SPAGVEMBERFEST 2016 - A FISTFUL OF REAPPRAISALS: DAY 14
Not to be confused with Giuseppe Colizzi’s God Forgives, I Don’t (1967) - although I will be watching that one too this month - today’s movie is May God Forgive You… But I Won’t (Musolino, 1968), pitting George Ardisson against Anthony Ghidra in a delightfully murder-happy revenge flick.
Il bianco, il giallo, il nero’s music was composed by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis, whose biggest hit, “Santa Maria,” is on a very existential level one of the most angst-inducing pop songs ever recorded. The names of the film’s protagonists are as funny and witty as the movie itself: Blanc De Blanc, Sakura, Black Jack (that Milián’s character is called “Cherry Blossom” and not “Kiiro” might irritate Japanologistically inclined viewers). For Alex Cox, “it’s a useless, worthless film, […] utterly racist, while pretending to condemn racism. Corbucci’s exhaustion was evident” (10,000 Ways to Die, p. 307). – And now: “Django Concatenated” – first film: León Klimovsky’s Pochi dollari per Django (1966).
What’s the hidden meaning of that strange number? The gematric value of “Jean-Luc Godard”?
It’s a reference to former forum-member Sartana Django if I’m not much mistaken 
He loved rating just about everything. 18.322 out of 20 is pretty damn good
Read this thread and you’ll learn everything about the notorious Sartana Django (ballads):
His often hilarious ramblings (which were by the way dead serious) begin at post N° 23
No 14. Castellari: I Came, I Saw, I Shot (1968)
-One of the better comedy sw’s. It doesn’t seem to have much love on our forum but I like it quite a lot. It doesn’t try to be anything big, just a lighthearted entertainment and it works that way. Sabato, Wolff and Saxon are all really good, Wolff is particularly good at comedy. 6/10
Spagvemberfest 2016 Number 15
One which has consistently rated highly in the Alternative Top 20 and still has never had a decent official DVD release with English language options to my knowledge. Seems an odd omission considering Corbucci’s reputation. Maybe someday soon. Anyway, my copy with fansubs will do the trick for now. Gastone Moschin and Mario Adorf are enough to ensure my enjoyment in anything. As an aside, I always thought Moshin’s character in this one had similarities to Gene Hackman’s in Unforgiven.
no 15. Vanzi: The Silent Stranger (1969/1974)
-Not as good as the 2 first stranger films but better than Get Mean. Film has it’s moments and I especially like the language barrier in it which highlights the fact that Stranger is really a stranger in strange land. 6/10
Never thought of that, but you could have a point …
Tonight this one:
Day two of my “Django Concatenated” excursus, following an overdose of Corbucci Westerns. The aim of this harebrained enterprise is to (re-)watch all those films whose Italian titles contain “Django” and/or whose protagonists are called Django in the Italian version. Originally, I had fourteen “fake” Django movies on my list, plus the original and its “official” sequel from 1987, plus three Spanish films retitled for the Italian market. Now I’ve found JonathanCorbett’s list which contains three more Djangos. I’ll see about that later.
Corbucci’s original Django was released in Italy on April 6, 1966, and cinema audiences were without a doubt very pleased to see Django return to the big screen only five months later, on September 9, in person of Anthony Steffen in León Klimovsky’s Pochi dollari per Django. Or maybe not. I’ve re-watched the English-language version of that film, and there’s no relation whatsoever to Corbucci and Nero’s Django. Therefore its “relevance for an even better understanding of the original character’s motivations in particular and for Django’s biography and its gaping holes in general” factor is zero, zilch, nada. – Tonight: Alberto De Martino’s Django spara per primo, starring Glenn Saxson.
SPAGVEMBERFEST 2016 - A FISTFUL OF REAPPRAISALS: DAY 15
Can’t get my Spag on until much later tonight I think but, all being well, I shall be hitting up one of my favourite leading men in the genre: It’s time for some Robert Woods Mexi-action in My Name is Pecos (Lucidi, 1966). I’ve only seen it once and I don’t recall being as enamoured of it as I’d thought/hoped I was going to be, but those second viewings can often prove more revelatory than the first, so we’ll see.
