Danger: Diabolik (1968)

A master criminal (John Phillip Law) going by the name of Diabolik and his lover (Marisa Mell) commit large scale heists and frustrate the police inspector (Michel Piccoli) who is unable to capture him. Fighting fire with fire, the police inspector blackmails a gangster (Adolfo Celi, THUNDERBALL) into capturing Diabolik for him. Based on the Italian comic series (called fumetti in Italy) and directed by Mario Bava (LISA AND THE DEVIL). This is a colorful and fun romp which catches just the right tone of the Italian pop art style in Italian cinema at the time (BARBARELLA and THE 10TH VICTIM are other examples). Bava doesn't condescend to the material and go the "camp" route and wink at the audience (like Losey's MODESTY BLAISE), he takes it seriously which makes it work. The film's ending cries out "Sequel!" but the film proved a financial and critical disappointment so it never happened. Posterity has been kinder to it and it now has a major cult following. The art direction and production design (inexplicably uncredited) are dazzling and Ennio Morricone's clever score highlight the film. With Terry Thomas and Claudio Gora.