User reviews

Just saw this movie and I gotta say it was a pretty fun hour and a half of goomba gore and senseless mafia shananagins. And although it's a little incoherent at times, overall it's not a bad B movie. It's a Grindhouse feature and it's straight out of the "exploitation" genre so its got all the guilty pleasures that you would expect (eg: naked women, Afros, bloody violence and lots of political incorrectness). If you're looking for an Oscar winning mafia film like the "Godfather", "Casino" or "Goodfellas" then "Fah git about it" but if you enjoy movies that inspired writers and directors like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to make their own films then you'll dig this one. After all who doesn't enjoy a senselessly violent B movie with questionable acting and naked broads once in a while...I know I do.

Ed Wood comparisons are inevitable. A truly Personalized, Visionary Style emanates from the Id of Writer/Director/Producer/Actor/Singer/Lounge Performer, Duke Mitchell. This Movie one of two He helm-ed, the other Gone With the Pope (that was shot but not edited before His death) finished by Fans and Friends and finally released.

The Thing is, like Ed Wood, Duke Mitchell had much more Energy and Aspirations than Talent. But that didn't stop Him from making a Living doing what He Loved. Performing as a Martin and Lewis Rip-Off with Sammy Partillo that was stopped by a Lawsuit before it could cause much Damage, singing at a Lounge in Palm Springs, and making Movies.

This one is a sight to behold and Fans of Grindhouse, Bad Movies, and Inept over the top Fun Films, have touted this very Personal Film as an Underground Masterpiece. It is straight-faced (tongue nowhere near the cheek) and in your face, Didactic Dumbness, Ultra-Violent, almost incomprehensible in Plot, and full of one Bizarre Scene with Dizzying Dialog after another.

It is almost Breathless if not Breathtaking watching this Thing unfold in all its Audacious Splendor. The Opening Scene is enough to Hook the Curious and the rest is nothing Less than Mind Altering in its Display of almost incompetence. But it is Ultimately Magnetic and Magnificently Moronic.

A Sicilian mob hit-man winds up in Hollywood, shooting pimps, hookers, rivals, and lackeys in one of the most deliriously gonzo grindhouse epics of the 1970s. Much time is spent on dinner conversation, wherein gut-busting hilarious dialog is delivered with impeccably mislaid motivation(one memorably clamorous censure involving an old lady's hands is a howler of awkwardly earnest sentiment). Add to that a heaping helping of very nasty gun violence, and you've got yourself one flaming spitball of a movie-- it's point-blank brutal, occasionally somewhat poignant, and a treasure trove of unintentional laughs.

Produced with empty pockets and a whole lot of misguided enthusiasm, this is gimcrack amateur filmmaking wholly uncorrupted by Hollywood's questionable influence. No frills cheap thrills...a bonne-bouche for fans of nethermost cinema, capice?

7/10

The travails and exploits of a Sicilian hit-man, one could accurately refer to The Executioner as a classic example of deservedly obscure and very sleazy 70s exploitation. It's poorly written and it's badly acted. Thus, what this film really needed was more action and fewer lines. The story takes into account the rise of XXX pornography, as the main character in The Executioner considers entering into the porn industry as its taking off with the success of Deep Throat, which kind of connects the film's violent content to sex, both prime exploitation ingredients. As a 70s exploitation film, The Executioner has too much of the downside and not enough of the upside that that term carries with it. Still, for fans of borderline bad movies, it may not be a total disappointment.

This film is funny. It starts out with 2 goons walking into an office building and wasting all the folks inside, guns blazing. Now in the real world once gun shots are heard everyone scrambles for cover and hides or tries desperately to get out of that building. But in this movie victims hear the gunfire and see bodies dropping like flies but they continue to casually stand around drinking cocktails or hanging out by the hallway water coolers, or going for a whiz at the urinals despite of all the carnage. Only when the bad guys are right in front of the victims do they get scared.... a hilarious goof. A laughable, low budget crime movie. An unintentional comedy.

