I thought this one was pretty decent especially considering the Looney Tunes styled western films Carnimeo would end up directing in the 70’s. I liked this one maybe a slight bit more than MOMENT TO KILL.
As others have mentioned, I love that song the girl sings… even recorded it to my computer for possible use in some sampling work. I think that song increases the value of this movie for me quite a bit.
The movie itself drags a bit towards the mid-section, and I think it had potential to be a lot better than it was. Its probably been years since I’ve watched FAPTOD though, so my opinion could change on another viewing- my taste has evolved and I’m much more forgiving than I used to be
I realluy find it strange that Fregonese was involved in this one. For a director who almost worked exclusively in South America to suddenly show up in a Spaghetti Western I find a little odd.
Fregonese also worked in Hollywood, and had shot one of the german Karl May westerns.
Not half bad, but towards the lower end of the Guiliano Carnimeo spectrum… I know it’s also available on Millcreek Spaghetti Western 20 movie pack… with the expected poor quality.
Just finished rewatching this movie
I watched a copy of a recent German TV-showing, which has far better picture quality than the VCI disc I have.
VCI:
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TV:
[URL=http://img826.imageshack.us/i/vlcsnap2011020922h32m36.png/][url]http://img140.imageshack.us/i/vlcsnap2011020921h19m07.png/[/url]
![http://img140.imageshack.us/i/vlcsnap2011020921h19m07.png/[/url]](http://img140.imageshack.us/i/vlcsnap2011020921h19m07.png/%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
A torrent of this tV-showing can be found on Cinemageddon, but it has only German audio and seems to be cropped a little top and bottom
It’s also a bit shorter (1:24:25) than the DVD (1:27:43); it could be the NTSC-PAL conversion (I think the VCI disc is in NTSC), but I had the idea something was missing (I’ll have to check this in order to be sure)
The improved picture quality helps the film a little, I noticed now it was well-shot
It otherwise remains a mediocre movie with some good scenes (and beautiful women); I gave it 2 stars, I would give it 3 stars now (3 minus maybe)
I’ll be reworking my review a little
Patience
Details here on the difference between the prints:
Thanks, the ‘kicking’ scene was the one I missed.
It doesn’t really alter the film, but it’s one of the nastier scenes and that’s obviously the reason it was cut
EDIT:
I just noticed someone put English audio under the TV print
Okay, there’s a violent scene missing, but otherwise this TV print is a pleasure to watch, a major improvement over the VCI disc
(And it’s after all not a bad movie)
Great review, scherpschutter…this was one of the ones that stuck out for me that are in the mill creek 20 DVD set…and the scene in the tavern did stand out for me as well.
Nice review scherpy - of one of my favorite lesser spags. Nice to see that ‘song’ in a better quality pic.
This film surely needs a decent release. A fandub, even, would be good - that tv print with the other bit stuck in would do. I can wish… :
…or pray I suppose.
Leave your prayers on the bottom of the glass
It’s been over 10 years since I saw this so it was a time to rewatch. A bit better than I remembered but still a little disappointment. The beginning of a film is so good, scene with Lulli, song in the saloon, the gathering of the rescue party with all the interesting characters. And then somewhere in the middle the whole plot takes a turn and they all just have a big gunfight against bandits in long and pretty boring shoot-out scene. With all the characters they spend time to introduce there was a potential to make a much better film, something like Ruthless Four.
The melancholic soundtrack is maybe the best thing in the film.
My rating: 4/10
I somehow like the movie, but yes, mainly for the first half hour.
I’d give 6-7/10 to first half hour.
Joe, Find a Place to Die (1968) and directed by Giuliano Carnimeo and produced and “overseen” by the remarkable Argentine director Hugo Fregonese, who made more than his share of semi-classic Westerns in America in the fifties, is a good Spaghetti Western, no classic, but excellent in illustrating how diverse the genre could be while staying firmly within it. First, the good stuff: two important female characters (Pascale Petit and Daniela Giordana), unusual for the genre, with Giordana delivering the memorable title song, shot in a grimy saloon that highlights the realism; in fact, it’s not surprising many people consider it the best scene in the film. Jeffery Hunter too, once set to be a big star (he was in John Ford’s The Searchers [1956] as a counterpoint to John Wayne’s mono-minded character), surprised me by how good he is. He really throws himself into his role of a greedy, dirty arms dealer who eventually finds a “happy ending”. This happy ending works actually, contrary to my expectations, perhaps because it so rarely happens in Spaghetti Westerns.
On the debt side alas, there is the awful opening shootout where characters swap badly-aimed bullets and clunky exposition, the latter apparently the more deadly. The landscapes too, are the pastoral green of Northern Italy and are just not an adequate stand in for Mexico. The gunfights are usually not that great either, although the climax, shot in a ruined monastery, works well. Some the characters, such as the Reverend (an expert in torture) are a lot of fun and it’s a shame more time isn’t given to him, instead of the half-hearted comic relief in the shape of Anthony Blond as Bobo (surely not his real name?).
Direction and cinematography are good and there is an unexpected does of nudity in the film as well, all of which help to make this an entertaining genre entry which has a few points that make it above average.
i saw it today, did they end cut??? what happened at the end ??
good western with nothing much
I watched the film after I had been reminded by our friend sartana1968 of its existence. A good, corny western which might have a plethora of old-fashioned touches (a comic-relief character, an ostensibly pious preacher, a rowdy Mexican bandit), but this very aspect proves to be a sort of advantage, at least for me.
There are some amusingly forced moments too. At one point, once the girl and one of her accomplices start struggling with each other, Collins turns up and instead of teaching the man a lesson by punching him with his rifle, he casts it aside and jumps into the stream to embark on slapsticks. Conspicuously, it only enhances the entertainment. :
Apart from that, I can’t complain as it is a well filmed, acted, written and structured western filled with some neat one-liners, very slickly interspersed motifs - actually, I have no recollection of a singular element which serves no purpose - and a cool, competent soundtrack. Even dialogues aren’t too bad. Only the antagonist seems a little superficial and unremarkable. All in all, it’s a truly nice stuff, lots of goodies here. 6/10
Watched it today. I was disappointed a bit. It was good enough until the band formed up, but then it had nothing extraordinary to add. I don’t know, but I think it was somewhat slowpaced so I was surprised to hear everyone say it was fair paced. I gave it 3 stars but I’m not sure it shoudn’t have been two. At least, its decent enough.
I can’t understand why my UK pre-cert is missing so much of the film. Even my favourite scene with Daniela Giordano is cut out.