Wading further into the genre of poliziottesco/Eurocrime, Day of the Cobra (1980; Il giorno del Cobra) stars Italian superstar Franco Nero (the original Django himself) as the “Cobra”, a name which is never explained but has a catchy theme song (with the bluesy lyric, “Don’t give a damn – I am the Cobra!”). The movie itself is typical cop movie schlock with a plot that seems both very simple and unnecessarily complicated. Nero is a private detective, slumming around in San Francisco with a goofy hat and a trench coat, before he is asked by his former narcotics boss to track down a murdering drug runner in Italy. Nero’s vibe in this reminded me of Burt Reynolds in that he portrays himself as the toughest guy in the room, but never takes things too seriously – he’s always chewing gum, playing with a stress ball and making corny jokes (almost winking at the camera with each punchline). But then the film will also occasionally pivot into harsh violence that is jarring with the lackadaisical tone of the protagonist (ensuring Nero gets some intense emoting to do as well; for example, the way the subplot with his precocious son wraps up). Sybil Danning (from Battle Beyond The Stars) is also in the mix as the night club hostess who helps the Cobra (but can she be trusted??). There are still some great chase scenes and over the top fights, bolstered by the pulsating disco score by Paolo Vasile (which is truly great). Only worth your time if you are into the genre or Franco Nero. (You should be able to find a copy on YouTube)
VHS Tracking 