Street Killers | 1977 | Italy | Sergio Grieco

Quite a generic title for such a savage film, this Italian poliziotteschi epic is notable for appearing in Quentin Tarantino’s blaxploitation ode Jackie Brown, where the main antagonist played by Helmut Berger was highlighted. An intensely dangerous and unpredictable criminal, Nanni Vitali, escapes from prison and goes on a rampage, eventually beating to death the snitch who was responsible for having him convicted and raping his wife Giuliana. Deciding that it's not enough, he abducts Giuliana and forces her to become complicit in an upcoming robbery, though she enlists the help of Vitali’s nemesis, Commissioner Santini, whose father was Vitali’s prosecutor. The rabid monster isn’t about to let any betrayals go down lightly, leading to a deadly shootout and finale where Santini’s life and his family are in deep peril. True to the genre, the film contains much brutality and action sequences but the real bone of contention for the DPP is the rape sequence involving Giuliana.