As the second installment in my Video on Demand feature, I would like to offer up for consideration the 1978 independent film, Nunzio. Written by and starring actor James Andronica, Nunzio tells the story of a mentally challenged grocery delivery boy in Brooklyn, NY. Played brilliantly by Sopranos star David Proval, Nunzio has a Superman fixation, and even delivers his groceries wearing a fake pair of glasses with a make-shift Superman costume beneath his street clothes. Under the watchful eye of his older brother Jamesie, played by Andronica, Nunzio's quiet demeanor and gentle personality make him a frequent target by local bullies and harlots. Andronica's Jamesie recalls The Godfather's Sonny, but is played here more for laughs. But there are also times in this film that Jamesie's love and protection of Nunzio is a startlingly real and honest display of brotherly affection. Morgana King who played Mrs. Vito Corleone in the Godfather films plays Nunzio's hard-working mom who often clashes over his care with son Andronica. Released the same year as Warner Brothers' Superman The Movie, the rest of the cast is rounded out by Tovah Feldshuh, Theresa Saldana and Joe Spinell. The excellent cast and NYC atmosphere add a considerable amount of realism and grit to the film, and Lalo Schifrin's quiet score balances the more tender moments for Nunzio and punctuates the pseudo-superhero aspects of it's storyline. As glowing as it's reviews were in 1978, the film garnered no Oscar nominations and is all but forgotten today. It occasionally shows up on late night television, but no video release was ever made. In 1988 Orion Pictures released Dominick and Eugene, a film that owes much to its predecessor, Nunzio. When I first saw Dominick and Eugene back in '88 I was so convinced that I was watching a bonafide remake, that I couldn't believe my eyes when James Andronica's name appeared nowhere in the writing credits. The film's protagonists are almost identical to say nothing of it's climax which seems to be taken right from the pages of Nunzio's script. A DVD release would be a nice surprise but until then late night TV or ebay bootlegs may be your only recourse to see this little gem of a movie.