Oh my. It has been so many years since I saw that preview, but I never forgot it. Three minutes of non-stop violence, no dialog (not that it needs any), the infamous "urinal scene" and all accompanied by a VERY catchy little song about being in love?! Finally I get to see The Executioner, on a Danish-subtitled bootleg of all things (and FYI I guess certain bad words don't translate well into Danish; ha ha) and I'm just blown away. I won't write a "spoiler" of the plot as, to be honest, I don't completely understand it . Not that it matters, I was still very very entertained and find Duke Mitchell completely fascinating. He's gotta be THE sleaziest non-porno person I've EVER seen on screen and was apparently a lounge singer prior to making the film; he contributes some unbelievably schmaltzy tunes to the soundtrack too. Someone, PLEASE dig up the negative or a nice print and release a proper DVD of this classic film! And while you're at it maybe write a biography of Duke Mitchell too!

I did not think this was a very good movie, even for an exploitation movie. It is supposed to be shocking and gory. It does not come off that way. It seems cheesy, poorly acted and unrealistic. I know Grindhouse needs to be over the top, but this is just ridiculous.

It isn't the worst exploitation movie, but it isn't very good either.

If any movie ever made Italians look bad, this is it.

Duke Mitchell - what an A--HOLE. Duke Mitchell, I s--t on your grave. Seeing as practically every person gunned down in this film by the cowardly Mimi is either black or of some other racial or ethnic minority, it's hard not to become convinced that the guy ultimately owes his allegiance to the Ku Klux Klan or skinheads. Awww, but he doesn't shoot the little black kid in the elevator in the opening sequence, so that means he can't be all bad, right? WRONG. Typical softheaded sentimental tripe.

While I do understand why some people might be struck by and even, to a certain extent, admire the film's audacious, totally un-PC verve (it's certainly unashamed of its own hatefulness and sense of self-involvement), this doesn't change the fact that the main character, Mimi (and, by extension, Duke Mitchell), is thoroughly loathsome human being who earns not one iota of empathy or interest, especially given that Duke Mitchell is such a COMPLETE BORE as a performer. But what do you expect from a guy whose main claim to fame (apart from this dog t--d of a movie) was being a second rate Dean Martin imitator?

(1978) Duke Mitchell's Massacre Mafia Style/ Like Father, Like Son DUBBED CRIME DRAMA

Low budget film produced, directed, and starred Duke Mitchell which at the opening, showcases 2 cronies going on a killing spree on a high rise building using only small hand gun revolvers. It's like no one in the other rooms can't even hear the shooting. After this fake-looking massacre was done, we're then placed back in time introducing us to one of the two characters that was doing all that shooting. His name is Mimi played by Duke Mitchell who was intending to settle some scores after his mafia don dad was deported back to Italy. And upon flying to Los Angeles, he searches for his old friend again named Jolly(Vic Ceasers), who works at a bar, and the first thing they do is kidnap one of the head mob named Chucky Tripoli(Lou Zito) so that both of them can extort some money. The next thing you know, it's one fake looking massacre after the next with no mentioning of any cops or other mob-ish cronies arming themselves with any guns either. It's so dumb and looks so fake that it almost appears that those revolvers were probably the only two guns used throughout the entire movie- it's that low budget. The only thing that looked remotely real are probably the female nude scenes which they can also be implants I was looking at.

The opening sequence of "Massacre Mafia Style" is truly unforgettable.Two cold-blooded mafia executioners stroll into a Los Angeles office and after electrocuting some poor chap in the bathroom urinal they shoot to death everybody in sight.The film follows the exploits of Mini(Duke Mitchell),son of a once great Sicilian mobster,who returns to America after his fathers exile to reclaim his families name as a top crime enforcer.What follows is a mafioso rise and fall awashed with blood and suffering.Mini never actually rises.He is just a mechanical killer,who has enough balls to start mob war.This sleazy and extremely violent mafia thriller truly deserves to be called a cult classic.9 out of 10.

