Customer Reviews

10th Victim [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This movie was made on VERY inexpensively, but a lot was made from that frugality! Marcello Mastroanni and Ursula Andress star in this sly satire on violence and population control. Their characters live in a 21st century world where an international game of cowboys and indians using real bullets and lethal devices has been authorized by the world government. The story focuses on them as Marcello tries to avoid being killed by Ursula in a game that trades off hunter and victim roles in a series of ten alternating runs, where the winner is finally awarded one million dollars.

Marcello plays a laid-back pauper in the game with nowhere near the resources of his "hunter", a jetset-style adventuress played by Andress. It's a comedy of errors and sixities fad satire as repo men come to exact a pound of flesh for the money Marcello owes them from past hunts, and he pleads with them not to take his priceless comic book collection, which includes Tom & Jerrys and Bug Bunnys, as well as Flash Gordon Dell editions.

The climax of the movie takes place on the set of a commercial orchestrated by the Andress character, Caroline, AND Marcello, (same first name as his character,) where Marcello is to pitch "Ming Tea" to the masses as he nails Caroline, seemingly, on the set of the show SHE put together, assuming her OWN victory!

The movie has one of the coolest jazz scores you'll ever hear, scat sung by a woman named Mina, accompanied by that typical, modern, Felliniesque pop organ. Elio Petri directs the two international stars and manages to make Rome look like it is, indeed, in the 21st century without spending a cent on special effects. (The killer bra Andress uses to kill her ninth victim is about it on that score, as a matter of fact!)

Marcello plays his role VERY tongue in cheek and a scene where he conducts a sun worshipping ceremony is one of the funniest you'll see in a sixties film...the scene has a LOT of relevance to the faddish religious mindset of 70s, 80s and 90s California culture.

Ursula is existential window-dressing, playing her part very laconically, but it's the SUPPORTING players that add a lot to this flick: The moon worshippers, Marcello's old trainer, Elsa Martinelli as Marcello's mistress and the fellow playing Marcello's agent/physician being prime examples.

The DVD, however, has almost NO extras! Just a couple of trailers and talent bios...no commentary by Petri, no outtakes, no director's cut, no nothin', no foolin'! It's a good thing I didn't have to spend more than a 10-spot for this baby, lemme tell ya. However, it's a fine film that shows what you can do with a small amount of money and a lot of talent. Just tell those fuels at Anchor Bay to load up a little more on the extras on any future release revisions of this title. I mean, it isn't even in hi-fi, much less STEREO!!

I am amazed that this film does not have a dedicated following (though,it may without my knowing it).
Here is a film which knits together many characteristics into a froth of insouciant fun. The music is retro, the costume design is
now, it makes fun of everything and everyone - including itself. The most appealing thing about this film is its tone. Underlying all the jabs at this group or that faction is an irrepressible joy.
The copies I have seen have all been dubbed in English rather than subtitled. This is another appealing quality. The fractured American English fits well with the satirical view of American Showbiz types. I usually distain dubbed soundtracks and favor subtitles so as to enjoy and savor the original language - even if I don't speak the language. This is the only film I know of which rises above such aesthetic quibbling.
Most important, though is intelligence mixed with joy joy joy.

... Saw this great, snazzy, jazzy, production-designed-heaven back in '76 on a double bill ... and was never able to forget it. So thrilled it's on video. OK, a bit dated here and there, but in ways it is still ahead of its time, and its got that great Piero Piccioni space-jazz score with Mina doing scat vocals, AND its got Marcello at his most suave-cool since "La Dolce Vita", AND its got Ursula Andress shooting bullets from her bra!

... As always, gli italiani were way ahead of us in style and attitude, and it's evidenced herein.

Only weak point of the film is the wrap-up, but such capers tended towards the flip in that day. The 10th Victim and director Pietro Germi was certainly prescient ...

Soundtrack on EASY TEMPO records is also highly recommended.

In a deadly 10 round spectator sport participants alternate between being hunters and hunted. Naturally, the huntress falls in love with the "victim" of her final round in this highly stylized Italian 60's parody.

Until recently The 10th Victim has been worth seeing due to its strong futuristic aestetic value and black humor. However, now the theme of this movie can be seen in a new light. Today audiences - who are bored with staged nastyness - want to see the real thing. This they can find on a host of survival shows, where participants are encouraged to humiliate one another and themselves in various ways. One of the factors that has contributed to paving the way for such Reality TV are the many movies that predicted this form of entertainment. The 10th Victim is an early example.

In a deadly 10 round spectator sport participants alternate between being hunters and hunted. Naturally, the huntress falls in love with the "victim" of her final round in this highly stylized Italian 60's parody.

Until recently The 10th Victim has been worth seeing due to its strong futuristic aestetic value and black humor. However, now the theme of this movie can be seen in a new light. Today audiences - who are bored with staged nastyness - want to see the real thing. This they can find on a host of survival shows, where participants are encouraged to humiliate one another and themselves in various ways. One of the factors that has contributed to paving the way for such Reality TV are the many movies that predicted this form of entertainment. The 10th Victim is an early example.

I first saw this film on the Million Dollar Movie on WOR Channel 9 out of NYC in 1968, and it is still on of my faves. It's droll and hip, and although it dates itself by some of the content, I still believe it was ahead of its time. Rent it at before buying. It's not for everyone. Must be seen for the opening sequence during which Ursula shoots a guy with her bikini top; this is the inspiration for the fem-bots in Austin Powers.

Ursula Andress is in this movie. I'm writing this from fading memory since it hasn't been available in decades... but basically its about a society where the mukity mucks play a game where they are assigned a person to track and assasinate for fun. It had crisply done performances but could have had better editing. I look forward to its long awaited re-release on video.

The Tenth Victim is an amazing bit of fun from 1965-Italy ,highlighting awesome fashion and wacky near future dark humor. This film sorely overdue for a rerelease has a lot of entertaining visuals as well as great parodies of society. Mike Meyers really got a lot of mileage from this film right down to his band name Ming Tea from a great scene where an ad is being produced at the scene of a hunt kill. The amazing soundtrack has already been re-released.Austin Powers has revisited the sensibility but we need the real thing it is definitely not to be missed. The last I heard New Line had the property but did not plan a release let them know yoiu are interested.This is a cult classic,no two ways about it.

Once again, I am so proud and impressed with Mike Myers for even knowing about this film and parodying it in the orginal "Austin Powers" movie... Ursula and Marcelo at their cheesiest best; a whole new twist to boy meets girl, Italian style; quite mod and a must see for all mockers!

Once again, I am so proud and impressed with Mike Myers for even knowing about this film and parodying it in the orginal "Austin Powers" movie... Ursula and Marcelo at their cheesiest best; a whole new twist to boy meets girl, Italian style; quite mod and a must see for all mockers!