The versions we have run all 93 min (not 92), but again there was a longer runtime listed at anica.it, which is e.g. featured in the Bruckner book . But that was actually 101 min, and again it seems no copy of such a version exists. And the 93 min DVDs are supposed to be uncut, including the Italian disc.
I still think it is one of the most original films the genre has to offer, with some of the best directed SW stuff in it.
But in recent years it has dropped constantly in the top 20 forum voting from # 33 to # 43. It’s weird for sure …
I recommend it to the newer forum members who still haven’t watched it. It certainly is a dividing film, but can be a pretty rewarding experience.
It’s the favourite SW from German expert Christian Kessler, who wrote fine books about the SW and the Giallo.
Watched the new Arrow release of this last night from the Blood Money box set.
Thought I might have some fresh insight to share but, in reality, my original review from years ago still holds pretty firm to how I feel about it now. The Arrow release is a lot clearer and and looks beautiful but my feelings about the film haven’t really changed. I enjoy it but not as much as I think I could because of a couple of areas.
Anyhow, here’s the link to my review from 2009: Son of Django's Spaghetti Western Reviews: Matalo!
“He goes too far in some ways and not far enough in others in his genre bending”
Phil, this sentence from your review is very true, but for me the strong stuff in Matalo is so strong, that it overbalances its weaker parts by far.
In other words, there was the chance to make a big masterpiece out of it, which the more limited Kill the Wicked never could have become (a pretty good Spag though).
As an example the beginning of the film, until our “hero” kills his saviours, belong for me to the best scenes of every SW. Positively weird, very positively …
It was Lou Castell’s idea, according to an interview with him on the Koch blu-ray of Bullet for the General.
Edit: He said he accepted the film on the basis that they went round the corner. He also speaks about the boomerang going right into the tummy of Canevari.
Just took the poll and saw the results span the entire range from 1-5. Is there a spaghetti that divides more than this one??
Watched the Arrow release tonight and personally enjoyed it. However, I knew that it wasn’t going to be a typical western going in and think that from a technical standpoint, it’s one of the most impressive spaghetti’s I’ve seen so far. The director builds the atmosphere as its own character and I like how it anachronistically plays with the idea of hippies in the old west. I mean, you’ve got the idea of sex, drugs, and rock and roll all subtly represented here (drugs with Burt addictively sniffing his gun after he shoots, sex with Mary having a relationship with the entire gang, and a 60’s-70’s acid rock soundtrack). Given the pacing and artsy style, I can certainly see why some who view it might be turned off, but I just found it to be odd and interesting in all the right places. There are certainly flaws, but I agree with @stanton that, “the strong stuff in Matalo is so strong, that it overbalances its weaker parts by far”.
Despite the obvious enthusiasm for the film from the 'experts, I’m still not enamoured of this particular SW.
I tried to like it, but failed miserably to appreciate it…
I daresay it has it’s merits, but they are still ones I have yet to discover…crazy-paving cinematography does not a film make…
Boomerangs! Who thought of those? They are like TV licence reminders…they keep coming back to you!
The phrase: ‘You can’t polish a turd’, comes to mind…
The biggest question is…why include this ‘crap a la croute’ in a BD boxset that should - I think - celebrate the best of SW’s?
The same happened with including ‘Wrath of the Wind’ in a boxset recently - another oddity (even though I slightly liked it).
Why?
Is it to show the diversity of the SW?
Or, (as I suspect), to include crap titles in with better-known ones, so that people buy the boxset, simply to obtain one (out of four) titles that they have been craving?
However, I’m not complaining. The above are slight gripes…
At the end of the day, if any Company is willing to provide, produce, and promote SW’s, then I’m a happy man…
Same. For me “Kill the Wicked” and its evil twin “Matalo” are just boring. It does not really have any plot. The scene with the horse is amazing though.
Matalo! is an absolutely dreadful waste of time but Kill the Wicked! has an appeal to me. Being a fan of Hammer, Margheriti, and all other things gothic, their time in the ghost town is particularly satisfying. It isn’t a classic by any means and it is slow paced but it does contain some satisfying violence and Maria Silva. Hands down the best of Boccia’s four films in the genre.
Ok, but from the Spags included in the 3 Arrow box sets, it is one of the 5 which are in the forum’s top 50, from that point of view Matalo belongs to the genre’s “best”.
Wrath of the Wind on the other hand belongs to the 2 which are outside the top 100, but has at least 4 admirers.
