Eurocrime

My Friend over at I Spit on Your Taste / Italian Film Review turned me on to this project. The following text is copied from the Eurocrime Kickstart page:

YOU can help us complete the highly-anticipated feature-length documentary about the last great action subgenre to be rediscovered! EUROCRIME! THE ITALIAN COP AND GANGSTER FILMS THAT RULED THE '70s has already pulled together a roster of the top actors and directors in the Italian crime genre in order to get their perspectives on these tough, brutal, and occasionally dangerous films.

The film is currently in post-production, but even with the bevy of euro-superstars who have offered up their time and support for the film, the biggest challenge still lies ahead – licensing all the great film clips that really showcase the genre and demonstrate why it was such a dynamic and prolific part of cinematic history! Hundreds of dangerous stunts, chases and explosions – not to mention some of the most inspired dialogue you will hear in ANY genre – are integral to illustrate the film’s numerous anecdotes, and YOU can help make it happen!

As a backer of this project, you will be the recipient of numerous perks, many of which are unique to the world of EUROCRIME! and ensure that you are acknowledged and kept in the loop as a key part of the process.

More About EUROCRIME!:

For decades, the prolific Italian film business was a notorious "copycat" industry (e.g. Exorcist and Mad Max clones), so it's easy to assume their massive wave of '70s crime movies (The Godfather's Friend, Magnum Cop, etc) were just imitators of U.S. films like The Godfather and Dirty Harry. But a closer look reveals these movies actually dealt with violent homegrown problems of the Red Brigade, Camorra and the Sicilian Mafia.Facets of the genre discussed, among others, will be:

* the Italians' quick, spontaneous style of action moviemaking (no direct sound, stealing shots, leading men performing their own stunts)

* the real-life violence of the day (the Red Brigade, the Camorra, the Mafia)

* the genre's envelope-pushing violent extremes (including shocking treatment of women and children)

* the attempts to market (and mis-market!) these films in America

* the end of the genre cycle (as brought about both by the rise of television and the genre's self-parody)

* the ultimate influence/legacy of the genre, including its belated, newfound popularity in America, as largely promoted by Quentin Tarantino

The interview roster boasts an impressive 20 people connected to Eurocrime movement -- including tough-guy movie stars (John Saxon, Franco Nero, Henry Silva, etc), a leading lady (Nicoletta Machiavelli), character actors (Sal Borgese, John Steiner, etc), directors (Enzo Castellari, Mario Caiano), a stuntman (Ottaviano Dell'Acqua), a screenwriter (Claudio Fragasso), a dubber (Michael Forest), and even a former cinema manager (Greg Stephen).
Through action editing, the interviews will be intercut with film clips and artwork, and the documentary's tone is intended to rival the excitement generated by the films themselves.