Oliver Reed rages at most of Italy and some of France and with good reason - his hot young wife has been kidnapped! He's the warden of a prison in Milan and someone wants him to release Milo (Fabio Testi) for reasons unknown. Even Milo doesn't seem to know why he's being released, no matter how many time Reed beats him up. Maybe it has something to do with that high profile assassination at the start of the film? But then, what does that have to do with that rock star guy?Reed has to break some rules to get Testi out, but this is no simple case of doing a swap and getting his wife back. After beating the crap out of each other several times, they have to learn to rely on each other to get to the truth of the matter, which will take them through the alps while trying to outrun a massive manhunt. There's too many twists to ruin so let's not go any further with the plot and let's talk about Oliver Reed. His red-faced rage at every single person involved in the kidnapping is a joy to behold (and drink fuelled by the sounds of it). He screams, swears, threatens, berates, assaults and even shoots his way through the film, and yet can still be loving and tender to his wife or calm when trying to subdue a suicidal inmate (a quick cameo by Sal Borghese). My favourite bit was when he was trying to convince a work colleague that nothing was wrong when at that exact moment the kidnappers call. The look on his face is priceless.Fabio Testi does good as Milo, a crook resigned to his life of crime who can't think of anything else but a big pay-off. Yet he too has a soft side, seen in the film's strong start as he carries the dead body of a friend along a canal to Ennio Morricone's moving soundtrack. In fact, by the end of the film he's as greatly changed as Oliver Reed's character too, as he does begin to see life outside of crime. Yet another good Euro-crime film that starts off making you wonder why you're being hit with seemingly unconnected scenes that all ties together nicely at the end, if you don't think about it too hard. It's also nearly two hours long so be prepared for that.

¨Revolver¨ is an entertaining and thrilling Poliziotteschi , it was retitled "Blood in the Streets" for its American theatrical release . It is an interesting drama/thriller plenty of thrills , taut , intrigue and twists . The picture deals with a prison warden (Oliver Reed who regularly turned-up to the set inebriated) and a small-time crook (Fabio Testi) who is a prisoner at a state penitentiary . As the Italian warden's wife (Agostina Belli) is abducted , and the kidnappers demand that an inmate be released in order for the man to get his wife back . He gets the convict released but then abducts him himself , in order to ensure that the man's compatriots don't murder his spouse . Then , the band sets out to free their colleague and kill the official who took him . At the end it takes place the last battle between crime and the law in the major city in the world : Paris .This is an exciting but complex thriller plenty of emotion , noisy action , car crashes , pursuits , twists and turns . Some actors claim they made his own stunts , as Fabio Testi told that he did nearly all the stunts in the movie himself, including a difficult roof jumping stunt in Milan that the stuntman was unable to do . Very good acting by Oliver Reed as an enraged warden ; however , there had problems because of his alcoholism , as he become difficult to work with . In fact , co-star Fabio Testi also expressed that it was both exciting and difficult to work with Reed due to his alcoholism, and he would become violent on the set on many occasions . Support cast is frankly good , full of European familiar faces such as Frédéric de Pasquale , Marc Mazza , Reinhard Kolldehoff , Bernard Giraudeau , Peter Berling and Salvatore Borghese . Furthermore , two gorgeous Eurotrash actresses : Agostina Belli and Paola Pitagora . Colorful cinematography by Aldo Scavarda , though a perfect remastering being necessary . Special mention for the sensitive and enjoyable musical score composed and arranged by maestro Ennio Morricone ; including a marvelous song : Un Ami Written by Ennio Morricone and Performed by Daniel Beretta .The motion picture was compellingly directed by recently deceased Sergio Sollima , he even choreographed the fight scenes himself because he wanted each character to have a fighting style tailored to their personality . Sergio Sollima's direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and more inclined toward violence and too much action . Sergio wrote and directed all kinds of genres such as Pirate films as ¨ Sandokan ¨ and the ¨ Black Corsario ¨ ; Peplum : ¨Rocha¨ , "Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators" , "Triumph of the Ten Gladiators" , ¨Ursus¨ "Goliath Against the Giants" ; Euro-spy : "Requiem for a Secret Agent" , "Agent 3S3: Hunter from the Unknown" , ¨Tanger 67¨ ; being especially known for his ¨Cuchillo trilogy¨ : ¨Run Cuchillo run¨, ¨Face to Face¨ , ¨The big Gundown¨. And this ¨Revolver¨ is essential and indispensable watching for Oliver Reed fans . This is a satisfyingly violent and thrilling flick that avid fans of the genre will love .

