Cani arrabbiati (1974)

Director:

Mario Bava
(more)

Writers:

Alessandro Parenzo (screenplay)
Alessandro Parenzo (story)
(more)

Release Date:

25 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Lock the doors, rollup the windows, and buckle up ... for the ride of your life!

Plot:

Following a bungled robbery, three violent criminals take a young woman, a middle-aged man, and a child hostage and force them to drive them outside Rome to help them make a clean getaway.

Plot Keywords:

Robbery | Criminal | Hostage | Grindhouse | Urination

Cast

Riccardo Cucciolla	...	Riccardo
Don Backy	...	Bisturi (Blade) (as Aldo Caponi)
Lea Lander	...	Maria
Maurice Poli	...	Dottore
George Eastman	...	Trentadue (Thirtytwo) (as Luigi Montefiori)
Maria Fabbri	...	Maria Sbravati
Erika Dario	...	Marisa
Luigi Antonio Guerra	...	Employee (as Luigi Guerra)
Francesco Ferrini	...	Gas Station Attendant
Emilio Bonucci	...	Taxi Driver
Pino Manzari	...	Toll Collector
Ettore Manni	...	Bank President
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mario Bava	...	Crowd extra (uncredited)
Barbara Ehringer	...	Woman behind the window (1996 prologue restoration) (voice) (uncredited)
Nina Gueltzow	...	Woman behind the window (1996 prologue restoration) (uncredited)
Fabrizia Sacchi	...	Mother (1996 prologue restoration) (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Bava
Lamberto Bava		(director: new scenes) (uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Cesare Frugoni		uncredited
Alessandro Parenzo		screenplay
Alessandro Parenzo		story

Produced by
David E. Allen	....	executive producer: restored version
Lamberto Bava	....	producer
Harmon Kaslow	....	executive producer: restored version
Alfredo Leone	....	producer
Roberto Loyola	....	producer

Original Music by
Stelvio Cipriani

Cinematography by
Emilio Varriano
Mario Bava		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Carlo Reali

Makeup Department
Vittorio Biseo	....	makeup artist
Marisa Marconi	....	hair stylist
Angelo Roncaioli	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lucio Orlandini	....	production manager
Ugo Valenti	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fabrizio Bava	....	assistant director (as Roy Bava)
Lamberto Bava	....	assistant director
Mario Garriba	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Roberto Alberghini	....	sound recordist
Mario Bramonti	....	sound recordist
Giuseppe Muratori	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Sergio Chiusi	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Giuseppe Alberti	....	assistant camera
Cosimo Barbera	....	grip
Giovanni Canfarelli Modica	....	assistant camera (as Gianni Modica)
Giuliana De Rossi	....	still photographer
Vittorio Monterosso	....	grip
Quinto Proietti	....	grip
Massimo Rinaldi	....	best boy
Toto Rinaldi	....	gaffer
Flaminio Tabarrini	....	best boy
Franco Tocci	....	key grip
Jurgen Haller	....	camera operator: prologue (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Wayne A. Finkelman	....	wardrobe (as Wayne Filnkelman)
Maura Zuccherofino	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Lea Lander	....	post-production (as Lea Krueger)
Angelo Marzullo	....	additional editor

Other crew
Dawne Allstrom	....	script girl: English
Antonella Ballasio	....	continuity
Cesare Caramandi	....	production secretary
Renato Cecchetto	....	dubbing director
Ivan Cerio	....	title designer
Carlo Fabris	....	production accountant
Nando Nibbi	....	continuity
Franco Panzo	....	permits
Vanda Tuzzi	....	continuity

Production Companies

• International Media Films
• Spera Cinematografica

Distributors

• Astro Distribution (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• marketing-film (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Jef Films International (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Lucertola Media (1998) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ferroni  gowns
• Floriàn Cinetivu, Bologna  dubbing facilities
• Romana Trasporti  transportation

Also Known As:

Kidnapped (Italy) (restored version) (USA) (DVD title)
Rabid Dogs (USA) (literal English title)
A Man and a Boy (International: English title)
Semaforo rosso (Italy) (alternative title)
Wild Dogs

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

International Media Films

Trivia:

The film was incomplete when director Mario Bava died.

Movie Connections:

References Grand Hotel (1932)

Soundtrack:

Hold on to Me

A Car-Jacking Tour de Force

In only the first half hour, Rabid Dogs has more tension and psychological insight into the criminal mind than all of Reservoir Dogs making Tarrantino look like an amateur. Even Scorese has admitted the influence of Bava, this movie has Mean Streets starting to look pale in comparison. The master cinematography, confined setting, brilliant camera angles, and editing brings to mind some of Orson Welles best laid out scenes. This all presides over a backdrop of overwhelming despair abundant in nihilism which begs yet another comparison to another admitted admirer, David Lynch, who looks like a student to the teacher - the breadth of brechtian super realism truly achieves it peak, of which an entire generation of filmmakers have aspired to, including Fellini - all of whom had never had the chance to see the film until the late nineties. The film is a tribute to the genius of Mario Bava and in a way the culmination of all his talent and influence neatly compacted into a ninety minute film school. One of the finest crime dramas ever made. The intricate dialog which illustrates a pure hatred of life and total lack of respect of all that is good - even makes one start to question if Coppola missed the boat with the Godfather a little bit in making his characters a little too heroic and romantic, rather than the base individuals they are supposed to portray. One comes from this film with a horror of the criminal rather than a wish to emulate. In this real time robbery, murder and car-jacking, Bava takes us to the precipice, the edge of reason and finally beyond all semblance of humanity.