death Collector

Joseph Cortese, Joe Pesci, Lou Criscuolo, Bobby Alto, Frank Vincent, Keith Davis, Jack Ramage

Ralph De Vito

N/A

85 min

Crime

English

N/A

This is headlined as a Joe Pesci film but this is really Joseph Cortese’s show. Embodying a kind of low-rent DeNiro, Cortese exudes a soave confidence that helps him carry the movie on his shoulders. Despite his standing as a hotheaded killer, you can’t help but love the guy. The mob-hit nature of the story also keeps this moving. It’s not quite Goodfellas, but the sense of doom surrounding all of the characters is just as stale. You know anyone could be lying facedown in a pool of blood at any moment, which is always good to maintain the tension. Also helping you to feel at home in the genre is Pesci who plays up to type (as a weasely mobster always teetering on the edge of exploding) perfectly. Managing to tick most of the boxes – violence, nudity and the occasional moment of black comedy – this is by no means a classic, but it’s a solid entry in the 70s mob movie stable. Must see Scene: While Jerry, Joe and another mook sit in a car waiting to lay into someone, one of them lets one rip causing the other two to cover their faces. It’s a welcome light-hearted moment that breaks the otherwise bleak mood.