User reviews

I'm not sure which title I like more but this film does indeed have a certain special charm to it. No, it is not outstanding or anything superlative like that, but it is rather enjoyable to watch as a crook/killer gets out of prison to wreak havoc and revenge on those responsible for putting him there in the first place. Helmut Berger is the best thing about this film as he plays a violent, sadistic psychopath with the best of them. He has no heart whatsoever and is quite something to see. His scenes in the abandoned warehouse and with newly acquired "moll" the beautiful Marisa Mell particularly stand out. Muscle-bound Richard Harrison, who you might remember from some older sword and sandal movies, plays the cop out to protect himself and his family. Like another reviewer noted, the script and plot have some obvious problems, but the pace and delivery more than offset those inadequacies. If you want some good, old-fashioned Italiam crime atmosphere then Mad Dog or Beast with a Gun is for you.

Known as Mad Dog Killer and Beast With A Gun, my print comes up with the title, Furious Mad Dog Killer and I have to say all titles are appropriate. This is not sophisticated film making by any means but does, as they say, what it says on the can. Little story, just an angry young man determined to do with his gun what he is going to do and even rape the co-star along the way. Helmut Berger is excellent in the lead and fully convinces as the near lunatic, Mad Dog or Killer of the titles. Marisa Mell is also effective and not quite as dumb as the females often seem to have to be in these Italian crime movies. The police are as dumb as usual, even if led by the charismatic, Richard Harrison. Tough. Mean and fast moving.

Remember the scene in Jackie Brown with Robert DeNiro and Bridget Fonda watching TV and then Samuel Jackson walks in and goes: "Is that Rutger Hauer?" and Fonda replies: "No, it's Helmut Berger."?

Well, it's this movie they're watching.

It's a typical low-key Italian gangster movie with a bunch of evil, skinny, mustached (except Helmut Berger) crooks driving around doing evil stuff. The violence scenes are very brutal but there are many moments where also unintentional humor is present.

Once again, I have a Finnish super rare version of this movie with Finnish title (roughly translated) "Death Obeys No Law" on the front cover and in the back cover it says "Best With A Gun", (obviously a typing error). In the opening credits it says "Furious" (or "Ferocious"). A movie with so many names can't be that bad, can it?

This is surprisingly a decent crime thriller... really better than I was anticipating it to be. The film is a graphic violent crime-thriller - scary to watch.

Richard Harrison is the tough police inspector Giulio Santini. He's out to get a prison escapee named Vitali (Helmut Berger) and his gang. Vitali and gang goes on a spree of rape, rob and murder. The gang is very much afraid of Vitali and will do whatever he says - even things they do not care to do for they fear Vitali's violence against them.

I got this movie in the 50-pack Drive-in collection. It's one of the better films in the pack. I'm glad they added it, the film is good.

7/10

Helmut Berger leads a group of prison escapees on a rampage targeting cop Richard Harrison,who testified against him in court.After Berger rapes beautiful Marisa Mell("Danger:Diabolik"),then forces her to join the gang,Harrison hatches his own plan to stop dangerous Berger.The film is loaded with sleaze and violence,but it's not as nasty as it's reputed to be."Mad Dog" is well-acted,well-directed and has a fast pace from beginning to end.So if you're a fan of Italian crime flicks give this one a look-just don't expect something mind-shattering.

For the time , it is an extremely violent film, Tarentino-like style ,with plenty of murders and rapes ; the director knows only one tempo :accelerated ,and Helmut Berger ,who had not forgotten his master Visconti's lessons is fascinating,terrifying ,almost without overplaying . His opponent , the cop played by Richard Harrison (in the sixties a habitué of sword and sandals and eurospy cheap flicks),is not really up to scratch opposite him ;the same can be said of ill-fated Marisa Mell .

This thriller includes melodrama elements : the killer's sister and the cop's father and young sister are involved ;but it's Berger who saves the film :cold,sadistic to the umpteenth degree , ruthless; too bad he never found another Visconti because he deserved better.

