Synopsis of Movie

When Superman resurrected the superhero movie in 1978, filmmakers all over the world scrambled to establish their own larger-than-life men of steel. But even among the company of Flash Gordon, Puma Man and Swamp Thing, there was no superhero movie quite like Super Fuzz. This low-budget Italian comedy mixed comic book adventure with slapstick wackiness to create a one-of-a-kind kiddie movie experience.

Super Fuzz focuses on the adventures of Miami police officer Dave Speed. Accidentally sent in too late to evacuate people from a launch site, Officer Dave is exposed to a large burst of red light from a rocket crash. He returns to the police station unharmed but soon discovers he has developed superhuman powers. Not surprisingly, police work is suddenly a lot easier for a guy who can catch bullets in his teeth, see through walls, move objects with his mind and even walk on water.

Just the same, there is a downside to Dave’s powers: they disappear at unexpected moments. With a little help from an observant hobo, Dave realizes what causes the power blackouts: seeing the color red. Meanwhile, Dave’s new notoriety as a super-policeman gets him in trouble with Torpedo, a gangster who doesn’t want any cops with special powers running around. He frames Dave for the disappearance (and supposed death) of his partner, Willy, and gets him put on death row. But with a little help from his super powers, Officer Dave sets out to free his partner and clear his name.

Super Fuzz showed the world how Superman might have turned out if it had been made as a 1970’s Disney live-action comedy. The filmmakers made up for their lack of a Hollywood budget by throwing in every cool low-budget special effect known to man, creating a cartoon-style effect for Dave’s superhuman tunnel-burrowing, brick-wall-punching, and so on.

The film’s good-spirited humor was cemented by the funny performances of its gifted cast, including Terence Hill, a veteran of Italian comedies like My Name Is Trinity; and Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine as Willy.

Super Fuzz fared well at the box office but earned its true following through home video and endless screenings on cable during the early 1980’s. Officer Dave Speed’s super-powered adventures earned a small following of loyal cultists, some of whom can still sing the film’s catchy disco theme song:

“He’s a super-snooper,
Really super-duper!”

Movie Release History

1980 - Super Fuzz

Movie Sub Categories

live-action
sci-fi/fantasy
action/adventure
comedy

Movie Studio

Avco Embassy

Cast

Dave Speed Terence Hill Willy Dunlop Ernest Borgnine
Torpedo Marc Lawrence Rosy Labouche Joanne Dru
Evelyn Julie Gordon Silvius Herb Goldstein
Paradise Alley Sal Borgese Tragedy Row Claudio Ruffini
Slot Machine Sergio Smacchi McEnroy Lee Sandman
Dingo Don Sebastian

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