NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Raro Blu-ray (April 2025): Raro has transferred Luciano Ercoli's Killer Cop to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "High-Definition digital transfer, presented with both original Italian and English audio options, available on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK". We reviewed the 2015 Blu-ray of Killer Cop by Raro, HERE. We can confirm that this is an upgrade in all areas. The video has a higher bitrate (now on a dual-layered disc and maxed out) and offers both cuts (the 97-minute Italian and 95-minute English) - seamlessly-branched - the original Blu-ray only had the Italian cut and about 60% of the newer edition's bitrate. The audio is new and there is a new commentary - discussed below. As far as the 1080P image, it does tighten and flesh tones are warm. It's a modest but pleasing upgrade to the visuals. Shot by Marcello Gatti (The Battle of Algiers, Black Belly of the Tarantula) on 35mm film with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Killer Cop uses a gritty, realistic visual style typical of the poliziotteschi genre. Gatti’s cinematography captures Milan’s urban landscape - bustling streets, crowded hotels, and train stations - with a documentary-like immediacy. Close-ups focus on Rolandi’s determined face - showing strong detail in the HD presentation - particularly during the train station confrontation, capturing Cassinelli’s intensity. It's muted tones can feel visually subdued compared to more vibrant poliziotteschi films. It reflects a somber tone and the societal unrest of the Years of Lead. The image is consistent and clean - an obvious impotent over the 10-year old initial HD release.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Raro uses DTS-HD Master dual-mono tracks (16-bit) in the original Italian language with the English DUB optional. Killer Cop’s street scenes are filled with the roar of traffic, car horns, siren wails, and street chatter, creating a frenetic urban soundscape that matches Gatti’s wide shots of the city. The explosion’s aftermath includes the thud of falling debris, screams of victims, and sirens in the distance. The effects for this are modestly exported. The soundtrack for Killer Cop was composed by Stelvio Cipriani (The Laughing Woman, Colt 38 Special Squad, The Night Child, Nightmare City, The Blood Stained Shadow, Killer Cop, Rabid Dogs, Baron Blood, A Bay of Blood.) Cipriani’s score effectively sets the tone for Killer Cop, blending funky and jazzy elements - guitars, drums, and saxophone - to enhance the film’s tension and urban atmosphere, though can have a repetitive nature with occasional tonal mismatches. It sounds competent if not dynamic in the lossless. Raro offers optional English subtitles for both the Italian translation and SDH for the DUB on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Raro Blu-ray offers a new commentary, featuring Eugenio Ercolani (Darkening the Italian Screen: Interviews with Genre and Exploitation Directors Who Debuted in the 1950s and 1960s,) and Troy Howarth (So Deadly, So Perverse Vol 2: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films,) who discuss the film’s production, the backgrounds of the cast and crew, and its place within the poliziotteschi genre. The commentary balances detailed insights into the film’s creation with broader discussions of Italian genre cinema, such as the involvement of Hollywood actors like Arthur Kennedy (Nine Guests for a Crime) in Italy. Its inclusion is a significant upgrade over earlier releases, which lacked such a commentary, making it a must-listen for genre fans. It enhanced my appreciation of the film. Repeated is the 20-minute interview with Alessandro Calosci, the film’s production manager, from the original Blu-ray. It covers various aspects of the production, including working with Ercoli and the film’s political context. The package has reversible sleeve artwork (see below) and a limited edition booklet with new writing by Barry Forshaw (author of "British Crime Film", "British Gothic Cinema".) Forshaw’s essay adds scholarly depth, offering critical analysis of the film’s engagement with the Years of Lead and its political commentary, as seen in similar Raro releases.

Luciano Ercoli's Killer Cop centers on Matteo Rolandi (Claudio Cassinelli), a narcotics officer in Milan who becomes embroiled in a complex investigation following a bomb explosion in a crowded hotel lobby during an international art convention, an event inspired by the 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing that killed 17 and injured 88. The central theme of Killer Cop is the pervasive corruption within Italy’s judicial and political systems, rendering the police powerless to combat crime effectively, as encapsulated by the original title. Ercoli’s direction avoids the genre’s typical “over-the-top violence,” prioritizing political commentary. Killer Cop’s gritty atmosphere and tense set pieces, like the train station shootout, are highlights. It remains a thought-provoking poliziotteschi that balances gritty realism with political critique, using the Piazza Fontana bombing as a lens to explore corruption and terrorism during Italy’s Years of Lead. The Raro Blu-ray is a strong presentation of this politically charged poliziotteschi film. Improved a/v, a new expert commentary and collector's booklet mark it as the definitive presentation and digital package of an underseen 70's Italian crime-drama for genre enthusiasts. Recommended.

Gary Tooze