Helmut Berger gives a gritty performance as a sadistic killer. Unfortunately there are two kinds of punishment being dished out, Helmut's and that which the audience must suffer. The police work in "Beast With a Gun" is mortally laughable, and the stilted dialog in the dubbed version rivals that in the worst "Godzilla" movie. Berger's deranged killer, and a nice Morricone-like score save this from being just another Italian crime flick. So, if you can throw logic out the window, cringe a bit with each spoken word, and suspend disbelief, you might be ready to watch this gloriously sleazy tale of robbery, rape, and revenge. - MERK

La belva col mitra (1977) or Mag Dog Killer or Ferocious Beast with a Gun packs intrigue , violence , action-filled and being a really effective film . A thrilling movie with ordinary ingredients : thrills , chills, noisy action , plot twists , several villain roles with an extremely psychotic murderer , shootouts with high body-count and being middlingly entertaining from start to finish . Nail-biting thriller in which Comm. Giulio Santini (Richard Harrison) attempts to bring Rome's most powerful crime lord , an escaped sadistic killer named Nanni Vitali (Helmut Berger), to justice . Gripping and moving thriller set in Italy, the story is a fun mess starting with a sadistic , iconoclast , no-count killer called Nanni Vitali and three other equally brutish hoodlums getaway from prison and running on the lam , causing wreak havoc and going bersek . Vitali and his henchmen terrorize the populace and seek vendetta against those responsible for his incarceration , while a tough police inspector attempts to catch the maniacal , trigger-happy crooks . Along the way , Vitali even kidnaps the frightened hapless lass Giuliana Caroli (Marisa Mell) and he mistreats, defiles and rapes her . The commissioner pursues the revenge-obsessed series killer and his hoodlums and encounters he has more problems with him than he expected . In an effort to catch them at whatever cost , he'll stop at nothing to get it . Out of Prison ... Out of Control ... and Totally Out of His Mind! Inspector Santini makes Dirty Harry look like Mr. Clean! .He lives by the law - Santini's Law .. Whatever your reservations about Santini's expeditious methods we know he'll always vanquish , shooting in cold blood with his pistol . Vigilante enforcers - lurking in the dark... waiting to kill!

A violent and extremely nasty film in which foul foursome delinquents embark on a savage rape, murder, and robbery spree, meanwhile, rugged police inspector Giulio Santini strides grimly throughout the streets in pursuit the murderous , including an exciting final .Formula thriller deemed to be a ¨video nasty¨ with plenty of action , crisply edition , tension, intrigue , suspenseful and lots of violence in exploitation style . It turns out to be interesting and plenty of vivid action , suspense and thriller in which a stubborn inspector is determined to trap a despicable criminal . Compellingly directed by Sergio Grieco , this movie got a whole new life thanks to Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown. The character of Melanie : Bridget Fonda is watching television, along with Samuel L. Jackson's Ordell Robie, when the main star is on the screen, after having attacked the girl, Robie says, "Rutger Hauer?" and Melanie corrects him, "Helmut Berger." The film belongs to Poliziesco genre in which rule-breaking cops take on criminals -many of them detained but freed on legal technicalities- determined to bring them to justice , even if they have to break some rules and take the law into his own hands by utilizing his large pistols for killing baddies , acting as a judge , jury and executioner .Titles like Milano odia: la polizia non può sparare (1974), Free Hand For a Tough Cop (1976) , Roma a mano armata or Brutal Justicia (1976) , Brothers Till We Die (1978) , From Corleone to Brooklyn (1979) were the most popular and brutal of these thrillers . Fine main and support cast giving acceptable , though exaggerated interpretations . Stars Helmut Berger as a really ominous series killer and the always beautiful and mysterious Marisa Mell . Surprisingly , the usually wooden Richard Harrison gives a nice performance as two-fisted , rule-bending Inspector Inspector Santini , the tall and taciturn inspector. Futhermore , familar secondary actors as Nello Pazzafini , Luigi Bonos, Antonio Vasile and the father and daughter who are abducted are father and daughter in real life: Claudio Gora and Marina Giodana.

