BLAZING MAGNUM (known as SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM) is both something special and equally, the final sum in Italian genre cinema. What do I mean by this? Well lets take a look at the plot to glean some details. When tough cop Tony Saitta (Stuart Whitman) darling sister is poisoned while at university, it seems that the married doctor she has been playing away with, is prime suspect. However when after a brawl with three trans women, it becomes clear he is innocent. Then a few car chases and a couple of questions, (including in the then censored sex shop scene with added dildos) its clear Sis was a bit more than she made out.

Yep. I have never seen BLAZING MAGNUM, though I know it was in the cycle of films called Poliziotteschi that, as any Italian genre fan knows, replicated American film hits like THE FRENCH CONNECTION and DIRTY HARRY. What you get with it is much more than that genre. Its a police, detective film that apes bits of Giallo, Poliziotteschi, action and even western tropes. These are not negative things (though in truth the story is nonsensical), more they are honest appraisals of a film that never commits to anything and gives the audience the out of just plain fun. Alberto De Martino, known for his ability to mirror genre, delivers. He is (what would in Hollywood have been called) a B Movie director, whose skill is to direct anything handed him, well. So when we get car chases, we get thundering car chases. Shoot outs are bang, blang, boom. You get it.

I imagine that signing on to this, Stuart Whitman, John Saxon and not then but later, Oscar winner Martin Landau were convinced more by the pay check than the script. Kim Newman would probably disagree (he never really mentions it) but his feature (thankfully richly researched and delivered with his usual smiles and squints) defines all that is needed for the film and its placing in genre lore. I was less thrilled by Martino talking but genre junkies will be excited no doubt. The thing to note here is that it is very likely that a better presentation of this is around somewhere. So if you are precious and need it to be shiny and stunning, then shop elsewhere.

Product Features

• NEW SPECIAL SENTIMENTS: Alberto De Martino’s Magnum Memories
• NEW CITY HUNTER: Interview with film historian Kim Newman
• Theatrical trailer
• Blu-Ray includes an exclusive set of artcards