Duke Mitchell's THE EXECUTIONER looks like it was shot for fifty bucks over a long weekend. That said, it is still one of the very best American gangster films ever made. Alternately mean-spirited, tragic, poetic and downright hilarious, it pushes the envelope beyond the bounds of acceptability and offers no apologies. This is about as raw and honest as it gets, folks. An absolute must-see.

Duke Mitchell. Genius? Possibly. Great Actor? No. B-Movie God? Absolutely. This movie has it all. Urinals, desk lamps, crucifixion, pimps, and massive killing sprees. The opening scene pulls you in and makes you want to vomit. Throughout the film are choice lines of dialogue like, "Anyone can carry this piece. It takes a man to use it," "Hey Mimi. long time no see," "Cut another slice," and "Makin' these jive-ass superhuman movies, super human this, super human that" voiced by people who are clearly not actors. Maybe robots, but not actors. The score is composed by the Duke himself, who also directed, produced, and starred in this masterpiece. In conclusion, this is the best movie anyone will ever see in his or her life and it is a pity that the only way to get it is in bootleg form. Hopefully, someone will release it on DVD so I can watch Duke Mitchell and his buddy Vic Caesar in all their glory.

Massacre Mafia Style (1978)

** (out of 4)

Duke Mitchell's middle finger to THE GODFATHER has him playing a mafia guy who goes to America to get in on all the action but soon realizes that things have changed since his father was running the business. However, he realizes way too late and before he does so there's a bloody gang war. MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE has become a cult classic over the years and it's very easy to see why. This film has so many awful moments but that is what makes the film so special and so darn funny at times. The movie opens up with a couple mafia guys walking through a packed office and just blasting people away. What makes this rather long sequence so funny is that people just stand there pretty much posing and waiting to be shot. There's a part where four or five men are just lined up and the mafia guys go through them one at a time. Umm...ever think of running? This entire sequence is without question one of the funniest moments you're ever going to witness in a film that isn't a comedy. There are other hilarious moments scattered throughout the film but for the most part nothing comes close to being as funny. With that said, the entire message that Mitchell is trying to give off is rather ridiculous and especially towards the end when he goes on a "sad" rant to his father about how the times have changed. Hey, we at least get to hear Mitchell sound off about dirty hippies and their pot. The performances are all pretty bad and that includes Mitchell but you've still got to love his work because he's trying so hard. Here recently a lot of movies are purposely made bad so that they can try and gain some cult attention. I think the key to great cult movies like this, PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and even THE ROOM is that the filmmakers really did try to do something "serious" but it just didn't work. There's obviously love on the screen but none of it works. From the laughable dialogue to the questionable screenplay to the wild violence, nothing here works except for those who love bad movies.

The Executioner is quite possibly the greatest film to be put out in the last 100 years. In my opinion, it should be mandatory viewing for every person in the world. This movie tour-de-force was directed, produced, and starring Duke Mitchell. It's a pity that their are no more geniuses in Hollywood with minds like Duke's.

"You see these hands? Know what they smell of? Oregano! Pasinigol! Beautiful herbs! They gave you mostaccioli, lasagna, pizza--some of the most appreciated foods in the world! But what did we give her, Chucky, eh? We gave her violence. We gave her death. We gave her dishonor!" So says the hero, actor/writer/director/producer Duke Mitchell of his sainted paisan grandma in MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE, the greatest of all forgotten American grindhouse movies of the nineties. It's almost impossible to evoke the impassioned lunacy of this movie, which suggests a low-low-budget version of GOODFELLAS directed by Sam Fuller after sharing a speedball with Richard Pryor. Let's just say that the movie opens with a paraplegic being electrocuted using a desk lamp and an office urinal; soars ahead to a scene where a black pimp is crucified while the L.A. Philharmonic plays Handel's Messiah at the Hollywood Bowl; and climaxes with the remorseful hero saying, "The Italian wasn't disgraced, Chucky--we disgraced it!" Somewhere, Jade Stallone, son of the great man and proprietor of Grindhouse Releasing, has Duke Mitchell's final masterwork, GONE WITH THE POPE, discovered in Duke's bedroom closet after his demise. Bring on THE POPE! And, God be prasied, some day bring MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE--a bootleg favorite--to the public's eye. Even Master Sam himself never went quite so cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

