Salvatore Billitteri Movies

This trashy documentary tries but fails miserably to live up to other comparable exploitation items such as Mondo Cane. Graphic animal cruelty is show as live chickens are fed to a ravenous lizard, dogs fight to the death, and a Caesarean operation follows the skinning of a live snake. Stock footage showing victims of Nazi concentration camps is inserted supposedly to illustrate that man is inhuman and cruel to both animals and people. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

This anthology features three chilling horror stories. "Il Telefono" is credited to Guy de Maupassant, although he never wrote such a story, and concerns a woman (Michele Mercier) receiving telephone calls from beyond the grave. "Wurdulak", by Alexei Tolstoi, stars Boris Karloff as an aging vampire who can only feed on those he loves. Co-starring Mark Damon and Susy Andersen, it is clearly the best story of the three. The final tale, "La Goccia d'Acqua," is falsely credited to Anton Chekhov. It features Jacqueline Pierreux stealing a ring from a corpse she is preparing for burial, only to be murdered by the old woman's ghost. The American version differs in four major areas: the print is shorter, the stories appear in a different order, there is a linking device with Karloff speaking directly to the audience from a foggy void, and Roberto Nicolosi's musical score is replaced with one by lounge-icon Les Baxter. The American release of the film is also missing a comic coda featuring Karloff riding on horseback (or is he?); this appears in most Eurpoean prints of the film, including Mario Bava's original cut. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Originally released in Japan as Saiyu-ki, this animated feature film was purchased by American-International Productions, then retitled, re-edited and redubbed for American consumption. Alakazam is a timid little monkey, who has greatness thrust upon him when he is chosen to rule over all the animals on earth. Unfortunately, once Alakazam attains the crown, he also develops a swelled head. On the orders of King Amo, ruler of an island where all retired magicians reside, Alakazam is imprisoned and taught a lesson or two. The American version of Alakazam the Great was sold to theatres on the strength of its voice talent: Frankie Avalon (as Alakzam), Jonathan Winters, Dodie Stevens, Arnold Stang and Sterling Holloway. Among its Japanese writer/directors was Osamu Tesuka, the man responsible for Astro Boy and Kimba, the White Lion. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A free-spirited nun is sent to work as the nanny for an Austrian baron's seven children and helps them to become a renowned singing group. The Baron is a good man, but he runs his family with the discipline of a drill sergeant. The former novitiate feels that children should be allowed to have fun and so teaches them to start enjoying life. She also encourages the talented septet to sing. When the Baron discovers his children acting frivolously, he is enraged. He is just about to fire her when he hears the sweet singing of his children. He keeps her on a little longer and even begins falling in love with her. But then she must return to her convent to renounce her vows. Later they are reunited and the family begins traveling and singing until the Nazis take over and the Trapp family is forced to flee to the U.S. Based on a true story, it was later reworked and remade as the classic musical The Sound of Music. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Writer-director Jack Hill (Spider Baby, Switchblade Sisters) managed to beat Death Wish to the screens by a year with this violent tale of a citizen touched by crime and deciding to fight back. Her little 11-year old sister is a hopeless addict, the police can't help, and poor Nurse "Coffy" Coffin (Pam Grier) has no choice but to take the law into her own hands. Posing as a Jamaican prostitute, Coffy infiltrates the lairs of pimp King George (Robert DoQui) and kingpin pusher Vitroni (Allan Arbus). Eventually, after her childhood sweetheart is beaten into a coma and she finds out her politician-lover (Booker Bradshaw) is involved, Coffy kills everyone with a shotgun. However, by having a black woman named Coffy get injected with a sugar mixture (the crooks think it's heroin), one can only imagine the filmmakers cackling about Coffy with cream and sugar. In fact, the original ad line promised "Coffy...she'll cream you!" ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi