December 2023 recap and year in review

Magazine Newsletter
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Welcome to the December 2023 :incoming_envelope: newsletter from the Spaghetti Western Database, your regular newsletter of what happened last month in the world of European westerns. We also look back at the past year and look forward to 2024!

How to receive this newsletter automatically: Read instructions here on how to receive this to your inbox or notifications :mailbox_with_mail: newsletter. Contact us if you have any questions or news/rumors/contributions.

:newspaper: NEW STUFF IN AND AROUND THE SWDB IN :spiral_calendar: DECEMBER 2023:

:rotating_light: WANTED:

:film_strip: New around the SWDb:

:cowboy_hat_face: SWDb 3.0 - so, how far are we?

This year’s major overhaul of the SWDb is nearing completion. The film pages are pretty much done and we’re now touching up other parts of the database (for example check out the new “Browse all” page Browse all - The Spaghetti Western Database). Also complete are shopping guides and home video label overviews, the new pages for our editors and we have a million new pictures (for example uploaded by @Mickey13 ). We are currently finishing the books section - all books pages are being updated to a better layout and we are adding more books and more information and more Amazon links. That work should be completed by the end of January. If you’re interested in seeing what we’re doing or if you want to join and help, click here to read about it: SWDb 3.0 (our massive 2022/2023 project)

:boom: What’s next in 2024?

There’ll be no “3.1” project as there are plenty of open smaller projects (e.g. the locations project, the featurettes project etc). The 3.0 overhaul has brought an increase in quality to the SWDb like none before, ever. However, we’ve also detected a million little places where some house cleaning and improvement are required, and we’ll work on that. This includes more complete coverage of VHS releases and soundtracks, company and box office data, links to helpful articles and interviews all over the internet, and so on. Lastly, there’s some technical improvements overdue for the SWDb, including a better search, which will require time, expertise and likely money, all of which aren’t plentiful. And what would all that be without anyone enjoying it or connecting with each other? That’s why we’ll likely look into more outreach (there’s always a project!) as well.

SWDb :heart: Letterboxd

If you’re a Letterboxd user, we hope you follow the official SWDb Letterboxd HQ account. Click here to learn more about that. For the new year we’ll finally bring more exclusive content to that channel as well. And your reminder: all the revised film pages in the SWDb have a direct link to their respective LB entry and the bottom.

:dvd: Home video news:

In December Arrow Video, Cutlfilms, Explosive Media, Severin, Plaiton Pictures etc all made sacrifices at the altar of the Spaghetti Western. Some stuff hasn’t even shipped yet. Check out our calendar and make sure you get it all.

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January the amount of titles is still a bit limited. UK fans get a small box set and there may be a Spencer/Hill 4K in the offing for Italy, but some more news may still come out while companies overcome their new year’s eve hangovers…
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2024 will be interesting. If the past year is an indication then there’s still tons of spaghetti westerns to be released, as more material gets available and companies keep eying niche releases for fans. Most imporantly: keep buying them so that doesn’t change. So go back and browse through 2024 and see which ones you missed, fill the gaps in your collection! Let’s show these companies that yes we value all this work and yes we want more spaghetti westerns!
:calendar: Visit the SWDb home video release calendar

:church: Obituaries

Our head of obits, the spaghettiologist @Tom_B had to update the boot hill cemetery with an unfortunate 8 new obituaries over the course of the last four weeks.
:arrow_right: Check out “Cemetery with crosses”

:balance_scale: Reviews:

Please contact us if you want your reviews published. We are especially looking for reviews of movies that have no, or very few, reviews in the SWDb. We publish them in all languages, and you don’t need to be a professional writer!
:arrow_right: https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/His_Name_Was_Pot…_they_Called_Him_Allegria_film_review
:arrow_right: Sein Name war Pot aber sie nannten ihn Halleluja Filmkritik - The Spaghetti Western Database
:arrow_right: Garter Colt film review - The Spaghetti Western Database
:arrow_right: Garter Colt Filmkritik - The Spaghetti Western Database
:arrow_right: For One Thousand Dollars Per Day film review - The Spaghetti Western Database
:arrow_right: Quinto, töte nicht Filmkritik - The Spaghetti Western Database
:arrow_right: Thou shalt not kill film review - The Spaghetti Western Database

:moneybag: :dollar: Those of you who feel inclined to donate a dollar or euro or two, head here. Payplal has improved the donation experience, check it out - and you don’t even need a PayPal account to donate. Also, whenever you shop at Amazon, click on one of the SWDb’s Amazon links first, it doesn’t matter which one and what you buy.

See you next month! **And don’t forget to get SAVAGE GUNS - if you follow the link below you’ll learn more about this release, including all the Amazon etc. links (if you use those it supports the SWDb):

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SAVAGE GUNS details: Lo voglio morto/BluRay - The Spaghetti Western Database

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:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
Lastly, even though I mentioned it before, a big fat thank you to everyone who helps around here, everyone who discusses in the forums, shares articles, spreads the word of mouth, donates a few bucks, sends in a review, reports a correction, follows us on social media or just reads and enjoys the SWDb. Happy New Year!

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