Death Rage: Mis-categorized "horror" film, but still entertaining.

Happy May Day everyone! Not that I particularly know the meaning or traditions of May day, but I figure it was worth mentioning for those of you who do celebrate this holiday. I remember having celebrated May Day with my church but the internet is talking about traditions of secular nature, so who the hell knows? Perhaps comment if you would like to throw in your two-cents.

So anyway, the movie I watched today was called Death Rage, billed originally as Con la rabbia algi occhi in Italian. Apparently a spaghetti western without the "western." For the sake of an easier, more american name, I'm going to call it Death Rage. This movie was obviously thrown into the set without someone having watched it... I suppose the americanized name would make it sound like a horror film, but... it wasn't. It was a mob flick, so I obviously can't review this movie in the same terms as I would a horror film. Nor have I seen nearly as many mob movies as I have horror flicks, but I'll do my best.

So basically this movie starts off with a concert in what I assume was New York City in which a mobster (I assume he was a mobster because he was wearing a suit, he looked Italian, and he was with two or three goons dressed likewise) is killed. The story then switches to a horse track in Naples where a young kibitzer (who I think kinda looked like Michael J. Fox, but what the hell do I know?) sorta advising an American which horse he should bet on. The kid goes into this shack looking more than a bit shady and surprise surprise, the horse he said would win would win. On his way out with his winnings, the American is set upon by a group of men who try to put him in their car, presumably to meet their boss. His bodyguard shoots one of them, and a shoot-out takes place ending up with the American dying. The cops confiscate his winnings and so the kid goes around looking to cut his winnings from the confiscated money. He finds out that the American's next of kin, a badass who bears a striking resemblence to Mr. Clean is coming into town to... settle the affairs.

The kid joins the Mr. Clean Mobster (after much persuading and begging) and they set out to settle the score. On the way, the kid's best friend, a stripper, and Mr. Clean Mobster fall in love (so there was a decent amount of bewbage), and the plot thickens as often happens with mob flicks. It's a pretty straightforward movie though, not hard to follow. Your standard mobster versus mobster versus cops situation in which the cops take a semi-sympathetic stance on one of the mobsters. It also had a tremendously 70's soundtrack, for which I happen to be a total sucker. Now don't get me wrong-- this isn't The Godfather or Goodfellas. I would rate it as... well, better than The Freshman with Matthew Broderick for what it's worth. I really enjoyed this flick and even though it's not a horror flick, I highly recommend it. I will definitely be watching this one again. If you ever get the chance, check it out.

Best Death: Thrown under a train the first night Mr. Clean Mobster came into town.
[Because this was not a horror film I won't rate it, but I do recommend it.]

Also, the coming movies seem pretty hopeful... Medusa and I Eat Your Skin.