This mega cheapo budget film has all of the plot devices of The Godfather and none of the acting, directing, writing, cinematography, special effects, choreography, camera work, or general feeling. I haven't seen the Plan 9 From Outer Space but this easily has to compete with it for worst acting. Every word, every line sounds as forced out as every line in Pink Flamingos. Getting the actors to time their movements even was disaster. This movie also has the distinguishment of being one of the most racially challenged movies ever. The only black man in the film is called Super Spook!!!!! Super Spook is actually crusified!! The Italian American community is portrayed as dumb mob hoods who revel in Spaghetti! The movies mob bosses are weaklings who forgive having relatives killed and body parts cut off. The only worth in watching this is knowing you could easily do a better job. How bad is the writing? When a mob boss is kidnapped his finger his cut off and mailed home with a ransom note, a friend upon reading the note and seeing the thumb utters the stupid line "That's Chucky's thumb all right, I've seen it on him a million times" A THUMB!!!!! Give this movie a three out of ten, for hilarious stupidity and a wacked out soundtrack!

In the funky anals of far-out filmdom very few Grindhouse features are able to arouse the kind of unruly clamour among celluloid cultists like Duke Mitchell's terminally deranged 'The Executioner', witnessing the exhilarating explosion of uncompromisingly violent, unexpurgated bullet-shredding carnage during the credits doing little to prepare the agape, blood-spattered viewer for the ceaselessly gratuitous salvo of malevolent, mob-handed mega-deaths to follow! Leaving behind a suspiciously Californian-looking Sicily, Mimi Miceli Jr. the bellicose, pistol-happy son of 'Capo dei tutti' Don Mimi (Lorenzo Dodo) aims to build a criminal empire in L.A to rival that of New York and when he hooks up with epically-named childhood compadre 'Jolly Rizzo' (Vic Caesar) they join their not inconsiderable forces and bloodily hatch an altogether nefarious plan to destabilize local mobster's Chucky Tripoli's (Lou Zito) 'legitimate' business and via brute force rather than guile in order to re-establish their own far from 'legitimate' retrograde mafia in the city of angels, and the diabolical, death-dealing duo of Mimi & Rizzo very soon confront a worthy adversary in 'Super Spook' (Jimmy Williams), a towering pimp who refuses to acquiesce to their rather inflexible demands, and the tumultuous bloodshed subsequently unleashed as their monstrous lust for power inevitably places them dead bang in the retaliatory crossfire of a singularly sanguineous showdown that raises ''Massacre Mafia Style' vertiginously aloft upon the corpse-strewn celluloid pantheon of all-time hardcore B-Movie bad assery! At any given moment during the hysterical swathe of hypertrophic gun violence it frequently felt as though one were witnessing an especially gruesome missive from some benign grindhouse god, ''Massacre Mafia Style' is far more than just a trashy gangster flick, it is a mayhemic mantra to outrageous Mafioso-style murder madness and lurid visionary Duke Mitchell's cinematic legacy is assured by having unleashed one of the more sensationally seismic 70s grindhouse extravaganzas ever conceived for serially sin-seeking, sewer-dwelling cinephiles. Ending on a somewhat metaphysical note, after recently experiencing the aforementioned film I was left with the profoundly unsettling sensation that the indomitable vanguard spirit of Duke Mitchell had been reincarnated in the eerily sound-alike figure of fellow thespian Mickey Rourke!

Hey!! And if you are not 'in' with The Executioner you are in the way!...As Tonight we eat, tomorrow we shoot!' This Duke cat sure 'aint kiddin', folks!