It contains an atmospheric cinematography by Vittorio Bernini shot on location in Lazaretto of Ancona, Ancona, Marche, of Prison break sequence, and Viale Bruno Giordano, Ancona, Marche, in street scenes outside the hotel . The soundtrack is also heard very loudly and adequate by composer Umberto Smaila . The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Sergio Grieco . He was a good Italian artesan who made a lot of adventures, action and thrillers movies as ¨Sergeant Klems¨, ¨SOS agent 017¨, ¨The mysterious swordsman¨ , ¨Lucrezia Borgia¨, ¨La regina dei Tartaro¨, ¨Il Capitano di Ferro¨, ¨Pirates of the Black Hawk¨ and several others . Rating : 6/10 . Acceptable and passable Euro-thriller.

You can't get much cooler than an Italian crime film, and Beast With a Gun is yet another excellent example of this cult sub-genre! The film is quite a lot nastier than the majority of Italian crime films that I've seen, and at times it feels like it owes a lot to the exploitation genre! Naturally, there's the usual array of fistfights, shootouts and car chases; but here we've also got rapes and scenes of torture - among other stuff. So Beast With a Gun might not be everyone's cup of tea - but I think most people would agree that the nasty edge certainly gives the film a bit more 'bite'! The film begins with the escape of three nasty convicts. Their leader is a man named Nanni Vitali, and their first port of call after escaping from jail is killing the dirty scumbag that turned them in. However, when they catch up with him; Nanni takes a shine to his girlfriend, and proceeds to brutally rape her before killing the snitch. He also wants the girl to help them pull off a robbery; and she agrees to help them, but not before telling the police all about it...

The main strength that this film has is undoubtedly Helmut Berger. Berger is absolutely spot on with his role as the nasty criminal at the centre of the tale, and every moment he's on screen is completely gripping. He is joined by experienced Eurocult actress Marisa Mell, who provides the eye candy in style! Richard Harrison rounds off the central cast with the token 'cop' role and like his co-stars - plays it well. Beast With a Gun also features an excellent soundtrack, which goes well with the film and definitely adds to every scene it features in. Realism obviously wasn't big on director Sergio Grieco's priority list, however, as the film features numerous instances that don't make a lot of sense - the scene that springs to mind instantly is the one where a certain female cast member is shot in the leg...and then instantly diagnoses it as 'not serious' and barely bats an eyelid! I've got to say, if I got shot it would be VERY SERIOUS, no matter where it got me. However, this isn't important as Beast With a Gun does the important thing - that being entertain the audience - very well, and fans of Italian crime films won't want to miss it!

Wow, I have seen this film a couple of times in the past but my earlier DVD version only had the english dub, which is much inferior to the italian track. Now seing it in italian on a wonderful 4k-transfer I realize how good this film is. Earlier I couldn't stand the dubbing and it really dragged the film down. Thanks to 88 films for giving the movie the justice it deserves. Now I hope they do the same with Sergio Grieco's even more extreme "Violence for kicks".

By this time Helmut had lost his looks. What is funny is that he is screwing women. Actually he is screwing Bertelucci , mick Jagger, and many more men.check out his bio, he ue a german queen.

Beast with a Gun is a gritty and unapologetic crime thriller that doesn't pull any punches. Sergio Grieco's direction captures the raw brutality of the criminal underworld, and Helmut Berger's portrayal of Nanni Vitali is chillingly convincing. The film doesn't shy away from depicting violence, making it a visceral experience for viewers.

The supporting cast also delivers solid performances. Marisa Mell as Giuliana Caroli adds vulnerability to the mix, while Marina Giordana's Carla Santini provides a glimpse into the human cost of Vitali's rampage. Richard Harrison's portrayal of Inspector Santini adds a layer of determination to the cat-and-mouse game.

The film's soundtrack, punctuated by intense moments, heightens the tension. Grieco's use of visuals-such as the gas station scene-creates a sense of impending doom. However, the plot occasionally veers into predictable territory, and some character motivations remain underdeveloped.

Nanni Vitali, a no-count killer with a penchant for violence, forms an unholy alliance with three equally brutal hoodlums. Together, they embark on a savage spree of rape, murder, and robbery. Their actions leave a trail of blood and fear in their wake.

