Enzo G. Castellari and Theatrical Trailer.