Really?
Explain …
For me he is very, very different.
I guess the similarities I see are his mixed morals. He runs the town in a hard way (no guns allowed etc) but does so out of a genuine belief that his hard approach will keep bad men out and stop violence in the town. But then he is corrupted in that he allows the town’s rich folk to manipulate him and also doesn’t stop the lynching of Hud’s brother. I also saw similarity in his retreating to go fishing (unsuccessfully) in much the same way that Hackman escapes the pressures of town by building his house (also very badly).
However, I say similar, not the same. Moschin’s character retains a more sympathetic tone in a way that Hackman’s does not. You feel that despite his failings he is fundamentally a decent man. Hackman, on the other hand, thinks he is a decent man but is more ruled by his own ego in truth. I guess this is brought home in their respective death scenes. Hackman’s last words (if I remember correctly) are something like “I don’t deserve this” whereas Moschin dies suddenly and wordlessly and it is us that are left thinking that his demise was unfair.
Anyway, just some observations. Like I say, I don’t see them as the same. Just that there are some similarities.
Spagvemberfest 2016 Number 16
A bit more Gemma time for me. Fort Yuma Gold is one of those peak time Gemma films that is interchangeable with many others. Think Adios Gringo, One Silver Dollar, Wanted et al. I love 'em all but this one has a fond place in particular as it was one of the earliest crap video copies I owned. It also features a female character with the magnificent name of Connie Breastfull. What more could you want?
SPAGVEMBERFEST 2016 - A FISTFUL OF REAPPRAISALS: DAY 16
Halfway through, everybody! Have we all gone insane yet? Are we all single now?
Today I’m going with what I consider to be one of the most frustrating movies of the genre: Django the Bastard (Garrone, 1969), starring “The Steff” as a vengeful possibly back-from-the-dead wraith in a role every bit as perfect for him as the titular role in The Terminator (Cameron, 1984) was perfect for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Does any other spag start as strongly as Django the Bastard? There can’t be many. Yet the filmmakers, realising they’ve painted themselves into a corner, seem to make Steffen’s character mortal and potentially at risk whenever they decide it’s time to instil a bit of peril. Ah, maybe I’m missing something vital, hence another look today.
Django spara per primo, the second “sotto-Django,” was released on October 28, 1966. Directed by Alberto De Martino and starring Dutchman Glenn Saxson (born in The Hague) as Glenn Garvin (called Django in Mexico), the film starts with an absurdly funny prologue, probably its most notable sequence, concluded by a monologue given by Glenn “Django” Garvin addressing his father’s corpse: “Haste me to know’t, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge.” Of course, being dead and not a ghost, his begetter can’t answer; so instead of burying him, Glenn decides to collect the bounty put on his father’s head.
Django spara per primo is a very entertaining, light-hearted movie, competently directed by De Martino, who also made the solid Western Centomila dollari per Ringo (1965) and the spy film – in truth a trans-European sightseeing tour – Upperseven, l’uomo da uccidere (1966), starring Paul Hubschmid and Karin Dor as two secret agents, one British (SIS), the other American (CIA), go figure.
Another night, another Django – next: Gianni Garko in Diecimila dollari per un massacro (1967), directed by Romolo Guerrieri.
Still rewatching films for a couple of vacancies in my alternative 20, a business not to be taken lightly. None of the three previous films made it. Tonight:
18. My Name is Pecos
Haven’t seen this for some time and remembered nothing from it except for Woods keeping his eyes wide open by means of matches (which showed not to be the case). A surprisingly well-made film to have been made on an ultra-low budget (Scherpschutter’s review), and one I liked a lot. And:
19. Massacre Time
It still holds it ground in my alternative 20, at least for now. Watched the Sinister Cinema release, which I think doesn’t do much justice to the film. Any recommendations for a better DVD?
Tinnitus a little stronger than usual and some headaches, but still sane. Haven’t told my wife what I’m doing.