Verdict: For fans of gritty Italian poliziotteschi films, Beast with a Gun offers a brutal and intense ride. While it may not reach the heights of cinematic masterpieces, it remains a cult classic worth exploring. Just be prepared for a visceral journey into the dark heart of criminality.

Aka Beast With a Gun, a good example of 70s Euro-trash.

Italian director Luchino Visconti is said to view Helmut Berger as the very image of his idea of a "demonic, insane and sexually perverted" man. That descriptions means he was perfect for the role of the mad dog killer in this film.

After raping a girl (Marisa Mell) and killing her boyfriend, he takes her along to help out on his plan to get money to leave the country. She turns the tables on him and joins with the Police Inspector, play by Richard Harrison, a ninja and sword and sandals veteran.

There's a back and forth between the cops and mad dog, and he even kidnaps the inspector's sister (Marina Giordana) and father (Claudio Gora) before it is over.

Cheesy dialog, of course, but that;s not why you watch.

If the Italian police are really this incompetent, no wonder the mafia runs half the country. Over and over again, the police approach a psychopathic serial killer without bothering to draw their guns first. More poignantly, they know that he has a machine gun with him. And yet, over and over they seem to believe that they can just talk him into surrendering. In their defense, maybe they have no idea what's going on because the dialogue is so stilted.

The only thing that this film has going for it is that Helmut Berger chews up the scenery without holding anything back. He really nails the whole 'sexy sadistic killer' thing.

On a day like today, "Beast with a Gun" was the best thing I possible could have stumbled on! Long and tiring day at work, depressing weather and no energy left at night to do anything else but watch a totally undemanding and adrenalin-rushing action thriller. Next time YOU feel this, watch this bonkers Italian 70's kick-ass movie! "Beast with a Gun" features non-stop raw and gritty violence, misogyny and gratuitous sleaze and an assemblage of the coolest villainous characters ever; led by the ultimate spaghetti bad-boy Helmut Berger. The plot is literally full of holes the size of shotgun bullets, but who cares when the film swiftly leaps from one spectacular action scene to the next? Helmut Berger plays the titular (ferocious) beast with a gun. Or the titular mad dog. He deserves all the bad-ass sounding a.k.a titles, because Berger truly is one of the meanest SOB to ever appear in a 70's exploitation flick. And, given the market supply, that must mean something, no? Nanni Vitali escapes from prison along with three other convicts. Well actually, the other three are too petrified to disobey Vitali's orders and help him eliminate the police informant who testified against him in court. He then literally commands a woman to sleep with him and help with a money heist. When that doesn't go according to plan, Vitali is so mad that he takes hostage police commissioner's Giulio Santini's sister and father. This is just a small listing of the main events in "Beast with a Gun", but there's a lot more going on. Every few moments or so, there's either a virulent beating or nasty gunfight going on, and Helmet Berger seems to get gradually more ill-tempered and rotten with every minute that passes. No wonder Quentin Tarantino referred to him and his character here in this film during "Jackie Brown". The dumbness of the script is quite often too bothering and, in all honesty, bring the overall quality of the movie down a little bit. How is it possible, for example, that an entire army of police officers cannot prevent that two people die during an anticipated heist and that all of the criminals get away with a van full of hostages? There are more senseless elements and defaults (like the fact that lead actress Marisa Mell entirely vanishes during the final act) but, to hell with it, I really don't feel like yammering about this 200% fun and exciting film. Oh and if you like Italian cult cinema, you WILL adore the terrific soundtrack by the relatively unknown (at least, in comparison to Ennio Morricone or Riz Ortolani) composer Umberto Smaila.

Helmut Berger escapes from custody. He kills a man by drowning him in mud, rapes Marisa Mell into submission, and has her help him in a plan to rob the plant where her father is a guard. But she goes to inspector Richard Harrison. The robbery is foiled. But Berger escapes and begins a plan to gain vengeance on Harrison and Miss Mell.

The copy I looked at varied from decent color work to black-and-white sequences, with large sequences blurred out. What remains is simple brutality. It didn't quite meet standards for banning except in Sweden. Elsewhere it's considered suitable only for adults. I think it's suitable for the sort of people who'd enjoy a snuff film.