The following review is an extract from the book "Mafia films - a guide", which is now available on Amazon. This book is very interesting not only for gangster movie lovers, but also for people who like to read about real Mafia history and facts, as the real events in which some of the movies are based are also analyzed.
"In this modest, low-budget gangster film by a director who would never go behind the cameras again, two greats of the genre made their big-screen debut: the famous Joe Pesci (as Joe) and Frank Vincent (as Bernie). Robert De Niro, who two years earlier had played the young Vito Corleone in "The Godfather II" (F.F. Coppola, 1974) saw the film and perceived the great potential of both actors. Pesci and Vincent were recommended by De Niro to Martin Scorsese for the cast of "Raging Bull" (audiovisual biography of boxer Jake La Motta, to be released in 1980). From then on, Pesci and Vincent would become inseparable casting partners for De Niro, and regular collaborators of Scorsese; shining especially with their roles in "Goodfellas" (1990) and "Casino" (1995). These Mafia-themed masterful epos are in every respect far above the movie we are dealing with now, but it is nonetheless interesting to see the Pesci/Vincent duo in their film debut, in their first accredited roles in a genre in which they would both specialize over the years.
"The Death Collector" tells the story of Jerry, a young man who is willing to do anything to succeed in the dangerous world of the Mafia. As is often the case, he must face both the members of rival families... and the intrigues and betrayals of those he considers his friends. For, as Scorsese will show us later in "Goodfellas," the killer always comes with a smile, and the one who's trying to kill you, or who's plotting your death, may be the one you least expect...
The whole film is a big flashback, starting with the same scene as the one at the end: a boss supervises how several of his men take a body out of the trunk of a car to bury it. The identity of the dead man, unknown at first, will be revealed at the end. Although the predominant tone is dramatic, reflecting the usual conflicts of the genre such as honour, loyalty and betrayal (all seasoned with large doses of violence), there is also room for light-hearted scenes of a humorous nature."
"In this modest, low-budget gangster film by a director who would never go behind the cameras again, two greats of the genre made their big-screen debut: the famous Joe Pesci (as Joe) and Frank Vincent (as Bernie). Robert De Niro, who two years earlier had played the young Vito Corleone in "The Godfather II" (F.F. Coppola, 1974) saw the film and perceived the great potential of both actors. Pesci and Vincent were recommended by De Niro to Martin Scorsese for the cast of "Raging Bull" (audiovisual biography of boxer Jake La Motta, to be released in 1980). From then on, Pesci and Vincent would become inseparable casting partners for De Niro, and regular collaborators of Scorsese; shining especially with their roles in "Goodfellas" (1990) and "Casino" (1995). These Mafia-themed masterful epos are in every respect far above the movie we are dealing with now, but it is nonetheless interesting to see the Pesci/Vincent duo in their film debut, in their first accredited roles in a genre in which they would both specialize over the years.
"The Death Collector" tells the story of Jerry, a young man who is willing to do anything to succeed in the dangerous world of the Mafia. As is often the case, he must face both the members of rival families... and the intrigues and betrayals of those he considers his friends. For, as Scorsese will show us later in "Goodfellas," the killer always comes with a smile, and the one who's trying to kill you, or who's plotting your death, may be the one you least expect...
The whole film is a big flashback, starting with the same scene as the one at the end: a boss supervises how several of his men take a body out of the trunk of a car to bury it. The identity of the dead man, unknown at first, will be revealed at the end. Although the predominant tone is dramatic, reflecting the usual conflicts of the genre such as honour, loyalty and betrayal (all seasoned with large doses of violence), there is also room for light-hearted scenes of a humorous nature."