I really liked this film. It had excellent acting and a really great finale. But I expected more in terms of visuals from Dallamano. The film didnāt really look good, in terms of scenery, colors and production design/costumes etc.
But all in all, really good.
For more info visit:
DATABASE LINK: Bandidos - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
0 voters
Is it true that New Entertainment World R2 DVD steals from Japan DVD?
havenāt heard about that. i doubt they āstealā, if they use the japanese prints i am sure they buy them
I canāt say if they have bought the rights or not, but the print definitely seems to be the same (Iām not 100% sure though). Looks like NEW has just made it anamorphic (and a bit worse looking, no doubt because of converting NTSC, which already has problems, back to PAL creating more problems, making it anamorphic must have made it softer as well).
What points towards stealing is just that their Wanted disc is reported to be using english audio track taken from a bootleg disc or tape (the person who has made the bootleg has said this as well). I wonder from whom NEW has bought the rights for that particular track if they arenāt using it illegally? 
Then again I do not know if one needs to buy rights for one particular english track, but Iād think it needs to be done like that.
I really liked this flick. As Seb said nice acting and a great finale. I found the characters well chose They fit perfectly into the storyline. I gave it a four, because there is no choice for 3.5
Is there a region one version of this movie? dvdr is fine.
[quote=āJONAH HEX, post:6, topic:207ā]Is there a region one version of this movie? dvdr is fine.[/quote]I donāt think thereās region 1 release (or region free). Luminous sells region free dvd-r[url]http://www.lfvw.com/bandidos.html[/url] version.
Enrico Maria Salerno is solid gold and I love the camerawork, editing & stunt work, so much innovation and spirit here and there. A near-masterpiece (a term Iām not using lightly) that could have used more character and plot development, boring as it may soundā¦ Both ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST & DUCK YOU SUCKER seem to be visually influenced by this film (directed by the Dollar Trilogy DP Massimo Dallamano), the low-angle tracking shot surveying the train robbery victims was done here first and Salerno (brilliant as the strong-willed invalid) was Leoneās original choice for Mr Mortonās role.
Gringo Hud and I have something in common: we both love this movie.
Itās currently nĀ° 7 on my Top 20, so (to me) the best non-Sergio (Leone/Corbucci/Sollima);
Of course this ranking is all a bit arbitrairy, but I think this is one of the three SWs you should recommend to those who think that, as far as SWs are concerned, the name Sergio serves as a litmus test for quality, along with DA UOMO A UOMO/Death rides a horse, and I GIORNI DELLā IRA/Days of Anger.
A train is assaulted by a gang and all passengers but one are killed because the gangās leader (Venantini) doesnāt want his face to end up on walls. The only passenger whoās life is saved (Salerno), apparently because Venantini recognised him, is mutilated so severely that he wonāt ever be able to hold a gun. To make a living, he starts a Wild West show, preparing at the same time his revenge by educating a young man as a sharpshooter. The plan seems to work, but the young man has his own reasons to chase the bandit. And it is all related to the assault on the train, so the lyrics of the main theme tell us.
BANDIDOS was overlooked for a long time, probably because nor director Dallamano, nor the three leads were familiar names among western fans. Ironically both Dallamano and Salerno had worked with Leone: Dallamano had been his cinematographer for FFOD and FAFDM and Salerno had dubbed Eastwood in the italian versions of the Dollar trilogy (by the way: I didnāt know he was first choice for Morton - thanks Hud).
With such a man in the directorās chair, itās no wonder the film looks gloriously. Like Hud has indicated, one tracking shot clearly influenced Leone for a similar scene in OUATITW.
Unless youāve read the outcome somewhere, the film keeps you guessing what is the exact relation between the three leads. All three turn in a magnificent performance. Salerno looks like a dandy before he gets mutilated, so we donāt worry too much about him, but later, when we witness his gradual degradation into a crippled man, both physically and emotionally, we start to care about him. Venantini is presented as a ruthless killer but remains human nonetheless. Ultimately Bandidos is a film about betrayed friendship, not revenge, and we realize that the outcome will be tragic, whatever it may be.
