失憶的軍人–尤利西斯，在邊遠地區被囚禁了七年，受盡折磨、經歷痛苦和創傷的他，從中東戰爭中逃脫返家，發現他的妻子–佩內洛普不見了，擔心她的失蹤與黑社會有關，尤利西斯開始在這座城市尋找他心愛的妻子，他能找到他的妻子嗎？這一路上又會發生什麼重大轉變？

一架试飞的协和号超音速飞机在飞往伦敦途中突然坠入大海，机组人员中仅有一空姐幸免于难。此次空难是美国纽约的一个国际飞机制造公司为独霸飞机市场而阴谋策划的，一恐怖组织获悉了内情，囚禁了幸存的空姐，高价勒索纽约公司。第二架满载乘客的协和号飞机又将起飞，纽约公司孤注一掷，再施魔手。为粉碎其阴谋，摩西与纽约公司和黑帮组织展开了殊死搏斗......

二战前夕一个狂野的探险家在非洲乞力马扎罗山附近寻找失落的钻石矿纳粹也正在寻找钻石矿准备为希特勒的野心计划计划提供强大的资金。

FernandoDiLeo's"MilanoCalibro9"isanout-and-outmasterpieceofItalianCrimecinemaand,inmyopinion,oneofthemostastonishingcrimestoriesevertold.ThefirstfilminDiLeo'sexcellent'Milieu'trilogy,"MilanoCalibro9"wasfollowedby"LaMalaOrdina"(aka."Manhunt",also1972)andthebrilliant"IlBoss"(1973).Thethreefilmsarenotconnectedstory-wise,butallthreeareexcellent,andhighlyrealisticportrayalsoforganizedcrime.AsfarasIamconcerned"Manhunt"is(allthoughexcellent)slightlyinferiortothisoneand"IlBoss"whichbothstandoutasabsoluteall-timehighlightsofcrimecinema."MilanoCalibro9"isthebestofthemall,afilmthatisastonishinginallaspects,beittheingeniousplotthat,apartfromacompellingstoryandclevertwists,includessocialcriticism,theperformances,thegrittyatmosphereandsuspenseorthebrilliantscore.IcanhardlyfindtherightwordstoexpressmyadmirationforthismasterpiecewhicheasilyranksamongthegreatestGangsterflickseverbroughttoscreen.GastoneMoschinstarsasUgoPiazza,atoughandellipticalex-convictwhohasjustbeenreleasedfromprison.Immediatelyafterhisrelease,UgoisapproachedbymembersoftheMilanmobleadbytheirasciblegangsterRocco(MarioAdorf),astheysuspecthimtoberesponsibleforthedisappearanceofalargesumofmoneybelongingtotheirboss,anAmerican(LionelStander)whocontrolstheorganizedcrimeinMilan..."MilanoCalibro9"isafilmthatdeliversanastonishinglyrealisticmoodoftheunderworldlikehardlyanother.Theintriguingstorylinegoesinhandwithinterestingcharacters,rawatmosphere,suspenseandbreathtakingaction,socialcriticismandbrutalviolence.Thefilmissimplystunningfromthebeginningtotheend,whichisevenintensifiedbythebrilliantscore,acollaborationofthefamouscomposerLuisEnríquezBacalovandtheItalianProgressiveRockbandOsanna.UgoPiazzamustbeoneofthemostcharismaticgangstercharacterseverincinema,andGastoneMoschinwastheprefectchoicefortherole.Moschindeliversabrilliantperformance,andtherestofthecastisalsogreat.MarioAdorfisirasciblelikearabiddogastheferociousgangsterRocco,arolethatfitshimlikeaglove.ThegreatLionelStanderfitsperfectlyinhisroleoftheAmericanMafiaDon.ThetwocopcharactersinthefilmareplayedbytwoofthegreatestregularsofItaliangenre-cinema,LuigiPistilliandFrankWolff(whocommittedsuicidebeforethefilmwasreleased).TheravishingBarbaraBouchetisastonishingandincrediblysexyintheroleofUgoPiazza'sstrippergirlfriend.Bouchetisbothastunningbeautyandanexcellentactressandthisisdoubtlesslyoneofhermostmemorableroles.ThisisalsoapoliticalfilmanddirectorDiLeoembeddedalotofsocialcriticismabouttopicslikecorruption.Thisfilmsimplyhaseverythingonecanpossiblydesireincinema.Filmslike"MilanoCalibro9"arethereasonwhyIlovecinema.Thisisanabsolutemasterpieceinallregardsand,withoutexaggeration,oneofthegreatestCrimeflicksevermade!Theingeniousopeningscenealoneismorememorablethanmostfilmsgetintwohours.

