Search - Ricco the Mean Machine on DVD

Content Advisory: Violence, Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1973 DVD Release: 01/29/2008 Format: DVD - Color,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 34 mins Studio: Dark Sky Films Members Wishing: 5 Genres: Crime, Crime Thriller

Robert Mitchum's son Christopher heads the cast of this Italian melodrama. Despite the horrific title, the film is actually a Mafia yarn. Arthur Kennedy shows up as a WASP-ish Godfather type, while Barbara Bouchet is the love interest. The presence of Hollywood names in the cast was supposed to create a market for Cauldron of Death in the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Christopher Mitchum - Ray Casster
Barbara Bouchet
Arthur Kennedy - Don Avito

Dark Sky Films has done well by fans of Eurocult fare with this disc of Ricco The Mean Machine. The transfer has some minor flaws but is solid overall: despite a few moments of video grain in a few dark scenes, it offers an anamorphic widescreen image that has a nice levels of detail. Fans will also be happy to know that the film is uncut and all the film's notorious acid-bath scenes are presented intact here. The mono audio uses the English dub of the film and delivers a solid, basic soundscape. Dialogue is sometimes low in the mix but this seems like an aspect of the mix rather than a technical flaw because the other sonic elements come through just fine. Also included are a few extras. The first is an Italian-language trailer (thankfully, the producers saw fit to add English subtitles). The more substantial extra is a video interview with star Chris Mitchum, which not only discusses Ricco The Mean Machine but also offers a nice thumbnail sketch of his career, including some interesting stories about his friendship with John Wayne. All in all, this disc is a solid and reasonably-priced effort that is worth the time for Eurocult fans. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide