We have a long running radio show in the UK called ‘Desert Island Discs’ where each week a different well known person is interviewed and chooses a selection of records and books they would want with them if they were stranded alone on a desert island. They are given the bible and the complete works of Shakespeare as a start to stop them making those more obvious choices.
It got me to thinking. If we switch the discs to DVDs, what would your Spaghetti Western Desert Island Discs be? I’ll give you a complete Leone box set as a starter so you don’t need to choose any of those. The films you choose don’t neccesarily have to be ones you think are the best, just ones you would happily watch again and again.
Having set this myself I now find it almost impossible to choose.
But here goes:
Return of Ringo (without doubt) Cemetery Without Crosses (just in case I started getting too optimistic on the island) Sabata (purely for the fun value) Johnny Yuma (purely for the Rosalba Neri value) And God Said to Cain (I’ll need some Kinski just to make sure I’m not the maddest bloke on the island)
That’s what I’d choose today anyhow. But there’s a lot I could have included.
Damn, I wish I’d set the number at 10 now :-\
Savage Guns - To get some useful inspiration from Fidani on how to make something out of nothing. Also for comedic purposes The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe - A nice action filled no brainer to relieve the stress of hunting for food Palle in canna! - Gotta have some porn when stranded on a desert island Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead - In case those pesky creatures of the night deprive me of my sleep The Great Silence - Some onscreen snow as festive surrogate in case I’m still stuck there on Christmas eve
… and educate you in the finer aspects of martial arts hence helping you in your food-hunting. There’s nothing like downing a jumping wild boar with a well placed round kick to the snout. And voila food on the ‘table’ (well, ground most probably).
Day of Anger - best Lee team up after For a Few Dollars More Death Rides A Horse - 2nd best team up Navajo Joe - Burt rules Django - always a Nero film to keep me sane Kill Them All and Come Back Alone - Chuck’s turn at kickin ass
Return Of Ringo (Goes without saying!)
Johnny Yuma (cos i love it, Dammit - despite Damon being an annoying ass in real life)
Uno Dopo L’Altro (same as above minus Damon comment)
Killer Calibre 32 (just love that Silver character)
El Puro (guess i’d need one to remind me of the misery of being shipwrecked!)
Actually…i think i’d forego the Leone box and take three or four others… :
I think Id saty with the Leone box just bewcause I really like Eastwood’s characters. It has been a very long time since I’ve seen any of the dollar trilogy so I think it is soon time.
Oh i like the Dollars Trilogy well enough, particularly For A Few Dollars More (though to be honest Eastwood’s character in all three is not as interesting for me as the supporting characters) but i don’t watch them that much and tend to prefer the “lesser” stuff anyway
Day of Anger - because it’s the one I’ve seen the most and will keep watching, desert island or not!
Massacre Time - maybe if I watch it enough I’ll get what everyone sees in it!
Death Rides a Horse - just a very very rewatchable movie for me.
Forgotten Pistolero - for the music.
Return of Ringo - for the hope that someone will come back…
