Petroni is a magnificent director of westerns. His great pacing charms each of his films.
What are thoughts?
[ul][li]Best: Night of the Serpent[/li]
[li]Worst: Life is tough, Eh’ Providence? ( though I still love it!)[/li]
[li]Overrated: Tepepa (Still love it!)[/li]
[li]Underrated: A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof[/li][/ul]
0 voters
When I saw a Leone poll and a Corbucci poll, I knew you would come up with a Petroni poll
Like W.C. Fields wanted to have written on his gravestone:
“I knew sooner or later this was going to happen”
Okay, here we go:
Best: Death rides a Horse
Even better: Tepepa
Brilliant: the opening of And For a roof a Sky full of Tears
Underrated: Night of the serpent
Won’t agree: Stanton
Overrated: the importance of being Earnest
Best: Death Rides a Horse
Worst: Life is tough, Eh’ Providence?
Overrated: Night of the Serpent
Underrated: A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof
[quote=“scherpschutter, post:2, topic:1806”]When I saw a Leone poll and a Corbucci poll, I knew you would come up with a Petroni poll
Like W.C. Fields wanted to have written on his gravestone:
“I knew sooner or later this was going to happen”[/quote]
And like William Holden said, “Hell, Why Not!?”
After Scherp has warned you:
Best: Tepepa
Worst: Provvidenza (but it’s quite amusing apart from a few worse attempts in slapstick)
Overrated: Death Rides a Horse (or all 5)
Underrated: The Importance of Being Earnest
Won’t agree: Korano
You don’t really care for Petroni do you?
No, not very much.
His films aren’t bad, but also not very good either. He wasn’t suited for westerns. He wasn’t suited for action scenes.
His films are as good as their screenplays. He did not waste the stuff he was working with, but he also did not transcend it.
At least Petroni’s SWs have risen a bit in my esteem after rewatching them.
I have to agree about that Stanton even if I love Death Rides a Horse. DRAH is not very Westernish though. It’s more like a thriller. By the way, did he make any Giallo or Euro crime movies?
funnest post of the director’s polls: scherpschutter
I have just checked some basic facts on Petroni.
He has made only 9 films of which only 4 were released in Germany. 4 of his westerns were successful at least in Italy, but the other 5 films (Serpent amongst them) are more or less unbeknownst.
He directed a comedy in 62, then 7 films between 67 and 72, which were followed by only one more film (a thriller) in 78. That’s rather odd for a director who had several BO hits.
Best - A sky full of stars for a roof (the opening scene,Scherps already mentioned,is one of the best i’ve ever seen in a SW)
Worst - Provvidenza
Over - Tepepa
Under - Night of the serpent (Maybe…is it ?)
You don’t really care for Petroni do you?[/quote]
[quote=“Stanton, post:7, topic:1806”]No, not very much.
His films aren’t bad, but also not very good either. He wasn’t suited for westerns. He wasn’t suited for action scenes.
His films are as good as their screenplays. He did not waste the stuff he was working with, but he also did not transcend it.
At least Petroni’s SWs have risen a bit in my esteem after rewatching them.[/quote]
Outside of Death Rides a Horse I don’t care much for Petroni either.
I tried watching Tepepa & fell asleep. Although I only like a few Zapata’s.
Not viewed all Petroni westerns yet, but Death Rides A Horse is my favourite so far.
Best: Tepepa
Worst: Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? (I like it a lot though)
Overrated: Death Rides a Horse
Underrated: A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof
Petroni gets pretty short shrift around here, doesn’t he? I’m surprised - he’s more competent than most journeymen SW directors. Maybe it’s the lack of zip and exuberance about his movies - they’re all fairly stately in their pacing, even Life is Tough… Hallmarks of his literary bent, perhaps.
Anyway, my ratings:
Best: Death Rides a Horse (a stone-cold classic)
Worst: Life is Tough/Sky Full of Stars (though, as others have said, I still like them)
Overrated: Tepepa (see above)
Underrated: Night of the Serpents
These are some old threads. I’ll get into it later. 
I fancy myself an archaeologist of the swdb 
Petroni Poll up at the top.
