Skip to main content
Action Cult Classic

Escaped killer Nanni Vitali wages a brutal vendetta across 1970s Italy.

THE MAD DOG KILLER

Out of Prison ... Out of Control ... and Totally Out of His Mind!

1977 · 1h 31m · NR · Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller · IMDB TMDB

In Italy, escaped sadistic killer Nanni Vitali and his henchmen terrorize the populace and seek revenge against those responsible for Vitali's incarceration.

5,470 FilmsIn The Vault
Vault UpdatedDaily
Curated ByHumans
No AlgorithmBullsh*t
Vault Note

Poliziottesco completists, consider this a mandatory rendezvous.

Programmer's Pick

If your taste in crime cinema runs toward the unhinged, The Mad Dog Killer delivers: Helmut Berger brings unfiltered menace as Nanni Vitali, and poliziottesco fans will recognize the blend of sleaze, violence, and nihilism endemic to 1970s Italy. Between a payroll robbery, full-frontal nudity, and a trail of revenge, this one doesn’t exactly play nice.

— SassyFlix Programmer
Quick Answer
What is The Mad Dog Killer about?

The Mad Dog Killer is a 1977 Italian-Spanish action crime thriller directed by Enzo Milioni and Sergio Grieco about escaped sadistic killer Nanni Vitali and his gang terrorizing Italy in a spree of violence and revenge.

Details & Specs
Directors
Enzo Milioni, Sergio Grieco
Writer
Sergio Grieco
Release
1977
Runtime
1h 31m
Country
Spain, Italy
Language
Italian
Also Known As
Ferocious, Beast With a Gun, Ultime Violence, Der Wilde, Du brutales Schwein!, The Mad Dog Killer

Synopsis

Dangerous criminal Nanni Vitali escapes from prison with four accomplices. The four steal a car, rob a petrol station and beat the owners to death. They then they kidnap Barbareschi, the person who had originally given the tip off to the authorities that led to Vitali's arrest. At the time of Barbareschi's kidnapping, there is also his woman, Giuliana, who is raped by Vitali himself while his accomplices beat up and kill Barbareschi. Commissioner Santini, son of the prosecutor who had sentenced Vitali, tries to stop him.

Battles continue between the two: the criminals blackmail Giuliana, trying to organize a robbery with her which is unsuccessful thanks to the confession of Giuliana, who goes to the police station to reveal the intentions of the criminals. Commissioner Santini then organizes a trap in which Vitali's accomplices are captured. They manage to escape, making his way by shooting his machine gun from a speeding car. Vitali visits his sister to ask her for money and tells her that he will leave the country only after settling accounts with Commissioner Santini and with Giuliana who has betrayed him.

Back in the city, he lurks in the building opposite the one where Giuliana is staying managing to wound her with a rifle. Later, having secured the collaboration of a young delinquent of his admirer, Aldo Pacesi known as Bimbo, kidnaps Carla and Judge Santini, respectively sister and father of the commissioner. Receiving phone calls asking for ransom, Inspector Santini locates the kidnappers in an abandoned shed in a small village. They shoot and kill Pacesi as Santini also manages to get the better of Vitali with a fight that ends in a hand-to-hand combat. The police intervene to arrest Vitali, and at the same time Santini's father, who had been wounded by Pacesi in a clumsy escape attempt, is taken away in an ambulance, remaining alive.

Why Cult

Poliziottesco Chaos

This is Italian 'poliziottesco' at its most savage, with corrupt cops, brutal criminals, and the dark side of 1970s society on full display.

Helmut Berger Menace

Helmut Berger takes center stage as Nanni Vitali, a sadistic escaped convict with a score to settle, upping the intensity in every scene.

Sleaze and Violence

Expect the era’s blend of explicit nudity and relentless brutality, from full-frontal shocks to blunt acts of revenge.

Corrupt Revenge Plot

A vengeful rampage pits violent criminals against the justice system, with betrayal and bloodshed at every turn.

Questions from the Vault

What is The Mad Dog Killer about? +

The Mad Dog Killer follows escaped criminal Nanni Vitali and his gang as they unleash violence and seek vengeance in Italy, pursued by Commissioner Santini.

Who directed The Mad Dog Killer? +

The Mad Dog Killer was directed by Enzo Milioni and Sergio Grieco.

How long is The Mad Dog Killer? +

The Mad Dog Killer has a runtime of 91 minutes.

What genre is The Mad Dog Killer? +

The Mad Dog Killer is an action, crime, drama, and thriller film.

Where can I watch The Mad Dog Killer? +

The Mad Dog Killer is available to watch on SassyFlix.