Loaded Guns Review

	Loaded Guns (1974) (aka Colpo In Canna) Starring Ursula Andress, Marc Porel, Woody Strode Dir. Fernando De Lio Air hostess Nora (Ursula Andress) is approached by a strange man who offers her $100 to deliver an envelope to Silvestra (Woody Strode) and not being one to turn down some easy money she agrees and deliver the letter. Arriving at Silvestra’s place, a seemingly closed circus/funfair, she is greeted by a punch to the stomach and an interrogation from Silvestra and his gang of cronies. It turns out that the letter is from the ‘Americano’ a legendary underworld character with a fearsome reputation; anyone who sees his face, dies! Everyone, including the FBI, CIA and Interpol, is trying to catch him. Hatching a plan they decide that the Americano will contact Nora again and so let her go so they can follow her and thus get their man. Beaten to the point of near unconsciousness Nora staggers away from the Circus only to collapse in the dirt. Luckily for her Circus acrobat Manuel (Marc Porel) finds her and takes her back to his apartment to recuperate, something she does rather quickly, and before you know it she’s naked and in bed with Manuel. All is not what it seems with Nora though as she’s a little more complicated than a mere Air Stewardess, it seems she is an undercover spy; though for whom she’s working for is never quite explained, making things a little confusing.

In fact the film on the whole is a little bizarre. The music and tone of the film would have you believe that this is some kind of comedy or farce, almost like a 'Carry-On' movie. The music reminds me of the theme to ‘Steptoe & Son’ at times and the comical nature of some of the fight scenes are reminiscent of the fights in a Terrence Hill and Bud Spencer movie; lots of big open handed slaps and pummelling fists to the tops of peoples heads accompanied by over the top sound effects, you almost expect to hear tweeting birds when people get knocked out. This is juxtaposed with some pretty nasty violence that confuses the viewer (well this one anyway), for example after a gang of smugglers are ambushed and machine gunned a ruthless gangster walks by the bodies and shoots each one in the head, just to make sure. And just too completely fry the viewers mind a few minutes after this ruthless ambush Nora jumps from behind a bush and kicks and karate chops the bad guy whilst shouting “Kung Fu!” It’s like a scene from ‘Austin Powers’ ! I had to rewind it and watch it again just to make sure my eyes and ears weren’t playing tricks on me.