Lando Buzzanca Movies
Academy Award-winner Roberto Benigni adapts the classic children's tale by Carlo Collodi for the big-budget family-oriented comedy Pinocchio. In his usual fashion, Benigni directs and stars, this time as the little puppet boy made out of wood. The familiar story begins as a log of pinewood falls out of a cart and lands in front of woodcarver, Geppetto (Carlo Giuffré), who carves the puppet out of longing for a son. When the puppet begins to come alive and cause trouble, Geppetto is arrested and Pinocchio is left to his own naïve worldview. After getting a stern warning from the Blue Fairy (Benigni's wife and producer Nicoletta Braschi), Pinocchio sets out to reunite with his father, become a real boy, and succumb to some desire for adventure. Along the way, he meets a number of characters played by mostly Italian stage actors, including Franco Javarone, Peppe Barra, and Kim Rossi Stuart. The popular Italian comedy team Fichi d'India plays the roles of the Cat and Fox. Released by Miramax in the U.S., the film received an English-dubbed soundtrack with the voice talents of Glenn Close, David Suchet, and Breckin Meyer as Pinocchio. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, (more)
- 1994
In this Italian comedy, eight lifelong friends attending their annual dinner party/reunion must re-evaluate their lives after they read a provocative letter from a group member who recently died. All of the remaining eight are retired. The letter suggests they all move into an empty convent and live the rest of their lives together. Though the eight seem outwardly comfortable and happy, the proposition becomes more enticing. As the evening wears on their truths are revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giorgio Albertazzi, Paolo Bonacelli, (more)
- 1988
Nino Manfredi plays Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who carried out the execution of Jesus. He ignores several signs that proclaim that Jesus is the son of God, including the faith of his wife Claudia (Stefania Sandrelli). Pilate is tormented by his actions and later offers his life to Roman Emperor Tiberius in exchange for an end to the persecution of the Jews. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nino Manfredi, Stefania Sandrelli, (more)
- 1981
- R
A musician with low self-esteem derives vicarious pleasure by luring other men with glimpses of his beautiful wife's body. ~ All Movie Guide
The presence of Joan Collins in the cast to the contrary, the title of the Italian comedy Playing the Field is somewhat misleading. Lando Buzzanca plays a soccer referee, ever anxious to improve himself. This results in mucho slapstick on the soccer filed, with Buzzanca in the middle. Only Ms. Collins manages to escape the sloppy English dubbing. Playing the Field comes to life only during the actual soccer sequences; the script could just as well have been used for ground fertilizer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins, Lando Buzzanca, (more)
- 1973
Dede (Lando Buzzanca) has some problems in this Italian sex comedy. His wife is very domineering, his mistress is sexually insatiable, and he is the proud "keeper" of a very athletic young woman who is his sex slave. The problem? Even with all the variations on sexual hierarchy (submission, equality, dominance) available to him, his attentions wander to yet more women. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In this comedy, a naive priest tries to cure a politician of his womanizing ways by sending him on retreat to a convent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Italian horror legend Lucio Fulci jettisons goes from scary to sexy with this blasphemous erotic comedy about a possessed politician who simply can't keep his hands to himself. After years of dedicating himself exclusively to the cause of politics, Italian senator Gianni Puppis finds his long-suppressed libido suddenly transforms him into a rampaging sex maniac. When a keen eyed photographer captures the potential future president fondling the posterior of a visiting female dignitary, a Dominican monk attempts to cure the politician with a relaxing retreat to a countryside nunnery. Once in the company of twenty-one stunning sisters, however, the senator quickly discovers that the word of God holds little sway over the urges of man. A sacrilegious sex-romp starring Laura Antonelli, Anita Strindberg, Agostina Belli, and Lionel Stander, The Eroticist offers a side of Lucio Fulci rarely seen by his many stateside fans. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lando Buzzanca, Laura Antonelli, (more)
- 1972
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Helmed by acknowledged horror master Lucio Fulci, the political satire All'onorevole Piacciono le Donne stars Lando Buzzanca as Gianni Pupis, a powerful politician who takes a fall in the public eye after his habit of slapping women on the behind leads him to humiliate a different country's leader, causing an international incident that leads Gianni to the church in hopes of rehabilitating his image. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Since the Italian Homo Eroticus was released to the US as Man of the Year, this video version is available under both titles. Lando Buzzanca plays the servant to dazzling socialite Rosanna Podesta. His duties go far beyond carrying tea on a silver tray. Fact is, Rosanna is what you might call insatiatable. Pretty soon, Buzzanca is wondering where his next reserve of energy will be coming from. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
This comedy takes sharp aim at the hypocritical behavior of supposedly celibate Roman Catholic clergy. Keeping to the middle ground, neither too "holy" nor too critical, it was a hit in native Italy. Don Clemente (Lando Buzzanca) has done too good a job as a priest in his rural parish and is promoted to a wealthy parish in Rome. Along with the new job come new temptations, most prominent of which is the desire to embrace the problems of Silvia, a beautiful young prostitute with a yen for married life (Rossana Podesta). Their relationship develops until he must choose between his calling and marrying Silvia. As he is growing accustomed to life in the city, he gains insight into his romantic temptations by observing how his peers and superiors in the church respond to theirs. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1971
