While Fabio Testi began his film career as a stuntman, taking on a few small roles, being cast in Vittorio De Sica’s The Garden of the Finzi-Continis made him a star in his native Italy. The Italian’s relationships with the likes of Ursula Andress, Jean Seberg and Charlotte Rampling ensured that he stayed in the limelight. He worked with a string of renowned directors during the 1970s but also starred in several poliziotteschi films. Two of which were for director Enzo G. Castellari. They are brought together here in Rogue Cops and Racketeers.
The Big Racket
Inspector Nico Palmieri (Testi) takes the law into his own hands when a new gang of racketeers moves into town. He recruits a team of victims and killers to help take them down. Castellari’s crime thriller is high of gunfire and low on morals. Making it a refreshingly fun slice of action cinema, which is intensely satisfying to watch.
The Heroin Busters
In order to infiltrate and destroy an international drug smuggling ring, a cop (Testi) goes deep undercover. He runs in to an Interpol agent (David Hemmings) who has been tasked with the same thing. The pair do not get along, but have to cooperate in order to succeed. It’s a wild and whacky ride where you just have to go with the flow.
2-Disc Limited Edition Contents:
- Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original 35mm camera negatives by Arrow Films
- High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentations
- Original Italian and English front and end titles
- Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
- Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks
- New audio commentaries on both films by critics Adrian J. Smith and David Flint
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by Roberto Curti and Barry Forshaw
- Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch
- Twelve double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards
Disc One – The Big Racket:
- The Years of Racketeering, a new video interview with co-writer/director Enzo G. Castellari
- Violent Times, a new video interview with actor Fabio Testi
- Angel Face for a Tough Guy, a new video interview with actor Massimo Vanni
- King of Movieola, a new video interview with editor Gianfranco Amicucci
- The Great Racket, a new appreciation and career retrospective of composers Guido and Maurizio De Angelis by musician and disc collector Lovely Jon
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
Disc Two – The Heroin Busters:
- Endless Pursuit, a new video interview with co-writer/director Enzo G. Castellari
- Drug Squad, a new video interview with actor Fabio Testi
- The Drug Dealer, a new video interview with actor Massimo Vanni
- How They Killed Italian Cinema, a new video interview with editor Gianfranco Amicucci
- A Cop on the Set, a new video interview with retired poliziotto and criminologist Nicola Longo
- The Eardrum Busters, a new appreciation and career retrospective of composers Goblin by musician and disc collector Lovely Jon
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
Rogue Cops and Racketeers is released on limited Blu-ray by Arrow Video on 18 April.
