Don't know if it's been mentioned on this board but a couple of films from Bronson's European output have been released over the last nine months or so. HONOR AMONG THIEVES (co - starring Alain Delon) was released last year June, and VIOLENT CITY just came out this past week.

There's a card at the beginning of VIOLENT CITY that informs the viewer this is an uncut presentation with restored scenes never before shown or dubbed, hence some scenes are in Italian with English subtitles. If you're in the mood for yet another variation on LE SAMOURAI (a list that includes THE DRIVER and THE KILLER), then this might be for you.

VIOLENT CITY is one of the Blue Underground re-releases. Anchor Bay originally put it out five or six years ago.

Has anyone seen the HONOR AMONG THIEVES dvd? I was just about to add the title to my Netflix queue, but the reviews indicated that the quality of the disc is dismal.

I have the Anchor Bay disc of VIOLENT CITY and seem to (mis)remember scenes in Italian with subtitles... Great film and I believe it has one of the great finales of seventies cinema.

The uncut version of Violent City has also been released on a cheap budget UK label (I think this was licensed from Anchor Bay).

Brandon:

The newly released verson of HONOR AMONG THIEVES is widescreen and of good visual quality. The reviews at Amazon and Netflix primarly reflect opinion concerning the previous, poor quality release. Perhaps you should contact Netflix customer service to see if they've upgraded the disc available for rental.

The Lionsgate DVD is a pleasing anamorphic 1.66:1 transfer with a slight pillar-box presentation on my 16x9 screen.

Re the film itself, HONOR AMONG THIEVES, is a slightly off-kilter heist job with Delon and Bronson sharing equal time. There's double-crossin' and triple-crossin', and an extended safe-cracking scene over a long Paris weekend, ala RIFIFI. Good stuff! The only downside is that the Lionsgate DVD doesn't offer a French audio track. The film takes place in Paris with Bronson as a former French Legionnaire, hence he should speak fluent French, albeit with an accent. There are also some disorienting, almost absurd scenes, - and non sequiturs - which don't seem to make sense during the film, but pay off in the end, IMHO, though others might disagree.

"Papa Gone!"

I also picked up VIOLENT CITY recently, and it's another solid effort by Sergio Sollima. The film pulls no punches, and is downbeat, but the cinematography, shot in St. Thomas and New Orleans, is gorgeous and there's also a great car chase scene opening the movie. I picked up the Anchor Bay disc used online before I realized that Blue Underground was re-releasing it, but if the BU transfer is like the AB transfer, 1.77:1 anamorphic, then it's a solid presentation with popping eye candy, especially in the Caribbean. Nice 15 minute interview with Sollima on the AB disc, also.

Thanks to this thread, I went looking for VIOLENT CITY in Virgin Megastore last night and found it and bought it for $14.95. I look forward to watching it this weekend.

One curious thing, though. It says on the DVD case that the restored scenes are in Italian with English subtitles. I remember that the theatrical release of this film in the U.S. in 1974, as THE FAMILY, had scenes that were cut from TV prints and the subsequent VHS release (which I have). So if these scenes were in the original theatrical release, in English, why would they only be in Italian now? Unless there were even more scenes that were cut even before the film came out in English.

Can anyone fill me in on this?

Thanks.

From watching VIOLENT CITY recently, My guess is that VIOLENT CITY (VC) is a slightly longer cut than THE FAMILY, with some scenes extended a little longer in VC, which through exposition provide more of the background story for the film.

Someone else may have a different take on this than I do. :unsure: