How about Nic Cage as “the Spider”? Yes, it’s cool that we have a Spider-Man set in 1930s New York and played by Nic Cage who spends more time getting sloshed rather than wearing the mask. I even like the fact that you can watch this show in black and white. So, yeah, Spider-Noir is a winner. I mean it’s no Morbius, but what is really? 

Tonight’s movie is 1975’s Syndicate Sadists from Umberto Lenzi. Syndicate Sadists also went by the titles Final Payment and Rambo’s Revenge. Yes, the main character in this movie is called Rambo not to be confused with John Rambo as famously played by Sylvester Stallone. Our Rambo tonight is played by Tomas Milian and has nothing to do with the Vietnam Vet many of us children in the 80s looked up to as he blew up a small town in Washington State. Don’t worry. This movie has plenty of violence worthy of the Rambo name.

Our Rambo in this movie is a wayward biker, moving wherever the wind takes him. Rambo’s good friend, Mario (Pino Scalia) works for a private police force that rents out their services to whomever can pay. It seems that crime is out of control in Italy that the regular police are no longer enough to handle the job. Mario takes Rambo out to their headquarters thinking he can interest him in a career, but Rambo is a lone wolf who doesn’t work for anyone. Mario needs the money to provide for his loving wife and son, hoping to give them a better life than the one he grew up with. Naturally, he gets his head bashed against some rocks by one of the local mafia members.

Mario was investigating the kidnapping of a prominent doctor’s young son who is being held for ransom. What’s with these movies and child ransom? Was this a regular thing over in Italy during the 1970s? Anyway, Rambo forms a plan. He’ll go to a rival crime family and speak with their patriarch, Paternò (Joseph Cotton)), to gain intel on the guys who kidnapped the doctor’s son and killed his best friend. Rambo attempts to free the kid, but gets cornered so he must let the kid go back into the arms of the kidnappers.

I suppose Syndicate Sadists doesn’t feel as violent as Almost Human, but I suppose that must do more with the fact that we’re following a righteous protagonist that doesn’t play by the rules. Plus, he’s playing the two mob families off each other so there’s a bit of joy in watching the bad guys do each other in. One scene involves Paternò’s son, Ciccio (Adolfo Lastretti), forcing a thug to overdose on cocaine by pouring a whole bag into his mouth. Nasty stuff. 

Still, all is not without cost. Rambo’s exotic dancer girlfriend gets beaten to death by Ciccio. Don’t worry. Rambo will make sure Ciccio gets what’s coming to him. I got a serious Shane vibe from this movie. 

Jeff Shuster (episode 47, episode 102, episode 124, episode 131, episode 284, episode 441, episode 442, episode 443, episode 444, episode 450, episode 477, episode 491, episode 492, episode 493, episode 495, episode 496, episode 545, episode 546, episode 547, episode 548, episode 549, episode 575, episode 596, episode 597, episode 598, episode 599, episode 642, episode 643, episode 644, episode 645, episode 670, episode 686, episode 687,  688, and 689) is an MFA graduate from the University of Central Florida.