This comedy is in the Italian language. In Italy, shoe salesman Rossario runs the risk of being killed by outraged relatives if he has a brief affair with an unmarried woman, or by outraged husbands if he has an affair with a married woman. So when Rossario gets an opportunity to do his job in Copenhagen, where everything is legal (and reasonably non-fatal), he jumps at the chance. On arrival, he is shown gawking at the huge variety of sexual opportunities Danes take for granted. Eventually he falls for a lovely young Danish woman, and they get married. Things get tense for a while when he discovers that she is a famous porn film star, but he gets into the swing of things by the end of the movie. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
In this comic sequel to When Women Had Tails, a group of prehistoric men and women experiment with the recently discovered phenomenon of sex. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
This situation sex comedy falls somewhere in between vulgarity and burlesque. Ulli (Giuliano Gemma) and his six cave-dwelling cronies try to learn all the conveniences of their era -- like building fires, using the wheel, and perfecting the use of tools and weapons. A fire engulfs their tiny island and the men are forced to take a raft to the unknown mainland. There Ulli meets Filli (Senta Berger), and he spends his time trying to make her his monogamous girlfriend by discouraging others who desire her for their own. Ennio Morricone provides the music to this feature, which was a surprising box-office hit in Italy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giuliano Gemma, Senta Berger, (more)
- 1969
- G
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This slapstick comedy concerns the annual auto race in Monte Carlo and boasts an international cast of all-star thespians. Sir Cuthbert Ware-Armitage (Terry-Thomas) is the scheming villain and auto tycoon who will stop at nothing to win the car race. When Chester (Tony Curtis) wins half of the car company in a card game with the villain, a winner-take-all, race is proposed. Bourvil, Dudley Moore and Jack Hawkins also appear in this lighthearted comedy. Jimmy Durante sings the title tune of this pic that features several exciting stunt-driving scenes that ensue between the beginning and end of the international racing competition. The film is an obvious take off of Those Magnificent Men And Their Flying Machines but fails to live up to the quality of it's predecessor. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bourvil, Peter Cook, (more)
- 1969
Susanne (Terry Torday) is the hostess of a popular hotel on the Lahn River. When she vacations in Paris, she becomes romantically involved with the emperor Napoleon. She sets him up with a bride and manages to uncover some military secrets in the court of the amorous emperor. There is plenty of nudity and suggestive dialogue to spice up what is otherwise a routine script with little imagination. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terry Torday, Claudio Brook, (more)
- 1968
A British engineer tries to convince the Mafia to allow an oil refinery on some prime waterfront real estate in Sicily. Proby (Peter McEnery) talks to the mob bosses about the project, but disagreements in the Mafia soon surface. One faction wants the refinery, the other a beachfront resort. Comedy ensues when Proby falls for the beautiful daughter of a mafioso, leading to a family argument. Rosa (Virna Lisi) is engaged to a mobster and causes a stir when she professes her love for the persistent Proby. The mob fights over which direction to choose for the property, as Proby and Rosa fall in love in this romantic comedy adventure. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Virna Lisi, Peter McEnery, (more)
- 1967
Lando Buzzanca plays the legendary lover Don Juan in this erotic Italian comedy drama. Director Alberto Lattuada combines black and white with color photography to distinguish the difference between the action in Sicily and Milan. The plot takes place in the modern world of the 20th century. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lando Buzzanca, Katia Christine, (more)
- 1967
Another comical spaghetti western from director Bruno Corbucci, this film concerns the bumbling exploits of two Southern soldiers (Raimondo Vianello, Lando Buzzanca) who are still fighting the Civil War eight years after its conclusion. They plan various sabotages and guerrilla activities which all go amusingly afoul, spurred on by two scheming women (Monica Randal, Maria Martinez). The prolific Corbucci, brother of filmmaker Sergio Corbucci, returned to the comic western with Tutti per Uno, Botte per Tutti six years later. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1967
In this comedy, a lovely woman lives and loves freely. Her many lovers do not mind and all are happy until one of the men gets possessive and knocks her around. As the woman recovers in the hospital, her physician suggest she try monogamy for a while. She does, but it is not as much fun and so returns to her freewheeling ways. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Cardinale, Nino Manfredi, (more)
- 1967
Yet another entry in a long series of 1960s Italian sex comedies, this one has some clever moments in its study of four beautiful women (Ursula Andress, Marisa Mell, Virna Lisi, and Claudine Auger) who cheat on their husbands to relieve their marital discontent. Jean-Pierre Cassel also stars in this typical anthology written by Ruggero Maccari and Ettore Scola. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ursula Andress, Virna Lisi, (more)
