Search - Hired to Kill on DVD

This is NOT the 1991 Hired To Kill!!!!

Rex W. Athey | USA | 05/22/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"The write up on the film and the picture (which FINALLY showed up after purchase) are for 2 entirely different films. The one that I thought I was buying based on the words and description is a 5 star film with Brian Thompson. The film that was actually being sold is a 0 stars rating and GARBAGE!!!!Barbara Lee Alexander is not even in this film. This product was plagued by the missing image in the first window when it was going to be released. My mistake was buying it before the image finally appeared recently.

I wish they would release pre-orders with the requirement of having the actual product pictured accurately BEFORE you can pre-order. I'm seeing this trend more and more."

"La mala ordina" (Bad Orders)

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 06/03/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Niche market mfrs. such as TRINITY offer no commentary, deleted scenes, subtitles or other bonus features. Dubs are "best available source" and can vary from very good to only fair.


Produced, written and directed by Fernando Di Leo, LA MALA ORDINA is variously known as MANHUNT, BLACK KINGPIN, HIRED TO KILL, HITMEN, MANHUNT IN THE CITY, THE ITALIAN CONNECTION and MANHUNT IN MILAN. Its toothy, beefy, Swiss-born star, dark-haired Mario Adorf, is a legend in European cinema, also a vocalist and author of several best-selling books. Besides a number of prominent Continental directors, Mario has worked with Billy Wilder, John Frankenheimer and Robert Siodmak. Also noteworthy is the performance of Franco Fabrizi, as Adorf's colorful scarf-wearing ally.

In this gangster film twist on Franz Kafka's "The Trial," Adorf is a small-time pimp who has no idea why the Syndicate has targeted him for death (it's a frame). Despite a thick body, the actor is limber and very convincing in hand-to-hand fighting, even against multiple opponents, and amusing when he head-butts telephones or other inanimate objects. At other times he's quite charming and like any star does, Mario simply holds one's attention no matter what's happening on-screen.

MANHUNT's action sequences are well-choreographed. The picture only drags in the naked disco dancer scenes (what awful music here!). Woody Strode (who's lookin' kinda old, alas) and Henry Silva appear in spots throughout but have the final reel all to themselves, along with our hero. Their auto graveyard showdown is most original.

Not expecting much right after a viewing of Di Leo's mediocre MISTER SCARFACE (Italy/W Germany-1976), I came away from this earlier Euro-crime drama quite satisfied. Highly recommended!


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(7.2) Manhunt ("La mala ordina") (Italy/W. Germany-1972) - Mario Adorf/Henry Silva/Woody Strode/Adolfo Celi/Franco Fabrizi/Cyril Cusack"

Three greats in one film

C. Dunn | New Albany, IN | 09/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a super cool film. Directed by the late great Fernando Di Leo and starring the one and only Henry Silva and Woody Strode. The direction is awsome and the plot is well paced. Not to mention that this is a great transfer by Notturno Cinema. If you have an all region dvd player then I suggest you pick this gem up at once."