WhenLaurendisappearsfromanightclubanddoesn’treturnhomethenextmorning,hermother,Michelle,toavoidpublicityandascandal,decidestosearchforhermissingdaughter.Michellesoondiscoversthatherdaughtermighthavebeenpartofapornographicsnuffringthatluresyounggirlstomaketheirmoney.FearingforLauren’ssafety,Michellehiresthehelpofastoreemployeetofindherdaughter.ButfindingLaurensoonbecomesanimpossibletaskasnoonereallycaresaboutmissinggirlsoramother’sloverforherbaby.Inordertofindherdaughter,Michellemustenterintothedarkestandmostshockingareasoftheindustry.Michellewillgoanywhereanddoanythingtofindherbabygirl...Howfarwillyougo?

UmbertoLenziisundoubtedlythekingofItaliancrimemovies,butunfortunately;SyndicateSadistsisnotthebestexamplesofhisworkinthisgenre.Lenzi'scrimeflickstendtobeacutabovetherestbecausehemakesfilmsbasedonstorieswithapoint,andtheydon'tlackdirection;butthisfilmfeelsabittoowaywardtofullyfitwiththerestofhisstuff.ThefilmtakesobviousinfluencefromSergioLeone'slandmarkwestern'AFistfulofDollars'(whichinturn,tookinfluencefromAkiraKurosawa'slandmarksamuraiflickYojimbo),inthatitfeaturestwowarringfamiliesandastrongcharacteratthecentre.ThecrimethatLenzifocusesoniskidnapping,andwecentreonacharactercalled'Rambo'.Ramboisdraggedintothewarbetweenthetwofamiliesafterhisbrotheriskilledbecauseofit.Rambouseshisbrainsandbrawntopitthetwofamiliesagainstoneanother,inthehopeofgainingrevengeforhisbrother'sdeath,rescuingayoungboythatthey'vekidnapped,andultimatelylettingthetwosidesdestroyoneanother.Thefilm'sbiggestassetisundoubtedlyTomasMilian.MilianwasputtogreatusebyLenziinalmostallofhiscrimethrillers.TherangeofcharactershehasplayedforLenziisimmense,andthisoneiseasilyoneofthecoolest.ThecharacteriscalledRambo,whichimmediatelysprangtomindthepopularSylvesterStallonecharacter-butforonce,theItaliansactuallyhaven'tstolenthisnameasSyndicateSadistswasreleasedfirst!Asusual,thefilmiswickedlyentertaining,aswegettowatchMiliangethimselfinvolvedintheusualarrayofcarchases,shootoutsandbrawls.Lenzihasgothimridingamotorbikethistimeround,andeveryscenefeaturingitandMilianisarealstandout!However,thefilmoftenfeelslikeitdoesn'treallyhaveanywheretogo,andthismeansthattherunningtimeisstretchedoutmorethanitshouldbe.ComparedtothecrimefilmsofotherItaliandirectors,SyndicateSadistsismorethanaboveaverage;butinrelationtoLenzicrimeflickssuchasAlmostHumanandTheCynic,TheRatandTheFist-itdoesn'tstandtallasoneofLenzi'sbest.Still,ifyou'relookingforninetyminutesoftestosteronefuelledmayhem-SyndicateSadistswillsuffice!