Like fellow Italian Sergio Martino, genre filmmaker Umberto Lenzi has had a long, eclectic and often bizarre career. The director of several popular polizia (crime) and giallo (violent detective) titles in the ‘60’s and early ‘70’s, he’s primarily known for his horror films that pushed the boundaries of cinematic violence in the early ‘80’s. He also has the dubious distinction of directing “Man From Deep River” (’72); the film single handedly responsible for the Italian cannibal subgenre (that hit a gory peak with Lenzi’s own “Cannibal Ferox” in 1981). However his most distinguished work is undoubtedly the gritty polizia films that he produced sporadically for several years. “Almost Human,” a mean little hostage potboiler from 1974, vividly illustrates the best this subgenre had to offer.

Sacchi (a seedy Thomas Milian) is a small time crook who works for an organized crime outfit in Milan. During a botched bank robbery he panics and ends up shooting a police officer. He is immediately ostracized from the gangster outfit and cut off from his only means of survival. He shows up at his estranged girlfriend Iona’s (Anita Strindberg) apartment looking for money and comfort; bullying his way back into her life. He begins a series of petty crimes, killing another police officer in the process. While picking up Iona from work, he zeros in on her affluent employer Perrino (Guido Alberti) and his socialite daughter Mary Lou (Laura Belli). Along with a couple of low-life friends, Sacchi plots to kidnap Mary Lou and hold her for a substantial ransom.

Looking into the police shooting is Inspector Grandi (genre favorite Henry Silva), who begins to follow the criminal’s increasingly bloody trail of crime. Sacchi and his cohorts end up kidnapping the socialite, but not before murdering her boyfriend and a small group of people in a secluded villa. Their drug-fueled killing spree is particularly sadistic - almost veering into “Last House” territory. While the kidnapping plot slowly unfolds, the body count begins to rise as Sacchi’s behavior grows more and more psychotic. “Almost Human’s” power lies within its unapologetically grim narrative. Though the outcome remains obvious from the beginning, the various twists and turns it takes to get there are refreshingly shocking.

Though not as skillfully shot as Martino’s crime film “Gambling City,” released the same year, “Human” is every bit as involving thanks to its character driven narrative and gritty aesthetic. Written by “Torso” scribe Ernesto Gastaldi and shot by cinematographer Federico Zanni, this mean little polizia is a strong entry in this popular subgenre. Star Milian, whose long career includes roles in Spielberg’s “Amistad” and Sodergergh’s “Traffic,” is at times a bit over the top as career criminal Sacchi, but imbues the role with a sleazy urgency that is always compelling. (Giovanni Radice, who was equally gonzo as Mike Logan in “Ferox” could have easily played the role as well.) It’s odd to see perennial bad guy Henry “Chained Heat” Silva speaking Italian and chasing down the criminals. His presence lends the proceedings an air of respectability. Though his resume is filled with less-than-prestigious titles (“Buck Rogers,” “Mega Force”) he can usually be counted on to turn in a strong performance. Character actor Ray Lovelock, Belli and Alberti all help ground the more fantastic elements.

One of the stranger and more curious aspects of “Human” is the score, provided by film legend Ennio Morricone. Responsible for some of the most memorably evocative scores in the history of cinema, Morricone is also famous for his prolific and often mediocre output. For every lyrical “Fistful of Dollars” there are at least 6 derivative “Orca’s.” One of his more insidious and underrated scores is that of the much maligned “Exorcist 2: The Heretic” from 1977. Though not surprising given his staggering output of work (he contributed music to 10 films in ’77 alone), it appears that he borrowed a haunting flute(?) melody from “Human” and built an entire score around a slightly altered version for “Exorcist 2.” Both scores are memorable and actually serve their respective films well. The score for “Human” is especially strong, often adding an undercurrent of pathos not evident in the narrative.

This No Shame release is just as strong as the package assembled for “Gambling City.” The picture and sound are just as pristine, with only minimal distortion heard in the Dolby Digital mix. There are two half hour features that are a wealth of knowledge; “Like a Beast… Almost” features interviews with director Lenzi (always fascinating to listen to), writer Gastaldi and co-stars Ray Lovelock and Gino Santercole while “Milian Unleashed” features an in-depth, candid interview with the actor. Their participation almost makes up for the fact that there is no feature-length commentary. Also included are the original Italian and international trailers, a poster and still gallery and an informative booklet. Ultimately it’s another solid and well-researched film tribute from the fledgling No Shame Films. No shame, indeed.