Lookin' Italian - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Lookin' Italian



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:

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Movie
While most of Matt LeBlanc’s film career has been during or after Friends, there are a few glimpses of a baby Joey Tribiani getting started in the acting world. And while MOST people don’t remember Lookin’ Italian, there are a few of us old timers who remember seeing this on late night TV right around the time that Friends was kicking off. A low budget indie film that was (I think) Matt LeBlanc’s first leading man role, and a film that died so quickly that you almost wondered if it ever started.

Vinnie Pallazzo (Jay Acovone) was once a mob enforcer in an Italian crime family, but has since left the business to work at a book store after tragically shooting his best friend by accident. In an attempt to “pass it along”, Vinny has been helping out his nephew Anthony (a baby faced Matt LeBlanc) to try and avoid the same fate that he suffered in relation to ‘the family’. But while Vinny is a mild mannered man trying to stay low and keep out of harms way, Anthony is full of and vinegar, wanting to live life to the fullest. Which to a young and good looking Italian lad mean babes, friends, hanging out with the wrong crowd, and basically stressing out his uncle.

All seems good until Vinny starts to get sucked back into the family that he once left, and Anthony’s antics drawn the attention of the wrong crowd, culminating in a mini war as Vinny is forced to rescue Anthony from his own dumb decisions.

The film is highly chaotic, with melodrama oozing out the ears, but it has some heart as well. At the end of the day the film revolves around the every growing relationship between an uncle and his nephew. Matt LeBlanc over acts to the point of absurdity at times, but he was basically a newbie in the industry at that point. Basically he portrayed a young, , slightly dense, Italian guy trying to make his name in the acting world, just 9 months before he would start playing a young, , slightly dense, Italian guy trying to make his name in the acting world on Friends. Jay Acovone has probably the best performances in the film, and for good reason considering he was already an established actor at that point. But really, this flick OOOOOZES cheese and bad dialog to the point where it’s almost comical.




Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

According to the insert, Lookin’ Italian is presented by Severin Films in a brand new 4K restoration taken from the OCN (Original Camera Negative) and is shown here in it’s original 1.85:1 framing. According to my google fu and one of the interviews on disc, this was a LOW LOW budget film, estimated between $350K and $380K depending on what source you’re pulling from. And while we’ve always had low budget films, this is almost El Mariachi levels of low on the budgetary scale, and the image definitely shows that. Even with the new restoration there is a very weathered and gritty look to the image, with a worn and yellowed hue to it for most of the film. Grain isn’t over the top, ala 70s and 80s films, but it certainly is heavy and kinda gritty. Which in turn gives the flick an even more worn and weathered look. Fine details look good though, with the sweaty sheen on Matt LeBlanc’s skin glistening nicely, or the ornate costumes and backgrounds of the Italian family meeting in the restaurant. Blacks are a tad milky, but still look solid, and skin tones tend to be a tad ruddy and slightly yellow at times. Otherwise, it’s a solid looking image for what was NOT a looker of a film to begin with back in 1994.








Audio:

the same can be said for the 2.0 DTS-HD MA track as well. It’s not a looker, and the low budget certainly affected it’s sense of explosive energy, but overall does everything quite nicely. Vocals are clean and clear, and ambient sounds are more than appreciable. There’s nothing in the mix that tries to stretch the limitations of the 2.0 world, but it’s capable, with Jeff Beal’s score sounding rich and vibrant, and the few moments of action in the film feeling appropriately weighty.










Extras:

• NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
•Directin' Italian – Interview With Writer/Producer/Director Guy Magar
•Archival Interviews With Cast And Crew
-- Writer/Producer/Director Guy Magar
-- Actor Jay Acovone
-- Actor Matt LeBlanc
-- Actress Stephanie Richards
-- Actor Lou Rawls
-- Actor John LaMotta
• Q&A With Writer/Producer/Director Guy Magar And Actors Jay Acovone, Matt LeBlanc, Stephanie Richards And Ralph Manza From The 1994 Palm Springs International Film Festival
• Inside Edition Exclusive Look
• Behind The Scenes
• Gag Reel
• Trailer

Final Score: ​

I’m not sure I’ll ever LIKE Lookin’ Italian, but it certainly has its moments. Matt LeBlanc is affable and fun in his role as Anthony, and Jay Acovone is probably the best actor out of the bunch on screen. It’s just such an unintentionally hilarious picture that I kinda feel like this would have been better as a comedy rather than a straight laced drama. The Blu-ray itself, though, is pretty impressive, with good audio and video (for the source material) and a TON of extras from Severin to round it out. But at the end of the day, this is going to appeal mostly to fans of 1990s late night TV movies rather than your average movie goer looking for something to watch this Saturday evening. Niche watch.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jay Acovone, Matt LeBlanc, Lou Rawls, Stephanie Richards, Denise Richards
Directed by: Guy Magar
Written by: Guy Magar
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH
Studio: Severin Films
Rated: NR
Runtime: 97 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: Feb 24th, 2026

Recommendation: Niche Watch