Best Western or in general?
Best in general I think. For me anyway
I like Inglorious Bastards the most, or maybe High Crime. I think Johnny Hamlet is a good film, it has grown on me since my last viewing. I can oversee some of the things that used to annoy me, and enjoy it for what is.
Totally agree. His four main crime films are excellent but I think this leaves them all standing as good as they are. Still haven’t watched IB but I do have a blu that I need to get round to.
Finally watched this famed hidden gem of the SW genre, after constantly seeing it in people’s alternate top 20s. I don’t think it quite reaches top 20 material for me but it’s still a pretty great spag.
Maurizio Graf’s main vocal theme is fantastic and has some lovely foreshadowing. Castellari really shows his talent over other SW directors with how beautiful some shots are in this. My favourite being when Johnny visits his father’s grave and the camera starts by facing the side of his head and slowly rotates around his face. Giordana is a solid protagonist but Horst Frank steals the show as usual with a great villain performance. I can easily see me enjoying this even more on a rewatch and it’s made me more excited to see Giordana in The Dirty Outlaws when the new blu ray releases.
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This one’s top 10 material for me all day…I don’t think it’ll ever leave it’s current ranking either.
Agreed entirely. I think “If a dreamer grows wise when he opens his eyes, shadows in a dream will always seem more real than old mens’ lies” is the greatest lyric ever written for a spag soundtrack.
It is a great one in my humble despite a slightly flimsy start. In fact all three Giordana spags are comfortably in my top twenty five. Again, I doubt any of them will ever leave.
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And A Taste of Death with Giordana is really solid as well. It’s a shame he didn’t make more spaghetti westerns.
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Agreed entirely. It’s the lowest of the three in my humble…I think I have it ranked at twenty four, but it’s still fantastic nonetheless.
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I see it’s available on Rarelust, I’ll check it out soon 
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Think you’re in for a good one
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I still after three years having wathched it around 6-8 times rate Johnny Hamlet high with a 7/10, and the unnecessary “funny” fist fights remain as the most important restriction for an even higher rating and ranking on my SW Top list.
The Dirty Outlaws is free of such lighthearted/comedy scenes and that is my main reason for its higher ranking.
28 A Stranger In Town/A Dollar Between The Teeth (Luigi Vanzi) 1967
29 Django (Sergio Corbucci) music Luis Bacalov 1966
30 The Dirty Outlaws / El desperado (Franco Rossetti) music Gianni Ferrio 1967
31 Johnny Hamlet/The Wild And The Dirty (Enzo G. Castellari) 1968
32 Vengeance Is Mine/$100,000 for a Killing (Giovanni Fago) 1967 music Nora Orlandi
33 Vengeance For Vengeance/Revenge For Revenge (Mario Colucci) music Angelo Lavagnino 1968
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This movie’s page in the SWDb has been upgraded to the new “SWDb 3.0” format (thanks @Carlos ). Please have a look and let us know if there’s something you can add (information, trivia, links, pictures, etc.).
There’s a new poll for this one at the top of the page.
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Johnny Hamlet (1968) PG-13 ****1/2
Watched my Blu Ray copy of this unique Western adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and found the film to be very enjoyable. A lot may have been cut from the play for pacing, plot/character/purposes, etc., but Castellari stays true to the heart of the Bard’s concept.
I’ll be reviewing the film (and a brief mention of the Blu Ray release) for Mike Hauss’ next Digest edition, so I won’t say much here, but for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, put it on your watch-list for sure, you won’t be disappointed.
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I just watched this one again.
If someone could update the main page: Quella sporca storia nel West
At least some of the “filming location” was set at Cinecittà Studios
Thanks,
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Probably Castellari’s best; but an adaptation where Hamlet survives to gallop away ‘come il vento’ is ultimately flawed. Although the theatrical troupe rehearsing the play during the film’s opening is a clever touch.
Shakespeare play aside - this is an excellent SW, full of baroque touches and gothic imagery. Horst Frank’s refined and malevolent Uncle Claude is the standout amongst a fine leading cast.
Some rare behind-the-scenes photos …
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Gilbert Roland discussing his costume … ‘Should I have a cream colored Stetson, a pencil mustache and a red cravat?’ … like he does in every other film he’s ever appeared in !!! 
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Very nice pics
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Recently revisited this one. It is actually a lot better than I’d remembered: the movie is quite classy and its gothic atmosphere is somewhat reminiscent of And God Said to Cain among others. Prescinding from Keoma, it is clearly Castellari’s best. The flick clearly belongs to the upper echelons of the genre even if the stupid fisticuffs admittedly tend to drag it down a bit. And camerawork seems a bit forced and gimmicky at some points.
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