Another great and unconventional crime drama from those beloved Italians, this one made by master of class Sergio Sollima (SANDOKAN) and containing a greater depth of plot and character than one might expect from other pulp adventures from the time. This tough flick is great and interesting thanks to the unconventional plot and the raw, almost documentary-style camera work which follows the characters around a variety of European settings. The plot is complex and gets murkier as the film progresses, with multiple characters lurking around the edges who have no clear motives. At times the film ventures into the area of the psychological thriller as it puts the characters through tense situations, at all times leading to a climax that you just know won't be a happy one.Chief enjoyment comes from unlikely star Oliver Reed, playing a typically gruff character who is forced to confront his morals as the film progresses. Reed is great in the role, especially as he is forced to become more and more emotive as the film goes on, and he really fits into the role of the character nicely so that you forget that he's acting; personally I think this is one of the best performances I've seen from the underrated star. Fabio Testi is the criminal, Milo Ruiz, and puts in a genuinely good performance along with Reed, shining in a part that allows him to play a character rather than a wooden figure for once. The supporting cast is fine, especially Agostina Belli's frightened captive.BLOOD IN THE STREETS is more plot-centric than most and thus contains a lesser degree of action than you might expect, although Sollima does throw in one outstanding shoot-out in a street for action fans. Nonetheless the sheer level of twists and turns in the plot and the performances make it hugely engrossing. One last thing to mention: there's a fantastic and stylish score by the acclaimed Ennio Morricone which enhances the action no end. This combination of winning elements makes it one to watch.

I had long wanted to catch this poliziottesco (which has never turned up on Italian TV) but was ultimately rather let down by it: the plot involves a buddy buddy partnership between two unlikely characters – prison warden Oliver Reed and petty criminal Fabio Testi. Director Sollima had already made the superior THE BIG GUNDOWN (1966) on similar lines (the “Cult Movie” website claims this is a remake of it but I don’t buy that, as the narrative takes a wholly different direction).The film, however, isn’t quite as engrossing as it should be and rather muddled into the bargain – but, at least, it looks good and is undeniably bolstered by a beautiful and typically effective Ennio Morricone score (reminiscent of his work, much later, on THE UNTOUCHABLES [1987]!). Reed is an ideally sturdy yet world-weary hero – but Testi is just okay in the role of his quarry/associate (though the English dubbing may have undermined his original performance), especially as he displays little of the cunning and deadly prowess which had characterized the Tomas Milian counterpart in THE BIG GUNDOWN…and, in any case, he’s ultimately established to have been merely a pawn in the game being waged! The female cast is comprised of lovely Agostina Belli (as Reed’s young wife, who’s kidnapped so as to ensure his collaboration) and Paola Pitagora (somewhat wasted as an underworld ‘groupie’ who briefly hooks up with Testi).Even if the film doesn’t have the socio-political scope of THE BIG GUNDOWN, this element is belatedly introduced towards the end – leading to a curiously downbeat (and cynical) finale. While not plentiful, the action sequences are certainly as efficiently handled as any in this type of film (Sollima made at least one more poliziottesco – VIOLENT CITY [1970], which I’ll be getting to soon); still, the director seems less at ease within the ‘urban jungle’ landscape than he was in the wide-open spaces provided by the Spaghetti Western milieu.The main supplement on the Blue Underground DVD is a 13-minute featurette consisting of separate interviews with Sollima and Testi. Among other things, the former admits to having been roped in at the last minute and claims that he finally agreed to make it on detecting connotations with another Spaghetti Western of his – FACE TO FACE (1967). Testi, a regular of action movies, takes pride in having done most of his own stunts (in fact, he had started out in films in this field!). Both, then, have complimentary things to say about the late Oliver Reed. There are also two Easter Eggs – one in which Sollima criticizes the film’s half-hearted publicity campaign (which he blames for its lack of box-office success), while the other is yet another anecdote pertaining to the film’s notoriously hell-raising British star.