Non-Horror Exploitation: Fuga dal Bronx (A.K.A. Escape from the Bronx) (1983)

Finally i've seen my first Enzo G. Castellari film. And although I am a bit disapointed by this film I'll definitely watch some more of the Italian pulp director. 

A vicious corporation tries to kill and starve the last remaining habitants of the Bronx in order to build their own high-rise developments. A lone long-haired hot-tempered warrior, Trash, is the only obstacle well, him, a psychopathic bomb-maker and his equally psychopathic pre-school son by kidnapping "the President" (of the corporation). 

The plot where a company wants to get rid of the people (who are mostly gang members) who live in the Bronx to build some nice villas is kinda absurd and it honestly is just a cheap excuse to show as many shameless action as possible. And that's exactly what Castellari does. There is no time for long dialogues or big plot developments. It's all about the non-stop action. 

While for many genre fans this sounds pretty cool it's actually pretty boring at times. We all know that Italians are amazing at finding ways to make New York look like a dark and sleazy city. And so does Castellari. He manages to create a cool but devastated New York setting. The characters all look INSANE. The gang members all have the typical over the top 80's look and the badguys wear silver space costumes with black motorcycle helmets. Pretty much as cheesy as it can get. 

What really fucks this film up for a big part is that there are in fact to many, lousy, action scenes. One figurant after the other gets blown to hell but after a while you just don't give a shit anymore. What's also pretty annoying is that at every damn explosion, and there are a lot, the actors who get ''hit'' all jump away like they're jumping on a trampoline. Many of the kills are uninspired. The ''space men'' all get their bodies pumped with iron but never only a blood spatter is shown. Because of that all of it looks so hasty. Every once in a while an actual cool kill scene passes by. One of 'em are the flamethrower kills which look pretty cool and the other notable kill scene is the one where one of the gang members smashes through the helmet of the badguy with his shotgun and completely destroys the guy's face. Too bad that those scenes are pretty rare.

Fuga dal Bronx is enjoyable due to its cheesyness but it all could have been much better and much more fun. The one-liners, bad-ass 80's Italian soundtrack and cool slow motion scenes make it worth your watch though. 

 

Fun Fact (Source: IMDB)

  The full death toll in the uncut version is 174. There are 110 killed in shootings, 40 in explosions, 9 by flamethrowers, 1 by stabbing, 1 off-screen kill, 4 unknowns, 6 electrocutions, 2 bashed in the face with a helmet and 1 face turned to red mush after being hit with a shotgun butt.