Deadly Chase (1978)

- Il commissario Verrazzano
Reasonably entertaining, but odd Italian film, 10 December 2017

Police Commissioner Verrazzano (Luc Merenda) is asked to investigate the death of a man originally ruled a suicide. The dead man's sister is convinced that someone murdered her brother. Soon after his investigation begins, Verrazzono's begins to suspect there might be something to the woman's story. It's obvious that someone doesn't want Verrazzono to find the truth.

Overall, Deadly Chase is a reasonably entertaining, but odd little film. It's not great and there are scenes that lack much of interest, but if you're a fan of 70s Italian genre films, it's at least worth checking out. Described as a Poliziotessch, it's not as violent as most in the genre. Sure, there are deaths and such, but the film lacks the over-the-top gun battles and explosions I usually associate with the genre. Instead, Deadly Chase is more of a mystery. The plot is similar to a Giallo with it's many twists and turns. It gets quite (unnecessarily) complicated and almost impossible to follow. But that's always part of the fun with an Italian film from the 70s.

I always enjoy seeing Luc Merenda. He has an easy going style about him that sets him apart from many of his contemporaries. I'm not saying he's better than someone like George Hinton or any other actor I could name from the period, just different. He's solid here. Merenda is joined by quite a cast of female costars, including Janet Agren, Patrizia Gori, María Baxa, and the always enjoyable Luciana Paluzzi. One of my complaints is that Paluzzi isn't really given much to do. Still, it's always a treat to see her on-screen.

5/10