Highway Racer (1977)
Maurizio Merli, minus tache and looking more like a cross between Will Ferrell and the newly botoxed Tim Allen in Christmas with the Kranks, plays a police driving ace with a reputation for risk taking - seriously you don't want to be his partner in this one - who goes undercover driving for mobster Il Nizzardo.
My final watch from the Years of Lead box set and possibly i unknowingly saved the best till last as i thought this was terrific. More a popcorn action fest than ever before, this has stunts and car chase sequences that are insane thanks to the brilliance of stunt driver Rémy Julienne, especially when two cars descend at speed Rome's famed Spanish Steps, flipping over half way and crashing down the rest of the steps. How they got away with that i'll never know. Outrageous and wonderfully thrilling as is the finale which was jaw dropping.
Anyone who wants to watch a real car chase film needs to see this, done for real no CGI of course. Makes The Fast and the Furious look like the cartoon it is.
The Years of Lead box set of Italian poliziottesco films is an outstanding release. All five films are excellent. Highly recommended.
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