Maurizio Nichetti is one of the most original Italian comedians, since his style is deeply influenced by silent cinema, Jacques Tati and cartoons (he worked for many years as a gagman for Bruno Bozzetto, also appearing in Allegro non troppo). His first films were remarkable for the lack of dialogues and for the recurrent homages to Keaton and Laurel & Hardy. Here you can find an article by Jonathan Rosenbaum, focusing on Ratataplan (1979) and The Icicle Thief (1989). Both these films can be found on English-friendly DVDs.
Another title has just been released on DVD, Domani si balla (Tomorrow We Dance, 1982) a science-fiction comedy, done in the style of Georges Méliès. This disc has English subs as well, and it can be found on Amazon UK.