Need I say that the score is one of the finest non-Morricone scores of all SWs? The main theme, istrumental during the credits, sung in the movie, will stay for you for days.
I canāt do much more for the film.
The DVD to go for is The New Entertainmet World DVD; two absolutely minor scenes are missing, but itās presented anamorphically in an aspect ratio of about 2,00:1. The image is not razor sharp but colours are vivid and print damage is reduced to an occasional vertical line. It looked fine on my 32āā TV, but might cause some problems on those elephantine screens. The audio comes in three different languages, English, Italian and German (DD 2.0); all three soundtracks do the job perfectly; Venantini has been given a rather shrill voice in the English dub, so personally I preferred the italian one. The main theme is sung in English on both the English and German track, in Italian on the Italian track.
Iād just put El Tunco Maclovio back on the shelf and picked this up as the next to watch. Itās on one of the Macoroni Western Bible dvds. Itās a while since, but I seem to remember that the picture quality was fantastic on this. Iāll let you know what I think of the print and the film as and when.
I just watched this one again and I must say that it was even better than I remembered.
This is one of the best SWās outside the top-20 list IMO.
After re-watching this I still think that this is one of the greatest swās ever done. Iād put it in the same category as Once upon time in the west as a ātrue sw masterpieceā, both films are perfectly directed. At the same time theyāre both relying heavily on traditional western but are still very innovative. they are both very distinct films, they donāt resemble much with other spaghetti westerns but have the nevertheless the true āspaghetti feelā.
Like i said in other topic, only flaw in the film in my eyes is the tiresome finale where the guys keep stalking each other for way too long. Matter of opinon maybe but I like duel finales more.
My double has done it again (although he dropped a ācā somewhere), he took my post of November 10 and made a review of my personal favourite (Geheimtipp like our Germans say):
http://fistfulofpasta.com/index.php?go=reviews/bandidosss
I think that Shutter made a mistake: it seems more logical that the Egyptian horsetrainer threatened to leave the set instead of the scene
Great review Scherp. I too thought this was a fine movie, and overlooked.
I think this movie was lacking in star power though. It wouldāve been an all time classic if we had a garko or a steffen or someone of that ilk playing one of the lead roles.
Salerno of course was great, and he was a pretty big star in italy back in the 60ās. But Jenkins and Venantini couldāve been replaced by someone better.
Jenkins maybe, but Venantini was great and should have made more SWs.
I prefer Venantini to Steffen every day.
What a name, Venantino Venantini
Perhaps youāre right. Venantini certainly acted very well in that role, but I thought he didnāt really have the right ālookā.
I would love to see someone like Craig Hill in Jenkenās role.
I think the cast were all spot on in this but agree that a bigger name or two would have given it wider exposure and it would be held in much wider high esteem. Not Steffen though, please. Terry Jenkins was good in the role of Ricky Shot but he seems to have been a one hit wonder. I see on imdb he was in Paint Your Wagon but apart from that he seems to have disappeared. A shame, as I liked him in this. He kind of reminded me of John Philip Law. I would have liked to see him in more spaghettis. And Venantino too. This was his only one I think but he played a great bad guy. As for Salerno, a tour de force as Martin in my opinion.
Dallamanoās direction was excellent too and, unlike brother Bill, I think the final duel was beautifully constructed and played out to just the right length. My only criticism of it is the mirror trick at the very end. Weāve seen that far too many times and the scene deserved a better conclusion. Other than that I loved it. Excellent film.
If anyone has the Japanese dvd, check out Venantiniās interview, i bet heās a right laugh to hang out with 
[quote=āYodlaf Peterson, post:18, topic:207ā]If anyone has the Japanese dvd, check out Venantiniās interview, i bet heās a right laugh to hang out with :)[/quote]Yep, thatās hilarous interview!
He does seem like a lovely fella but his japanese impersonation is painfully embarrassing to watch :-[
