THE CLIMBER aka L’Ambizioso (1975)
Starring: Joe Dallesandro, Stefania Casini, Benito Artesi / Directed by: Pasquale Squitieri.
After shooting cult favourites Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula in Europe, Joe Dallesandro spent much of the seventies making movies on the continent. In France he worked with auteurs like Louis Malle and Walerian Borowczyk, and in Italy he starred in all manner of genre fare from poliziotteschi (Savage Three, Season for Assassins) to nunsploitation (Killer Nun).
The Climber follows in the tradition of gangster classics such as The Public Enemy and Scarface as it charts the rise and inevitable fall of small-time smuggler Aldo (Dallesandro). Beaten and abandoned by the local gang boss after he tries to skim off some profits for himself, Aldo forms his own group of misfits in order to exact revenge.
Written and directed by Pasquale Squitieri (Gang War in Naples, I Am the Law), The Climber is a prime example of Italian crime cinema – a high-octane action-thriller full of brawls, fistfights, shootouts and explosions!
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original negative/High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations/Original Italian soundtrack in uncompressed PCM mono with optional newly-translated English subtitles/Alternative English-language soundtrack with optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing/Little Joe’s Adventures in Europe, a brand-new interview with Joe Dallesandro on his numerous European film appearances during the 1970s and early 1980s/Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Roberto Curti, author of Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980
