Ricco the Mean Machine

Dark Sky’s two new releases—Tragic Ceremony and Ricco the Mean Machine—were a welcome return to the Spaghetti ghost stories and tasteless revenge flicks that had recently become harder to find on DVD.

Ricco is another animal entirely. One of the countless Godfather-inspired crime movies that swept across Italy, director Tulio DeMicheli’s entry is blessed with the presence of Christopher Mitchum, son of legendary Hollywood actor Robert Mitchum, who shares his dad’s droopy-eyed don’t-f***-with-me glare but little else. At about six foot five, 160 pounds and sporting a wardrobe straight outta Scooby-Doo, Mitchum is about as intimidating as a plate of wet spaghetti. But his attempts at acting, along with the film’s over-the-top nudity and violence, make for an enjoyably campy experience.

Kinda-sorta pledging vengeance after the death of his father, Ricco applies some heat to Don Vito by breaking into his place, roughing up his boys and stealing the weekly collections money. Teaming up with the naughty niece of an old associate, the two use guerrilla tactics to mess with the organization, whose failed members are tossed in an acid bath at the local soap factory. It all comes down to a warehouse shootout, with Ricco’s old flame held for ransom and all sorts of family honor on the line.

Ricco may very well be the perfect example of Italian cinematic excess. Blood, boobs and Austin Powers judo chops punctuate the story until the experience becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Mitchum’s embarrassing fight scenes, Barbara Bouchet’s foggy roadside striptease and one unforgettably graphic castration sequence elevate Ricco to an entirely new level of tasteless entertainment that is wonderful to behold.

THE FEATURES: Both films sport nice transfers and the usual mono soundtracks. Producer David Gregory’s interview with Christopher Mitchum covers the actor’s early career alongside John Wayne and his later rebirth as a Spanish superstar. The packaging claims a still gallery, but it is missing from the disc; a theatrical trailer is included instead.