Summertime Killer (1972)

Slow but rewarding, 7 January 2018

A young boy watches his father be brutally murdered by mobsters. Now in his 20s, Ray Castor (Christopher MItchum) is out for revenge. After killing a couple of the men who participated in his father's death, Ray sets his eyes on the mob boss. Unable to get close enough to succeed, Ray puts together a plan that involves kidnapping the boss' daughter, Tania (Olivia Hussey). It's all going as he intended, but something unexpected happens - Ray falls for Tania and vice versa. 

Overall, Summertime Killer is nice little Italian crime/mob film. It's not as outlandish or action packed as some of its brethren, but it's enjoyable just the same. That's not to say there's no action. Summertime Killer features a bucket full of interesting and exciting dirt bike stunts, all capably pulled off by the master, Rémy Julienne. Really good stuff. There are also some nice tension filled moments as Ray hunts down his prey. The first killing, in particular, was nicely shot. 

On the acting front, I'll just say that everyone is at least capable enough to make things enjoyable. Karl Malden, as the investigator brought in to find Ray, is sadly not given enough to do. I realized while watching Summertime Killer just how much I like Malden. He was a more than capable actor who always gave a professional performance. Here, though, his screentime is limited. The best I can say about Christopher Mitchum is that, here, he doesn't really mess things up. I like him, but honestly, he's not the best actor. He may look a lot like his father, but he doesn't have his dad's acting prowess. As for Hussey, I'll be nice and say she's in the movie. I've never been a fan.

More than enjoyable than a lot of films i watch, I'll give this one a 6/10. Fans of Italian genre cinema might enjoy it as long as you go into expecting a slower than normal poliziotteschi.

6/10